country comparison to the world: 181
$2.205 billion (2004 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,800 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 33.3%
services: 66.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
41,500 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair,
followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Unemployment rate:
6.9% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Public debt:
46.3% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 57
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 100
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 85
5% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.77% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
11.23% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$865 million (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 140
$781 million (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$1.771 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
$1.671 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.333 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 140
$1.321 billion (31 December 2008)
Agriculture - products:
aloes; livestock; fish
Industries:
tourism, transshipment facilities
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
850 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Electricity - consumption:
790.5 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
2,235 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - consumption:
8,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
Oil - exports:
231,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Oil - imports:
236,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
Exports:
$124 million (2006); note - includes oil reexports
country comparison to the world: 188
Exports - commodities:
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery
and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Panama 23.84%, Netherlands Antilles 20.49%, Colombia 17.48%,
Venezuela 12.61%, US 9.12%, Netherlands 7.5% (2009)
Imports:
$1.054 billion (2006)
country comparison to the world: 169
Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and
reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
US 49.51%, Netherlands 16.15%, UK 4.94% (2009)
Debt - external:
$478.6 million (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Exchange rates:
Aruban guilders/florins (AWG) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79
(2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)
Communications ::Aruba
Telephones - main lines in use:
38,300 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 169
Telephones - mobile cellular:
128,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 180
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3
mobile-cellular service providers are now licensed
international: country code - 297; landing site for the PAN-AM
submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US
Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the
west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio
relay links (2007)
Broadcast media:
2 commercial television stations; cable TV subscription service
provides access to foreign channels; about 20 commercial radio
stations broadcast (2007)
Internet country code:
.aw
Internet hosts:
25,080 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 101
Internet users:
24,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 187
Transportation ::Aruba
Airports:
1 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 210
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Military ::Aruba
Military branches:
no regular military forces (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 24,779
females age 16-49: 26,090 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,398
females age 16-49: 21,371 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 738
female: 715 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues ::Aruba
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some
accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage
of population consumes cocaine
page last updated on January 11, 2011
======================================================================
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Background:
These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931;
formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a
rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a
National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range,
became a marine reserve in 2000.
Geography ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between
northwestern Australia and Timor island
Geographic coordinates:
12 14 S, 123 05 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 5 sq km
country comparison to the world: 246
land: 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and
Cartier Island
Area - comparative:
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
74.1 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
low with sand and coral
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
Environment - current issues:
illegal killing of protected wildlife by traditional Indonesian
fisherman, as well as fishing by non-traditional Indonesian vessels,
are ongoing problems
Geography - note:
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983;
Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000
People ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and
fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle
Islands is by permit only
Government ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Government
Attorney-General's Department
Legal system:
the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the
Northern Territory of Australia where applicable apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Economy - overview:
no economic activity
Transportation ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the
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 November 17, 2010
======================================================================
@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 November 17, 2010
======================================================================
@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, rare earth elements, 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
volcanism: volcanic activity occurs on the Heard and McDonald Islands
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:
21,515,754 (July 2010 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) (2010
est.)
Median age:
total: 37.5 years
male: 36.8 years
female: 38.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.171% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Birth rate:
12.39 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Death rate:
6.81 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Net migration rate:
6.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Urbanization:
urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.055 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 (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.67 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 192
male: 5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.72 years
country comparison to the world: 9
male: 79.33 years
female: 84.25 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
18,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
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: 21 years
male: 20 years
female: 21 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
4.7% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 83
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 first Sunday in October; ends
first Sunday in April
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 (from the 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 on 1 January 1901
Legal system:
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
with reservations; accepts International Criminal Court jurisdiction
with conditions
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 Julia Eileen GILLARD (since 24
June 2010); Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Maxwell SWAN (since 24 June
2010)
cabinet: prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament,
candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to
serve as government ministers
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy 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: