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 vote to serve
terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5
representatives)
elections: half-Senate - last held on 21 August 2010; House of
Representatives - last held on 21 August 2010 (the latest a
simultaneous half-Senate and House of Representative elections can
be held is 2014)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Liberal/National Party 34, Australian Labor Party 31, Greens
9, others 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
Australian Labor Party 38.1%, Liberal Party 30.4%, Greens 11.5%,
Liberal National Party of Queensland 9.3%, independents 6.6%, The
Nationals 3.7%, Country Liberals 0.3%; seats by party - Australian
Labor Party 72, Liberal Party 44, Liberal National Party of
Queensland 21, The Nationals 7, Country Liberals 1, Greens 1,
independents 4
Judicial branch:
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed
by the governor general acting on the advice of the government)
Political parties and leaders:
Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Australian Labor Party [Julia
GILLARD]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [Tony
ABBOTT]; 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, FATF, 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, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), 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 Kim Christian BEAZLEY
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 Jeffrey L. BLEICH
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
National anthem:
name: "Advance Australia Fair"
lyrics/music: Peter Dodds McCORMICK
note: adopted 1984; although originally written in the late 19th
century, the anthem did not become official until 1984; as a
Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save
the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
Economy ::Australia
Economy - overview:
Australia's abundant and diverse natural resources attract high
levels of foreign investment and include extensive reserves of coal,
iron ore, copper, gold, natural gas, uranium, and renewable energy
sources. A series of major investments, such as the US$40 billion
Gorgon Liquid Natural Gas project, will significantly expand the
resources sector. Australia also has a large services sector and is
a significant exporter of natural resources, energy, and food. Key
tenets of Australia's trade policy include support for open trade
and the successful culmination of the Doha Round of multilateral
trade negotiations, particularly for agriculture and services. The
Australian economy grew for 17 consecutive years before the global
financial crisis. Subsequently, the Rudd government introduced a
fiscal stimulus package worth over US$50 billion to offset the
effect of the slowing world economy, while the Reserve Bank of
Australia cut interest rates to historic lows. These policies - and
continued demand for commodities, especially from China - helped the
Australian economy rebound after just one quarter of negative
growth. The economy grew by 1.2% during 2009 - the best performance
in the OECD. Unemployment, originally expected to reach 8-10%,
peaked at 5.7% in late 2009 and fell to 5.1% in 2010. As a result of
an improved economy, the budget deficit is expected to peak below
4.2% of GDP and the government could return to budget surpluses as
early as 2015. Australia was one of the first advanced economies to
raise interest rates, with seven rate hikes between October 2009 and
November 2010. The GILLARD government is focused on raising
Australia's economic productivity to ensure the sustainability of
growth, and continues to manage the symbiotic, but sometimes tense,
economic relationship with China. Australia is engaged in the
Trans-Pacific Partnership talks and ongoing free trade agreement
negotiations with China, Japan, and Korea.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$889.6 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
$861.1 billion (2009 est.)
$850.9 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.22 trillion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
1.2% (2009 est.)
2.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$41,300 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$40,500 (2009 est.)
$40,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 24.8%
services: 71.2% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
11.62 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 21.1%
services: 75% (2009 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
5.6% (2009 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: 110
35.2 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
27.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Public debt:
22.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
22.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
1.8% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4% (31 March 2010)
country comparison to the world: 106
4.25% (3 December 2008)
note: this is the Reserve Bank of Australia's "cash rate target," or
policy rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.02% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
8.91% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$347.1 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 13
$290.8 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.134 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
$976.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.731 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
$1.407 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.258 trillion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 13
$675.6 billion (31 December 2008)
$1.298 trillion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing,
chemicals, steel
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
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:
589,200 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Oil - consumption:
946,300 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Oil - exports:
311,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Oil - imports:
716,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Oil - proved reserves:
3.318 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Natural gas - production:
42.33 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Natural gas - consumption:
26.59 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Natural gas - exports:
22.3 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - imports:
6.56 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.115 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Current account balance:
-$35.23 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
-$41.33 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$210.7 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
$154.8 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and
transport equipment
Exports - partners:
China 21.81%, Japan 19.19%, South Korea 7.88%, India 7.51%, US
4.95%, UK 4.37%, NZ 4.1% (2009)
Imports:
$200.4 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
$160.4 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines,
telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum
products
Imports - partners:
China 17.94%, US 11.26%, Japan 8.36%, Thailand 5.81%, Singapore
5.54%, Germany 5.3% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$38.62 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
$41.74 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.169 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
$1.094 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$329.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
$295.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$245.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$221.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.1151 (2010), 1.2822
(2009), 1.2059 (2008), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006)
Communications ::Australia
Telephones - main lines in use:
9.02 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 24
Telephones - mobile cellular:
24.22 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 37
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of
radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of
mobile telephones
international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine
cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite
earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific
Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar,
5 other) (2007)
Broadcast media:
the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs multiple national
and local radio networks and TV stations, as well as Australia
Network, a TV service that broadcasts throughout the Asia-Pacific
region and is the main public broadcaster; Special Broadcasting
Service (SBS), a second large public broadcaster, operates radio and
TV networks broadcasting in multiple languages; several large
