Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.53 years
male: 79.16 years
female: 84.02 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
14,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian
Ethnic groups:
white 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Religions:
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)
Languages:
English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified
5.8% (2001 Census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 20 years
male: 20 years
female: 21 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.5% of GDP (2005)
Government
Australia
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
Government type:
federal parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Canberra
geographic coordinates: 35 17 S, 149 13 E
time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in October; ends last
Sunday in March
note: Australia is divided into three time zones
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, Macquarie Island
Independence:
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the
anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25
April (1915)
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 of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952); represented by Governor General Quentin BRYCE (since 5
September 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Kevin RUDD (since 3 December
2007); Deputy Prime Minister Julia GILLARD (since 3 December 2007)
cabinet: prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament,
candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to
serve as government ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of
a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor
general
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats; 12
members from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two
mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every
three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all
territory members are elected every three years) and the House of
Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential
vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer
than 5 representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be held no
later than 2010); House of Representatives - last held 24 November
2007 (next to be called no later than 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 37, Australian Labor
Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family First Party 1, other 1; House
of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party 55, National Party 10,
independents 2
Judicial branch:
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed
by the governor general)
Political parties and leaders:
Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN];
Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country Liberal Party [Jodeen
CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [Malcolm
TURNBULL]; The Nationals [Warren TRUSS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: business groups; environmental groups; social groups; trade
unions
International organization participation:
ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group,
BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris
Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis J. RICHARDSON
chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000
FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New
York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr.
embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital
Territory 2600
mailing address: APO AP 96549
telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600
FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970
consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a
large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as
the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of
the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for
each of the six original states and one representing all of
Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a
representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one
small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars
Economy
Australia
Economy - overview:
Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP on
par with the four dominant West European economies. Robust business
and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and
agricultural products are fueling the economy, particularly in
mining states. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a
housing market boom, and growing ties with China have been key
factors behind the economy's 16 solid years of expansion. Drought,
robust import demand, and a strong currency have pushed the trade
deficit up in recent years, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a
tight labor market are constraining growth in export volumes and
stoking inflation. Australia's budget has been in surplus since 2002
due to strong revenue growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$773 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$908.8 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$37,300 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 26.4%
services: 70.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
10.95 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 21.2%
services: 75.2% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.4% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.5 (2006)
Investment (gross fixed):
27.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $321.9 billion
expenditures: $315.8 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Public debt:
15.6% of GDP
note: the Commonwealth government eliminated its net debt in 2006,
but continues a gross debt issue to support the market for risk-free
securities (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.02% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$298.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$667.2 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.312 trillion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing,
chemicals, steel
Industrial production growth rate:
4.1% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
244.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
220 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 90.8%
hydro: 8.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.9% (2001)
Oil - production:
600,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption:
966,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
337,400 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
615,000 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
43.62 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
29.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
19.91 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
5.689 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
-$56.78 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$142.1 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and
transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Japan 18.9%, China 14.2%, South Korea 8%, US 6%, NZ 5.6%, India
5.5%, UK 4.2% (2007)
Imports:
$160 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines,
telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum
products
Imports - partners:
China 15.5%, US 12.8%, Japan 9.6%, Singapore 5.6%, Germany 5.2%, UK
4.3%, Thailand 4.2% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $2.123 billion (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$26.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$826.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$315 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$280.6 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$804.1 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
AUD
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285
(2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
Communications
Australia
Telephones - main lines in use:
9.76 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
21.26 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of
radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of
mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine
cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite
earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific
Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar,
5 other) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
25.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
104 (1997)
Televisions:
10.15 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.au
Internet hosts:
11.134 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
571 (2002)
Internet users:
11.24 million (2007)
Transportation
Australia
Airports:
461 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 317
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 138
914 to 1,523 m: 143
under 914 m: 13 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 144
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 109
under 914 m: 16 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 469 km; gas 26,719 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km;
oil 3,720 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 38,550 km
broad gauge: 3,727 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 20,519 km 1.435-m gauge (1,877 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 14,074 km 1.067-m gauge (2,453 km electrified)
dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 812,972 km
paved: 341,448 km
unpaved: 471,524 km (2004)
Waterways:
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling
river systems) (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 50
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 5, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
liquefied gas 4, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 8,
roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 24 (Canada 9, France 1, Germany 2, Japan 1,
Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Singapore 1, UK 5, US 2)
registered in other countries: 28 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Belize 1,
Bermuda 1, Dominica 2, Fiji 1, Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1, Panama 4,
Singapore 12, Tonga 1, US 1, Vanuatu 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne,
Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney
Military
Australia
Military branches:
Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian
Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental
consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Army combat
units in non-combat support roles (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,999,988
females age 16-49: 4,870,043 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,137,176
females age 16-49: 4,022,588 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 144,934
female: 137,511 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Australia
Disputes - international:
Timor-Leste and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed
portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon
revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered
by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; dispute with Timor-Leste hampers
creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia in the Timor
Sea; regional states continue to express concern over Australia's
2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime
identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to
Antarctica; in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to Commission on
the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental
margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers, expanding its
seabed roughly thirty percent more than its claimed exclusive
economic zone; since 2003, Australia has led the Regional Assistance
Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and
political order and reinforce regional security
Illicit drugs:
Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate
products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium
poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major
consumer of cocaine and amphetamines
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Austria
Introduction
Austria
Background:
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World
War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent
occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status
remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended
the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade
unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year
declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for
Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and
Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the
meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country,
Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Geography
Austria
Location:
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:
47 20 N, 13 20 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 83,870 sq km
land: 82,444 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 2,562 km
border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366
km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330
km, Switzerland 164 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and
some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with
occasional showers
Terrain:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and
northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
Natural resources:
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony,
magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 16.59%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 82.56% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
84 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.67 cu km/yr (35%/64%/1%)
per capita: 448 cu m/yr (1999)
Natural hazards:
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil
pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air
pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power
stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria
between northern and southern Europe
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe
with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river
is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
People
Austria
Population:
8,205,533 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.8% (male 621,326/female 592,131)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,783,531/female 2,753,389)
65 years and over: 17.7% (male 599,415/female 855,741) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.7 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 42.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.064% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
8.66 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
9.91 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.36 years
male: 76.46 years
female: 82.41 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.38 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
Ethnic groups:
Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes,
Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified
2.4% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%,
unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)
Languages:
German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%,
Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene,
official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3%
(2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.4% of GDP (2005)
Government
Austria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Vienna
geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland,
Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria),
Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria),
Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
Independence:
976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of
Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 12
November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
National holiday:
National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of
the law on permanent neutrality
Constitution:
1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May 1945; note - during the period
1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution
in place
Legal system:
civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of
legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate
administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in
2007
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004)
head of government: Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2
December 2008); Vice Chancellor Josef PROELL (OeVP) (since 2
December 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice
of the chancellor
elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year
term (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held
25 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2010); chancellor formally
chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties
forming a parliamentary majority; vice chancellor chosen by the
president on the advice of the chancellor
election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote -
Heinz FISCHER 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER 47.6%
note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP
Legislative branch: