Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
Transnational Issues ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Disputes - international:
as the closest Australian territory to Indonesia, these islands
became the target of human traffickers for the landing of illegal
immigrants; in 2001, the Australian government removed these islands
from the Australian Migration Zone making illegal arrivals
ineligible for temporary visas and entry into Australia
page last updated on July 2, 2009
======================================================================
@Atlantic Ocean (Oceans)
Introduction ::Atlantic Ocean
Background:
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans
(after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern
Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund
(Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar
(Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are
important strategic access waterways. The decision by the
International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to
delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion
of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.
Geography ::Atlantic Ocean
Location:
body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the
Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates:
0 00 N, 25 00 W
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 76.762 million sq km
note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait,
Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador
Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the
Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:
slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Coastline:
111,866 km
Climate:
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near
Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can
occur from May to December but are most frequent from August to
November
Terrain:
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark
Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June;
clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in
the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the
southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand
and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules,
precious stones
Natural hazards:
icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the
northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been
spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships
subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from
October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to
September; hurricanes (May to December)
Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions,
turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of
fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal
sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern
Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake
Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and
municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and
Mediterranean Sea
Geography - note:
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar,
access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the
Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound
(Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic
Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
Economy ::Atlantic Ocean
Economy - overview:
The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily
trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of
natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The
Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean
Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).
Transportation ::Atlantic Ocean
Ports and terminals:
Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona
(Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon
(Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland),
Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands,
Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille
(France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy),
New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway),
Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam
(Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)
Transportation - note:
Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways;
significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal
Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico
coast of US; the International Maritime Bureau reports the
territorial waters of littoral states and offshore Atlantic waters
as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships,
particularly in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, the east coast
of Brazil, and the Caribbean Sea; numerous commercial vessels have
been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway;
hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen; crews have
been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Transnational Issues ::Atlantic Ocean
Disputes - international:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
page last updated on October 22, 2009
======================================================================
@Australia (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Australia
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 climate-change issues such as the depletion of the
ozone layer and more frequent droughts, and management and
conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.
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: 7,741,220 sq km
country comparison to the world: 6
land: 7,682,300 sq km
water: 58,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
25,760 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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, gold, silver, uranium, nickel,
tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
note: Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal
accounting for 29% of global coal exports
Land use:
arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated
grassland)
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 93.81% (2005)
Irrigated land:
25,450 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
398 cu km (1995)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 24.06 cu km/yr (15%/10%/75%)
per capita: 1,193 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population
concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the
invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the
city of Perth on the west coast and is one of the most consistent
winds in the world
People ::Australia
Population:
21,262,641 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.6% (male 2,026,975/female 1,923,828)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 7,318,743/female 7,121,613)
65 years and over: 13.5% (male 1,306,329/female 1,565,153) (2009
est.)
Median age:
total: 37.3 years
male: 36.6 years
female: 38.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.195% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Birth rate:
12.47 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Death rate:
6.74 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Net migration rate:
6.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Urbanization:
urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.75 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 196
male: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.63 years
country comparison to the world: 7
male: 79.25 years
female: 84.14 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
18,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Nationality:
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian
Ethnic groups:
white 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Religions:
Catholic 25.8%, Anglican 18.7%, Uniting Church 5.7%, Presbyterian
and Reformed 3%, Eastern Orthodox 2.7%, other Christian 7.9%,
Buddhist 2.1%, Muslim 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 11.3%, none
18.7% (2006 Census)
Languages:
English 78.5%, Chinese 2.5%, Italian 1.6%, Greek 1.3%, Arabic 1.2%,
Vietnamese 1%, other 8.2%, unspecified 5.7% (2006 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)
country comparison to the world: 86
Government ::Australia
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
Government type:
federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
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,
Macquarie Island, Norfolk 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, independent 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 [Terry
MILLS]; 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, G-20, 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. Emphasis on
reforms, low inflation, a housing market boom, and growing ties with
China have been key factors over the course of the economy's 17
solid years of expansion. Robust business and consumer confidence
and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products
fueled the economy in recent years, particularly in mining states.
Drought, robust import demand, and a strong currency pushed the
trade deficit up however, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a
tight labor market constrained growth in export volumes and stoked
inflation through mid-2008. The unwinding of the yen-based carry
trade in late 2008 has contributed to a weakening of the Australian
dollar. Tight global liquidity has challenged Australia's banking
sector, which relies heavily on international wholesale markets for
funding. The economy remains relatively healthy despite falling
export commodity prices. The government plans to counter slowing
growth in 2009 with fiscal stimulus efforts.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$802.9 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
$784.1 billion (2007 est.)
$753.9 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.013 trillion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
4% (2007 est.)
2.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$38,200 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
$37,800 (2007 est.)
$36,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 26.8%
services: 69.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
11.25 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 21.1%
services: 75% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.2% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
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)
country comparison to the world: 111
35.2 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
28.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Budget:
revenues: $350.3 billion
expenditures: $332.4 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
14.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
17.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
note: the Commonwealth government eliminated its net debt in 2006,
but continues a gross debt issue to support the market for risk-free
securities
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
2.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.91% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 84
10.02% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$298.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$667.2 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.312 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 13
$1.298 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.096 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing,
chemicals, steel
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Electricity - production:
239.9 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Electricity - consumption:
222 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
586,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Oil - consumption:
953,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Oil - exports:
332,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Oil - imports:
687,200 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Oil - proved reserves:
1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - production:
45.22 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas - consumption:
34.2 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
Natural gas - exports:
19.48 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 12
Natural gas - imports:
5.377 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - proved reserves:
849.5 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Current account balance:
-$44.04 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
-$57.68 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$189.9 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
$142.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and
transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Japan 22.2%, China 14.6%, South Korea 8.2%, India 6.1%, US 5.5%, NZ
4.3%, UK 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$194.2 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
$160.2 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 15.4%, US 12%, Japan 9.1%, Singapore 7%, Germany 5%, Thailand
4.5%, UK 4.3%, Malaysia 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$32.92 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$26.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$799.8 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 14
$820.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$366.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
$337.5 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: