Country Profile 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 frequest droughts, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. Disputes 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 (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers or roughly thirty percent of its claimed exclusive economic zone; since 2003, Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security
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Population and Demographics
Australia has a population of 20,600,856 (July 2008 est.) .
| Capital | Canberra |
| Main urban areas | Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney |
| Ethnic groups | Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% |
| Languages spoken | English, native languages |
| Population age 0-14: 19.1% (m 2,014,230/f 1,920,604) |  | | |
| 0-14 | 15-64 | 65+ | |
| Gender ratios At birth: 1.05 m/f , 0-14: 1.05 m/f , 15-64: 1.02 m/f , 65+: 0.8 m/f | |||
Changing Population (Life expectancy, births, deaths and fertility)
The population growth rate for Australia is 0.801% (2008 est.) (world growth rate at 2006 is 1.14%). The country also saw migration of 3.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.). The median age of the country is total: 37.4 years male: 36.6 years female: 38.3 years (2008 est.).
Note: on the graphs, world figures are represented by a red bar, figures for Australia are illustrated with a green bar.
| Life Expectancy: | Total population: 80.73 years Male: 77.86 years Female: 83.75 years (2008 est.) |  [80.73] [64.77][Male:, m] [63.16, m][, f][66.47, f] |
| Fertility: | 1.76 children born/woman (2008 est.) | [1.76][2.59] |
| Births: | 11.9 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [11.9][20.05] |
| Deaths: | 7.62 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [7.62][8.67] |
| Infants: | Total: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 4.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) | [4.51][48.87][4.89, m][50.98, m][4.11, f][46.65, f] |
Economic Data
Economy Overview
Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy, particularly in mining states. Australia’s emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a housing market boom, and growing ties with China have been key factors behind the economy’s 16 solid years of expansion. Drought, robust import demand, and a strong currency have pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a tight labor market are constraining growth in export volumes and stoking inflation. Australia’s budget has been in surplus since 2002 due to strong revenue growth.
Debt and Aid
Debt: $824.9 billion (30 June 2007)
Aid Given: ODA, $2.123 billion (2006)
Aid Received: $NA
Labour Force
Number in labour force: 10.95 million (2007 est.)
Sectors: agriculture: 3.6% industry: 21.2% services: 75.2% (2004 est.)
Unemployment: 4.4% (2007 est.)
GDP Facts and Figures
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
GDP: $760.8 billion (2007 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $36,300 (2007 est.)
GDP Real Growth: 3.9% (2007 est.)
GDP Composition: agriculture: 3% industry: 26.4% services: 70.6% (2007 est.)
Production Growth Rate: 3.8% (2007 est.)
Industries, Land Use and Resource Consumption
Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Land use: arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.81% (2005)
Exports: coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Electricity Consumption: 219.8 billion kWh (2005)
Natural Gas Consumption: 25.72 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Oil Consumption: 903,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Geographic Data
Australia is located in Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean, in the timezone GMT 8 to 10. The country has boundaries of 0 (km), and a coastline of 25,760 (km). Major urban areas: Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney.
Elevations
Lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
Highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Physical Features
Lake Eyre (8,800 km2), Uluru (Ayers Rock), Great Barrier reef (1,900 km), Great Victoria desert (647,000 km2), Great Sandy desert (400,000 km2), Simpson desert (145,000 km2), Sturt desert (130,000 km2), Gibson desert, MacDonnell Ranges, West Australian Plateau, Kimberley Plateau, Nullarbor Plain, Australian Alps, Eastern Highlands, Murray river, Darling river
Hazards
Cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Climate
Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Natural Resources
Bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Land Use
Arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.81% (2005)
Renewable Water Resources
398 cu km (1995)
Fresh Water Withdrawal
total: 24.06 cu km/yr (15%/10%/75%) per capita: 1,193 cu m/yr (2000)
Environmental 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
Transport and Communications
A selection of key transport and communications information for Australia
Number of main telephone lines
9.94 million (2006)
Mobile (cellular) phones
19.76 million (2006)
Radio stations
AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television stations
104 (1997)
Internet users
15.3 million (2006)
Country internet code
.au
Railways
total: 47,738 km broad gauge: 4,015 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 28,662 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified) narrow gauge: 14,831 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified) dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2005)
Highways
total: 810,641 km paved: 336,962 km unpaved: 473,679 km (2004)
Waterways
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2002)
Pipelines
condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004)
Ports and harbours
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney
Airports
461 (2007)
Heliports
1 (2007)
