Australia is a federation of
six states (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland,
South Australia and Western Australia) and two territories (the
Northern Territory and the Capital Territory, where Canberra
is located).
Government Information
Chief
of State: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since
6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Maj.
Gen. (Ret.) Michael JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003) Head of Government: Prime Minister
John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime
Minister Mark VAILE (since 6 July 2005) Government Type: democratic,
federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as
sovereign
Population Demographics
Population:
20,264,082 (July 2006 est.) Languages: English 79.1%, Chinese
2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001
Census) Religion: Catholic 26.4%, Anglican
20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%,
other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)
Life Expectancy: 80.5
Economic Information
Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD) GDP(per capita): $31,900 (2005
est.) Overview: Australia has an
enviable Western-style capitalist economy with a per
capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European
economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust
business and consumer confidence, and rising exports
of raw materials and agricultural products are fueling
the economy. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation,
and growing ties with China are other key factors behind
the economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak
foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the
trade deficit up from $8 billion in 2002, to $18 billion
in 2003, $13 billion in 2004, and nearly $17 billion
in 2005. Housing prices probably peaked in 2005, diminishing
the prospect that interest rates would be raised to
prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies
have kept Australia's budget in surplus from 2002 to
2005.
Exports: coal, gold, meat,
wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport
equipment
Import: machinery and transport
equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication
equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
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Geography
Information
Location:
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South
Pacific Ocean Area: total: 7,686,850 sq km
land: 7,617,930 sq km
water: 68,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Background:
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast
Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began
exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial
claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took
possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies
were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they
federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in
1901. The new country took advantage of its natural
resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing
industries and to make a major contribution to the British
effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia
has transformed itself into an internationally competitive,
advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's
fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance
due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the
1980s. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly
depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation
of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.
Independence Day: 1 January
1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Capital City: Canberra Administrative divisions: 6
states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*,
New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South
Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
