@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic
visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
ATLANTIC OCEAN
[Map of Argentina]
@Atlantic Ocean:Geography
Location: body of water between Africa, Europe, Antarctica, and the
Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 W
Map references: World
Area:
total: 82.217 million sq km
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
Area - comparative: 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)
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 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: 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; icebergs from
Antarctica occur in the extreme southern Atlantic Ocean; ships subject
to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to
May and extreme southern Atlantic from May to October; persistent fog
can be a maritime hazard from May to September
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to : none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: 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; the Equator divides the
Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
@Atlantic Ocean:Government
Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard for
hydrographic codes - see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data
Codes appendix
Economy
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
Telephone system:
international: numerous submarine cables with most between continental
Europe and the UK, between North America and the UK, and in the
Mediterranean; numerous direct links across Atlantic via satellite
networks
@Atlantic Ocean:Transportation
Ports and harbors: 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 (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)
Transportation - note: Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two
important waterways
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
______________________________________________________________________
AUSTRALIA
@Australia:Geography
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
land: 7,617,930 sq km
water : 68,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 25,760 km
Maritime claims:
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: 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 Kosciusko 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: 6%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 54%
forests and woodland: 19%
other : 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 21,070 sq km (1993 est.)
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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
signed, but not ratified : Desertification
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
@Australia:People
Population: 18,438,824 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 2,018,363; female 1,921,252)
15-64 years: 66% (male 6,188,476; female 6,041,173)
65 years and over : 12% (male 987,092; female 1,282,468) (July 1997
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.96% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 13.73 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 6.89 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.64 years
male : 76.69 years
female: 82.74 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian
Ethnic groups: Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%
Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%
Languages: English, native languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female : 100% (1980 est.)
@Australia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
Data code: AS
Government type: federal parliamentary state
National 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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir William DEANE (since 16 February
1996)
head of government : Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11
March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Timothy Andrew FISCHER (since 11
March 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal Parliament
by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections : none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general
appointed by the queen; 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
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 territories; one-half of the members elected every three years
by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the
basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no
state can have fewer than five representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held NA 1999);
House of Representatives - last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held NA
1999)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Liberal-National 37, Labor 29, Australian Democrats 8, Greens
1, independent 1; note - subsequent to the election, there has been a
change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as
follows - Liberal-National 37, Labor 28, Australian Democrats 7,
Greens 2, independents 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal-National 94, Labor 49,
independent 5
Judicial branch: High Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices
are appointed by the governor general
Political parties and leaders:
government : coalition of Liberal Party, John Winston HOWARD, and
National Party, Timothy Andrew FISCHER
opposition: Australian Labor Party, Kim BEAZLEY; Australian Democratic
Party, Cheryl KERNOT; Green Party, Bob BROWN
Political pressure groups and leaders: Australian Democratic Labor
Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear
Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)
International organization participation: AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 8, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Sharp PEACOCK
chancery : 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000
FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES
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
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; 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
Economy
Economy - overview: Australia has a prosperous Western-style
capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP above the levels in highly
industrialized West European countries. Rich in natural resources,
Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals,
metals, and fossil fuels. Commodities account for about 60% of the
value of total exports, so that 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, but the economy has expanded at
reasonably steady rates in recent years. In addition to high
unemployment, short-term economic problems include a balancing of
output growth and inflationary pressures and the stimulation of
exports to offset rising imports.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $430.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,600 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 27.7%
services: 69.2% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.1% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 8.4 million (December 1996)
by occupation : finance and services 34%, public and community
services 23%, wholesale and retail trade 20%, manufacturing and
industry 17%, agriculture 6% (1987 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $95.69 billion
expenditures : $95.15 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY95/96 est.)
Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food
processing, chemicals, steel
Industrial production growth rate: 1.2% (1995)
Electricity - capacity: 38.83 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 173 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 8,278 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle,
sheep, poultry
Exports:
total value: $59.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities : coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat,
machinery and transport equipment
partners: Japan 24%, South Korea 8%, NZ 7%, US 7%, UK, Taiwan,
Singapore, Hong Kong (1994/95)
Imports:
total value : $59.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office
machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and
petroleum products
partners: US 22%, Japan 17%, UK 6%, China 5%, NZ 5% (1994/95)
Debt - external: $134 billion (June 1996)
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $1.25 billion (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.2835 (January
1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3668 (1994), 1.4704 (1993),
1.3600 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Australia:Communications
Telephones: 8.7 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system: good domestic and international service
domestic: domestic satellite system
international: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and
Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and
6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 258, FM 67, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 134 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 9.2 million (1992 est.)
@Australia:Transportation
Railways:
total : 38,563 km (2,914 km electrified; 172 km dual gauge)
broad gauge: 6,083 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 16,752 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 15,728 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total : 895,030 km
paved: 345,482 km (including 1,330 km of expressways)
unpaved: 549,548 km (1995 est.)
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 and harbors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport,
Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceton (Tasmania), Mackay,
Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine:
total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,282,084 GRT/3,326,092
DWT
ships by type : bulk 30, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk
1, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 14,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 443 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 275
over 3,047 m : 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 106
914 to 1,523 m: 116
under 914 m : 31 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 168
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 146 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal
Australian Air Force
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 4,863,007 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 4,200,090 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 127,508 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $7.9 billion (FY96/97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY96/97)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian
Antarctic Territory)
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
______________________________________________________________________
AUSTRIA
@Austria:Geography
Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total : 83,850 sq km
land: 82,730 sq km
water : 1,120 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 2,564 km
border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366
km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 37 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 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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,797 m
Natural resources: iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal,
lignite, copper, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 17%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 39%
other : 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Tropical Timber 94
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
@Austria:People
Population: 8,132,505 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 717,989; female 681,897)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,777,525; female 2,703,296)
65 years and over : 15% (male 464,802; female 786,996) (July 1997
est.)
Population growth rate: -0.02% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 10.17 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 10.05 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
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: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.15 years
male : 73.96 years
female: 80.51 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.37 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
Ethnic groups: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9%
Languages: German
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1974 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Austria:Government
Country name:
conventional long form : Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Data code: AU
Government type: federal republic
National capital: Vienna
Administrative divisions: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular -
Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich,
Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien
Independence: 1156 (from Bavaria)
National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)
Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)
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; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential
elections