| Official name |
Commonwealth of Australia |
| Capital |
Canberra |
| Area |
7,682,300 sq km
2,966,200 sq mi |
| Languages |
English, indigenous languages |
| Population |
21.030.000 (2007 estimate) |
| Population growth rate |
0.99% (2001 estimate) |
| Projected population in 2025 |
23,022,980 (2000 estimate) |
| Projected population in 2050 |
24,175,783 (2000 estimate) |
| Population density |
2.5 persons per sq km (2001 estimate)
6.5 persons per sq mi (2001 estimate) |
| Urban/rural distribution |
| Share urban |
85% (1999 estimate) |
| Share rural |
15% (1999 estimate) |
| Largest cities, with population |
| Sydney |
3,986,700 (1998 estimate) |
| Melbourne |
3,371,300 (1998 estimate) |
| Brisbane |
1,574,600 (1998 estimate) |
| Perth |
1,341,900 (1998 estimate) |
| Adelaide |
1,088,400 (1998 estimate) |
| Ethnic groups |
| Caucasian |
95% |
| Asian |
4% |
| Aboriginal and other |
1% |
| Religious affiliations |
| Anglican |
26% |
| Roman Catholic |
26% |
| Other Christian |
24% |
| Other / nonreligious |
24% |
| Life expectancy - Total |
79.9 years (2001 estimate) |
| Life expectancy - Female |
82.9 years (2001 estimate) |
| Life expectancy - Male |
77 years (2001 estimate) |
| Infant mortality rate |
5 deaths per 1,000 live births (2001 estimate) |
| Population per physician |
400 people (1997) |
| Population per hospital bed |
118 people (1996) |
| Literacy rate |
100% (1995) |
| Education expenditure as a share of gross national product (GNP) |
5.5% (1995) |
| Number of years of compulsory schooling |
10 years (1998) |
| Number of students per teacher, primary school |
17 students per teacher (1997) |
| Form of government |
Federal parliamentary democracy |
| Head of state |
Governor-general, representing the British monarch |
| Head of government |
Prime minister |
| Legislature |
Bicameral legislature
House of Representatives: 148 members
Senate: 76 senators |
| Voting qualifications |
Universal and compulsory at age 18 |
| Constitution |
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 |
| First-level political divisions |
Six states and two territories |
| Highest court |
High Court of Australia |
| Millitary |
| Armed forces |
Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Total number of military personnel |
50,600 (1999) |
| Military expenditures as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) |
1.9% (1999) |
| Gross domestic product (GDP, in U.S.$) |
$404 billion (1999) |
| GDP per capita (U.S.$) |
$21,300 (1999) |
| GDP by economic sector |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing |
3.1% (1998) |
| Industry |
24.7% (1998) |
| Services |
72.3% (1998) |
| Employment |
| Number of workers |
9,654,203 (1999) |
| Workforce share - Agriculture, forestry, fishing |
5% (1998) |
| Workforce share - Industry |
22% (1998) |
| Workforce share - Services |
73% (1998) |
| Unemployment rate |
8% (1998) |
| National Budget |
| Total revenue |
$87,930 million (1998) |
| Total expenditure |
$88,500 million (1998) |
| Other |
| Monetary unit |
1 Australian dollar ($A), consisting of 100 cents |
| Agriculture |
Wheat and other grains, wool, beef, vegetables, fruits, cotton, sugarcane |
| Mining |
Coal, bauxite, alumina, iron ore, gold, silver, diamonds, petroleum, natural gas, zinc, copper, manganese, titanium, nickel, tin, lead, uranium, zircon, tungsten |
| Manufacturing |
Metals and metal products, food products, transportation equipment, machinery, chemicals and chemical products, textiles and clothing, wood and paper products, printed materials |
| Major exports |
Metal ores, coal, gold, nonferrous metals, meat and meat products, textile fibers, petroleum and petroleum products, cereals |
| Major imports |
Road vehicles and other transportation equipment, machinery, office equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles |
| Major trade partners for exports |
Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, United States, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong S.A.R., United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia |
| Major trade partners for imports |
United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, China, New Zealand |
| Electricity - thermal |
89.93% (1999 estimate) |
| Electricity - hydroelectric |
8.36% (1999 estimate) |
| Electricity - nuclear |
0% (1999 estimate) |
| Electricity - geothermal, solar, wind |
1.71% (1999 estimate) |
| Number of radios per 1,000 people |
1,391 (1997) |
| Number of telephones per 1,000 people |
520 (1999) |
| Number of televisions per 1,000 people |
554 (1997 estimate) |
| Number of Internet hosts per 10,000 people |
683 (2000) |
| Daily newspaper circulation per 1,000 people |
297 (1996) |
| Number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people |
601 (1997) |
| Paved road as a share of total roads |
39% (1998) |
LIVE IN australia.com would like to invite you to take the next step towards living in Australia by completing one of our FREE Online Migration Assessments.
