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and the South

       Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps

       British and Chilean claims

      Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and the US; increasing use as a money-laundering center; domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing

      This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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      Australia

      Introduction

      Australia

      Background: Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It was able to take advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by the British monarch to an independent republic, was defeated in 1999.

      Geography Australia

      Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South

       Pacific Ocean

      Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S, 133 00 E

      Map references: Oceania

      Area: total: 7,686,850 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord

       Howe Island and Macquarie Island land: 7,617,930 sq km

      Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states

      Land boundaries: 0 km

      Coastline: 25,760 km

      Maritime claims: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

      Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

      Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m highest point: Mount

       Kosciuszko 2,229 m

      Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum

      Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% other: 93% (1998 est.)

      Irrigated land: 24,000 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires

      Environment - current issues: soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources

      Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental

       Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic

       Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered

       Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,

       Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer

       Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,

       Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

      Geography - note: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast in the summer

      People Australia

      Population: 19,546,792 (July 2002 est.)

      Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.4% (male 2,046,052; female 1,949,725) 15-64 years: 67% (male 6,610,840; female 6,480,354) 65 years and over: 12.6% (male 1,078,506; female 1,381,315) (2002 est.)

      Population growth rate: 0.96% (2002 est.)

      Birth rate: 12.71 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

      Death rate: 7.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

      Net migration rate: 4.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

      Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80 years female: 83 years (2002 est.) male: 77.15 years

      Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 14,000 (1999 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100 (1999 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian

      Ethnic groups: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%

      Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%

      Languages: English, native languages

      Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.)

      Government Australia

      Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia

      Government type: democratic, federal-state system recognizing the

       British monarch as sovereign

      Capital: Canberra

      Administrative divisions: 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian

       Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland,

       South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

      Dependent areas: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos

       (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands,

       Norfolk Island

      Independence: 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)

      National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January (1788)

      Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

      Legal system: based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

      Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter HOLLINGWORTH (since 29 June 2001) head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON (since 20 July 1999) cabinet: Cabinet Parliament nominates, from among its members, a list of candidates to serve as government ministers; from this list, the governor general makes the final selections for the Cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party

      Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of the members

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