Back in 1999 there was a referendum to change Australia’s status as a commonwealth headed by the British Monarch to an independent republic but this was defeated. |
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 Kosciuszko 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: 6.88% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 93.09% (1998 est.) Irrigated land: 24,000 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires 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, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 |
21,007,310 (July, 2008) Nationality: noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian Ethnic groups: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11% Languages: English, native languages |
GDP: purchasing power parity - $528 billion (2002 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (2002 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,000 (2002 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3% industry: 26% services: 71% (1998 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 24.8% (2001) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (2006) Labor force: 9.2 million (December 2001) Labor force - by occupation: services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture 5% (1997 est.) Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2006) Average weekly earnings: $810 (2005) Budget: revenues: $86.8 billion expenditures: $84.10 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (2002 est.) Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry Exports: $66.3 billion (f.o.b., 2002 est.) Exports - commodities: coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment Exports - partners:Developing Countries 45.6%, Japan 19.7%, ASEAN 13.3%,EU 11.7%, US 9.7% (2001) Imports: $68 billion (2002 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products Imports - partners: Developing Countries 31.7%, EU 21.6%,US 18.9%, ASEAN 14.8%, Japan 13% (2001) Debt - external: $176.8 billion (2001) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $894 million (FY99/00) Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.8406 (2002), 1.52068 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June |
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 4,963,948 (2000 est.) Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,282,821 (2000 est.) Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 135,434 (2000 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $6.9 billion (FY98/99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY98/99) |
Telephones - mobile cellular: 5.29 million (1998) Telephone system:excellent 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 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) Radios: 25.5 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 104 (1997) Televisions: 10.15 million (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 709 (1999) |
Length & Distance (1 kilometre = 1000 metres, 1 metre = 100 centimetres) 1cm = 0.39 inches (1 inch = 2.54cm) 1m = 3.3ft (1 ft = 0.3m) 1km = 0.62 miles (1 mile = 1.6km) Weight (1 kilogram = 1000 grams, 100 grams = 3fi oz) 1kg = 2.2lb (1lb = 0.45kg) 1g = 0.04oz (1oz = 28g) Volume 1 litre = 0.26 US gallons (1 US gallon = 3.8 litres) 1 litre = 0.22 imperial gallons (1 imperial gallon = 4.55 litres) Temperature -10 degrees C = 5 degrees F 0 degrees C = 32 degrees F 10 degrees C = 50 degrees F 20 degrees C = 68 degrees F 30 degrees C = 86 degrees F Areas 1 hectare (ha) = 2.471 acres 1 hectare = 10 000 sq metres 1 acre = 0.4 hectares |
ABC Radio National (576 AM); news and views 2BL (702 AM); news and current affairs ABC Fine Music (92.9 FM); classical music Triple J (96.1 FM); youth-oriented music and news 2EA (1386 AM); SBS's multilingual station TV Australia has 5 free to air channels – ABC (the national broadcaster), 7, 9, 10 and SBS. However, there are also a number of subscription providers including Austar and Foxtel. |
| Country name: Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia Conventional short form: Australia Data code: AS Government type: democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign 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) 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 (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Governor General. Head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Mark VAILE (since July 2005) Cabinet: Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; 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 note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party 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) Judicial branch: High Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general Political parties: Australian Democratic Party; Australian Labor Party; Green Party; Liberal Party; National Party; One Nation Party. Political pressure groups: Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group) International organization participation: ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC. |
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RyanAir gave everyone the royal treatment. That means that we are all entitled to a throne.... Posted by margie Read More...