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