national commercial TV networks, a large number of local commercial
TV stations, and hundreds of commercial radio stations are
accessible; cable and satellite systems are available (2008)
Internet country code:
.au
Internet hosts:
13.361 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 8
Internet users:
15.81 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 25
Transportation ::Australia
Airports:
465 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 17
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 326
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 148
914 to 1,523 m: 140
under 914 m: 14 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 139
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 110
under 914 m: 12 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 27,105 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,258 km;
oil/gas/water 1 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 37,855 km
country comparison to the world: 7
broad gauge: 142 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 24,409 km 1.435-m gauge (1,094 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 13,304 km 1.067-m gauge (1,193 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 812,972 km
country comparison to the world: 9
paved: 341,448 km
unpaved: 471,524 km (2004)
Waterways:
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling
river systems) (2006)
country comparison to the world: 45
Merchant marine:
total: 45
country comparison to the world: 73
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 8, liquefied gas 4, passenger 6,
passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 20 (Canada 7, Germany 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 1,
Singapore 2, UK 5, US 2)
registered in other countries: 29 (Dominica 1, Fiji 2, Liberia 2,
Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands 1, NZ 1, Panama 5, Singapore 11,
Tonga 1, UK 1, US 1, Vanuatu 2) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Brisbane, Cairns, Dampier, Darwin, Fremantle, Gladstone, Geelong,
Hay Point, Hobart, Jervis Bay, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Adelaide,
Port Dalrymple, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Lincoln, Port
Walcott, Sydney
Military ::Australia
Military branches:
Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian
Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental
consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Army combat
units in non-combat support roles (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,275,667
females age 16-49: 5,082,543 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,377,411
females age 16-49: 4,210,442 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 144,232
female: 136,525 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 42
Transnational Issues ::Australia
Disputes - international:
In 2007 Australia and Timor-Leste signed a 50-year development zone
and revenue sharing agreement in lieu of a maritime boundary;
dispute with Timor-Leste hampers creation of a revised maritime
boundary with Indonesia in the Timor Sea; regional states continue
to express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a
1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone; Australia
asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica; in 2004 Australia
submitted its claims to Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margins covering over 3.37
million square kilometers, expanding its seabed roughly 30 percent
more than its claimed exclusive economic zone; since 2003, Australia
has led the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands
(RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional
security
Illicit drugs:
Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate
products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium
poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major
consumer of cocaine and amphetamines
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Austria (Europe)
Introduction ::Austria
Background:
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World
War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent
occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status
remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended
the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade
unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year
declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for
Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and
Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the
meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country,
Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Geography ::Austria
Location:
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:
47 20 N, 13 20 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 83,871 sq km
country comparison to the world: 113
land: 82,445 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 2,562 km
border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366
km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330
km, Switzerland 164 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and
some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with
occasional showers
Terrain:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and
northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
Natural resources:
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony,
magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 16.59%
permanent crops: 0.85%
other: 82.56% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
84 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.67 cu km/yr (35%/64%/1%)
per capita: 448 cu m/yr (1999)
Natural hazards:
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil
pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air
pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power
stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria
between northern and southern Europe
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe
with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river
is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
People ::Austria
Population:
8,214,160 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.5% (male 609,748/female 581,144)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 2,785,091/female 2,756,402)
65 years and over: 18% (male 612,613/female 865,283) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.6 years
male: 41.5 years
female: 43.6 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.042% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Birth rate:
8.65 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
Death rate:
10.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Net migration rate:
1.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Urbanization:
urban population: 67% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.051 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 197
male: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.65 years
country comparison to the world: 31
male: 76.74 years
female: 82.71 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.39 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,800 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Nationality:
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
Ethnic groups:
Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes,
Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified
2.4% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%,
unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)
Languages:
German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%,
Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene,
official in Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3%
(2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 15 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5.4% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 47
Government ::Austria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Vienna
geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland,
Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria),
Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria),
Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
Independence:
12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 976
(Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of
Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed)
National holiday:
National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of
the law on permanent neutrality
Constitution:
1920; revised 1929; reinstated 1 May 1945; note - during the period
1 May 1934-1 May 1945 there was a fascist (corporative) constitution
in place
Legal system:
civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of
legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate
administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in
2007
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004)