General background: Australia became a commonwealth
of the British Empire in 1901. It was able to take advantage
of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural
and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution
to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Long-term
concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of
the ozone layer, and management and conservation of
coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A
referendum to change Australia's status, from a commonwealth
headed by the British monarch to an independent republic,
was defeated in 1999.
Area comparative:
Slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Climate: Generally arid to semiarid; temperate
in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain:
Mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Population: 19,546,792 (July 2002 est.)
Ethnic groups: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal
and other 1%
Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic
26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other
12.6%
Language: English, native languages
Government type: Democratic, federal-state
system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign
Capital: Canberra
Legal system: Based on English common law;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Economic overview: Australia has a prosperous
Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita
GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies.
The Australian economy has been resilient in the face
of the global economic downturn in 2001 chalking up
2.3% GDP growth, as the domestic economy is offsetting
the external slump and business and consumer confidence
remains robust. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is
a key factor behind the economy's strength, and Australia
is expected to outperform its trading partners in
2002, with GDP growth projected to be 3% or better.
Australia probably will experience some weakness in
mid-2002 as its business cycle tends to lag the US
by about six months, and larger problems could emerge
if Australia's trade position worsens.
Communication/Telephone system: Excellent
domestic and international service, domestic satellite
system; much use of radiotelephone in areas of low
population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular
telephones. 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) (1998).
Places of interest:
Travel Tips:
|
