Local Name Australia
Formal Name Commonwealth of Australia
Capital City Canberra
Population  19,169,083
Largest cities (1993 est.) Sydney, 3,713,500; Melbourne, 3,189,200; Brisbane, 1,520,600; Perth, 1,295,100; Adelaide, 1,079,200
Area (sq. km) 7,686,850
Currency Australian dollar
Languages English, Aboriginal languages
Religions Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26.0%, other Christian 24.3%
Ethinicity/race Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal (353,000) and other 1%
Literacy rate 100% (1980)
GDP (US$) $393.9 billion
GDP per capita  $21,200
Real growth rate 4.5%
Inflation 1%
Arable land 6%.
Agriculture wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruit, cattle, sheep, poultry.
Natural resources auxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum.
Labor force 9.2 million (Dec. 1997); services, 73%; industry, 22%; agriculture, 5% (1997 est.)
Unemployment 8.1% (1998)
Industries mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel. 
Exports $56 billion (f.o.b, 1998 est.): coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment.
Imports  $61 billion (f.o.b, 1998 est.): machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts, crude oil and petroleum products.
Major trading partners Japan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, EU, South Korea, U.S., New Zealand, U.K., Taiwan, Hong Kong, China.

 

      

     

 

Copyright © 2000 by Anthony James.  All rights reserved.