Overview:

Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although offshore banking and

oil refining and storage are also important. Hotel capacity expanded

rapidly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone.

Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 3%

in 1991 and to less than 1% in 1992. The reopening of the local oil

refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign exchange

earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.

National product:

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.2 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate:

5% (1993)

National product per capita:

$17,400 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6.5% (1993)

Unemployment rate:

0.6% (1992)

Budget:

revenues:

$145 million

expenditures:

$185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)

Exports:

$1.3 billion (including oil re-exports) (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:

mostly petroleum products

partners:

US 64%, EC

Imports:

$1.6 billion including oil for processing and re-export (f.o.b., 1993

est.)

commodities:

food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products

partners:

US 8%, EC

External debt:

$81 million (1987)

Industrial production:

growth rate NA%

Electricity:

capacity:

90,000 kW

production:

375 million kWh

consumption per capita:

6,000 kWh (1990 est.)

Industries:

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Agriculture:

poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the

cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing

Illicit drugs:

drug money laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for

the US and Europe

Economic aid:

recipient:

Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments

(1980-89), $220 million

Currency:

1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates:

Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

@Aruba, Communications

Highways:

total:

NA

paved:

NA

unpaved:

NA

Ports:

Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Airports:

total:

2

usable:

2

with permanent-surface runways:

2

with runways over 3,659 m:

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m:

1

with runways 1,220-2,439 m:

0

note:

government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic

flights

Telecommunications:

more than adequate; telephone density - 1,100 telephones per 1,000

persons; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links; 72,168

telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 submarine cable

to Saint Maarten

@Aruba, Defense Forces

Note:

defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands

@Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Header

Affiliation:

(territory of Australia)

@Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Geography

Location:

Southeastern Asia, in the Indian Ocean, 320 km off the northwest coast

of Australia, between Australia and Indonesia

Map references:

Oceania, Southeast Asia

Area:

total area:

5 sq km

land area:

5 sq km

comparative area:

about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

note:

includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier

Island

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

74.1 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone:

12 nm

continental shelf:

200-m depth or to depth of exploration

exclusive fishing zone:

200 nm

territorial sea:

3 nm

International disputes:

none

Climate:

tropical

Terrain:

low with sand and coral

Natural resources:

fish

Land use:

arable land:

0%

permanent crops:

0%

meadows and pastures:

0%

forest and woodland:

0%

other:

100% (all grass and sand)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Environment:

current issues:

NA

natural hazards:

surrounded by shoals and reefs

international agreements:

NA

Note:

Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983

@Ashmore and Cartier Islands, People

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are only seasonal caretakers

@Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Government

Names:

conventional long form:

Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands

conventional short form:

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Digraph:

AT

Type:

territory of Australia administered by the Australian Ministry for the

Environment, Sport, and Territories

Capital:

none; administered from Canberra, Australia

Administrative divisions:

none (territory of Australia)

Independence:

none (territory of Australia)

Legal system:

relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia

Diplomatic representation in US:

none (territory of Australia)

US diplomatic representation:

none (territory of Australia)

@Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Economy

Overview:

no economic activity

@Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Communications

Ports:

none; offshore anchorage only

@Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Defense Forces

Note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the

Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

@Atlantic Ocean, Geography

Location:

body of water between the Western Hemisphere and Europe/Africa

Map references:

Africa, Antarctic Region, Arctic Region, Central America and the

Caribbean, Europe, North America, South America, Standard Time Zones

of the World

Area:

total area:

82.217 million sq km

comparative area:

slightly less than nine times the size of the US; second-largest of

the world's four oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than

Indian Ocean or Arctic Ocean)

note:

includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark

Strait, Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea,

Norwegian Sea, Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water

bodies

Coastline:

111,866 km

International disputes:

some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

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 Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm water gyre (broad,

circular system of currents) in the north Atlantic, counterclockwise

warm water gyre in the south Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by

the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire

Atlantic basin; maximum depth is 8,605 meters in the Puerto Rico

Trench

Natural resources:

oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and

gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious

stones

Environment:

current issues:

endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions,

turtles, and whales; 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

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; icebergs from Antarctica

occur in the extreme southern Atlantic Ocean

international agreements:

NA

Note:

ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north Atlantic from

October to May and extreme south Atlantic from May to October;

persistent fog can be a hazard to shipping from May to September;

major choke points 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; north Atlantic shipping lanes subject

to icebergs from February to August; the Equator divides the Atlantic

Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

@Atlantic Ocean, Government

Digraph:

ZH

@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, the dredging of aragonite sands (The

Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea,

Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).

