Country Facts - Australia

The People

Nationality

Australian(s)

Ethnic Composition

Caucasian	92%
Asian	7%
Aboriginal and other	1%

Religious Composition

Anglican	26.1%
Roman Catholic	26%
Other Christian	24.3%
Non-Christian	11%
Other	12.6%

Languages Spoken

English (primary language), Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic/Lebanese, Vietnamese, Aboriginal languages

Education and Literacy

Education is compulsory to age 15 in all states except Tasmania, where it is required to age 16. Literacy rate is 100 percent of the adult population. (1980)

Labor Force

Total: 9.2 million

By occupation:

Services	73%
Industry	22%
Agriculture	5%

(1997)

Geography

Land Mass Total

2,967,909 sq mi (7,686,850 sq km)
Note: Includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island.

Land

2,941,299 sq mi (7,617,930 sq km)

Water

26,610 sq mi (

68,920 sq km)

Land Boundaries

0 mi/km

Coastline

16,006 mi (

25,760 km)

Maritime claim

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate/Weather

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: Lake Eyre 49 ft (15 m)
Highest: Mount Kosciusko 7,312 ft (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)

Natural hazards

Cyclones along the coast; severe droughts.

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.

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.

Demographics

Population

19,546,792 (July 2002)

Age structure

(2002)

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

Growth Rate

0.96% (2002)

Life Expectancy

80 years (2002)

Female: 83 years
Male: 77.15 years

GDP Per Capita

Purchasing power parity
US$24,000 (2001)

Infant Mortality

4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002)

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

Net migration rate

4.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Economy & Trade

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. The Australian economy has been resilient in the face of the global economic downturn in 2001, chalking up 2.3 percent GDP growth, as the domestic economy is offsetting the external slump and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is a key factor behind the economy's strength, and Australia is expected to outperform its trading partners in 2002, with GDP growth projected to be 3 percent or better. Australia experienced some weakness in mid-2002 as its business cycle tends to lag the U.S. by about six months, and larger problems could emerge if Australia's trade position worsens. The Australian dollar continues to strengthen going into 2003, which could eventually impact export levels. Devastating fires swept through the country in early 2003, causing widespread property damage. This disaster will ripple through the insurance and farming sectors of the economy for some time to come.

Unemployment

6.7% (2001)

Inflation Rate

4.3% (2001)

Industries

Mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

Exports

US$68.8 billion (2001)

Imports

US$70.2 billion (2001)

Total Trade

GDP US$465.9 billion (2001)
Purchasing power parity

Top Export Partners

Japan 19%, US 9%, South Korea 7%, China 6%, New Zealand 5.8%, Singapore 4% (2001)

Top Import Partners

US 20%, Japan 13%, China 7.7%, UK 6%, Germany 5%, South Korea 4%, NZ 4%, Malaysia 3.6% (2001)

Top Exports

Coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment

Top Imports

Machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products

Industries

Mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

Debt - external

US$168.7 billion (2001)

Economic aid

Donor: ODA, $894 million (FY99/00)

Fiscal Year:

July 1 to June 30

Business Workweek

	Monday - Friday	Saturday - Sunday
Offices	9a.m. to 5p.m.	Closed
Retail	Monday to Friday 9a.m. to 5:30p.m. Thursday or Friday until 9:30p.m.	Saturday 9a.m. to 5:30p.m.
Banks	Monday to Thursday 9a.m. to 4p.m. Friday to 5p.m.	Closed
Government	9a.m. to 5:30p.m.	Closed

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
New Year's Day	January 1	January 1	January 1
Australia Day	January 26	January 26	January 26
Good Friday	April 18	April 9	March 25
Easter¹	April 20	April 11	March 27
Easter Monday	April 1	April 21	April 12
ANZAC Day	April 25	April 25	April 25
Queen's Birthday²	June 9	June 14	June 13
Christmas Day³	December 25	December 25	December 25
Boxing Day*¹	December 26	December 26	December 26

¹	Easter, a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the first Sunday after the full moon and the vernal equinox (fixed in the Gregorian calendar at March 21), and often observed with Good Friday and Easter Monday. In the West, Easter is predicted using the Gregorian calendar, while Eastern Orthodox Christians use the much older Julian calendar, and celebrate 13 days later.
²	Birthday of the Queen of England, celebrated the second Monday in June.
³	Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. In A.D.320, Pope Julius I fixed the date at December 25 based on the Gregorian calendar. The Orthodox church calculates Christmas using the Julian calendar and celebrates 13 days later on January 7.
*¹	Not celebrated in Southern Australia.

Note: If the non-religious holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday they are observed the following Monday.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press