@Atlantic Ocean, Communications

Ports:

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), Piraeus

(Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint

Petersburg (formerly Leningrad; Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)

Telecommunications:

numerous submarine cables with most between continental Europe and the

UK, North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean; numerous

direct links across Atlantic via INTELSAT satellite network

Note:

Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways

@Australia, Geography

Location:

Southwestern Oceania, between Indonesia and New Zealand

Map references:

Southeast Asia, Oceania, Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the

World

Area:

total area:

7,686,850 sq km

land area:

7,617,930 sq km

comparative area:

slightly smaller than the US

note:

includes Macquarie Island

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

25,760 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone:

12 nm

continental shelf:

200-m depth or to depth of exploitation

exclusive fishing zone:

200 nm

territorial sea:

12 nm

International disputes:

territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)

Climate:

generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in

north

Terrain:

mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Natural resources:

bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel,

tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum

Land use:

arable land:

6%

permanent crops:

0%

meadows and pastures:

58%

forest and woodland:

14%

other:

22%

Irrigated land:

18,800 sq km (1989 est.)

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 freshwater availability

natural hazards:

cyclones along the coast; subject to severe droughts

international agreements:

party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental

Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life

Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship

Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not

ratified - Law of the Sea

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

@Australia, People

Population:

18,077,419 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.38% (1994 est.)

Birth rate:

14.29 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate:

7.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate:

6.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:

77.57 years

male:

74.45 years

female:

80.84 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Nationality:

noun:

Australian(s)

adjective:

Australian

Ethnic divisions:

Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%

Religions:

Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%

Languages:

English, native languages

Literacy:

age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

total population:

100%

male:

100%

female:

100%

Labor force:

8.63 million (September 1991)

by occupation:

finance and services 33.8%, public and community services 22.3%,

wholesale and retail trade 20.1%, manufacturing and industry 16.2%,

agriculture 6.1% (1987)

@Australia, Government

Names:

conventional long form:

Commonwealth of Australia

conventional short form:

Australia

Digraph:

AS

Type:

federal parliamentary state

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 William George HAYDEN (since 16 February 1989)

head of government:

Prime Minister Paul John KEATING (since 20 December 1991); Deputy

Prime Minister Brian HOWE (since 4 June 1991)

cabinet:

Cabinet; prime minister selects his cabinet from members of the House

and Senate

Legislative branch:

bicameral Federal Parliament

Senate:

elections last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA 1996);

results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (76 total)

Liberal-National 36, Labor 30, Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2,

independents 1

House of Representatives:

elections last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA 1996);

results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (147 total) Labor 80,

Liberal-National 65, independent 2

Judicial branch:

High Court

Political parties and leaders:

government:

Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING

opposition:

Liberal Party, John HEWSON; National Party, Timothy FISCHER;

Australian Democratic Party, Cheryl KERNOT; Green Party, leader NA

Other political or pressure groups:

Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter

group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament

Party splinter group)

Member of:

AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC,

COCOM, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, G-8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,

IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,

IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA,

SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM,

UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:

chief of mission:

Ambassador Donald RUSSELL

chancery:

1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

(202) 797-3000

FAX:

(202) 797-3168

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American

Samoa), and San Francisco

US diplomatic representation:

chief of mission:

Ambassador Edward PERKINS

embassy:

Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600

mailing address:

APO AP 96549

telephone:

[61] (6) 270-5000

FAX:

[61] (6) 270-5970

consulate(s) general:

Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney

consulate(s):

Brisbane

Flag:

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; the

remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation

in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger,

seven-pointed stars

@Australia, Economy

Overview:

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a

per capita GDP comparable to levels in industrialized West European

countries. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of

agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Primary

products account for more than 60% of the value of total exports, so

that, as in 1983-84, a downturn in world commodity prices can have a

big impact on the economy. The government is pushing for increased

exports of manufactured goods, but competition in international

markets continues to be severe. Australia has suffered from the low

growth and high unemployment characterizing the OECD countries in the

early 1990s. In 1992-93 the economy recovered slowly from the

prolonged recession of 1990-91, a major restraining factor being weak

world demand for Australia's exports. Unemployment has hovered around

10% and probably will remain at that level in 1994 as productivity

gains rather than more jobs account for growth.

National product:

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $339.7 billion (1993)

National product real growth rate:

4% (1993)

National product per capita:

$19,100 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.1% (1993)

Unemployment rate:

10% (December 1993)

Budget:

revenues:

$71.9 billion

expenditures:

$83.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93)

Exports:

$44.1 billion (1992)

commodities:

coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport

equipment

partners:

Japan 25%, US 11%, South Korea 6%, NZ 5.7%, UK, Taiwan, Singapore,

Hong Kong (1992)

Imports:

$43.6 billion (1992)

commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines,

crude oil and petroleum products

partners:

US 23%, Japan 18%, UK 6%, Germany 5.7%, NZ 4% (1992)

External debt:

$141.1 billion (1993)

Industrial production:

growth rate 1.9% (FY93); accounts for 32% of GDP

Electricity:

capacity:

40,000,000 kW

production:

150 billion kWh

consumption per capita:

8,475 kWh (1992)

Industries:

mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing,

chemicals, steel

Agriculture:

accounts for 5% of GDP and over 30% of export revenues; world's

largest exporter of beef and wool, second-largest for mutton, and

among top wheat exporters; major crops - wheat, barley, sugarcane,

fruit; livestock - cattle, sheep, poultry

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

Economic aid:

donor:

ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.4 billion

Currency:

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates:

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4364 (January 1994), 1.4704

(1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

@Australia, Communications

Railroads:

40,478 km total; 7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter

standard gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge; 183 km dual gauge; 1,130

km electrified; government owned (except for a few hundred kilometers

of privately owned track) (1985)

Highways:

total:

837,872 km

paved:

243,750 km

unpaved:

gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 228,396 km; unimproved earth

365,726 km

Inland waterways:

8,368 km; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft

Pipelines:

crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km

Ports:

Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong,

Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville

Merchant marine:

83 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,517,538 GRT/3,711,549 DWT,

bulk 30, cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 7,

liquefied gas 5, oil tanker 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea

passenger 2, vehicle carrier 1

Airports:

total:

481

usable:

440

with permanent-surface runways:

241

with runways over 3,659 m:

1

with runways 2,440-3,659 m:

20

with runways 1,220-2,439 m:

268

Telecommunications:

good international and domestic service; 8.7 million telephones;

broadcast stations - 258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; submarine cables to New

Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; domestic satellite service;

satellite stations - 4 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

earth stations

@Australia, Defense Forces

Branches:

Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force

Manpower availability:

males age 15-49 4,885,574; fit for military service 4,239,459; reach

military age (17) annually 133,337 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures:

exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY92/93)

@Austria, Geography

Location:

Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary

Map references:

Africa, Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:

total area:

83,850 sq km

land area:

82,730 sq km

comparative area:

slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:

total 2,496 km, Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km,

Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 262 km,

Switzerland 164 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none; landlocked

International disputes:

none

Climate:

temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in

lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers

Terrain:

in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and

northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Natural resources:

iron ore, petroleum, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite,

copper, hydropower

Land use:

arable land:

17%

permanent crops:

1%

meadows and pastures:

24%

forest and woodland:

39%

other:

19%

Irrigated land:

40 sq km (1989)

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

natural hazards:

NA

international agreements:

party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air

Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered

Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test

Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber,

Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic

Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Law of the

Sea

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

@Austria, People

Population:

7,954,974 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.45% (1994 est.)

Birth rate:

11.38 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate:

10.34 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate:

3.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:

76.65 years

male:

73.44 years

female:

80.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.48 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Nationality:

noun:

Austrian(s)

adjective:

Austrian

Ethnic divisions:

German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9%

Languages:

German

Literacy:

age 15 and over can read and write (1974 est.)

total population:

99%

male:

NA%

female:

NA%

Labor force:

3.47 million (1989)

by occupation:

services 56.4%, industry and crafts 35.4%, agriculture and forestry

8.1%

note:

an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European

countries; foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 6% of

labor force (1988)

@Austria, Government