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(opens in new window) Aboriginal settlers arrived on the
continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans
began exploration in the 17th century. No formal claims were made until
1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain.
Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they
federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country
was able to take advantage of its natural resources in order 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 a republic, was defeated in 1999. Oceania, continent between the Indian
Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean 27 00 S, 133 00 E total:
7,686,850 sq km territorial sea:
12 nm generally arid to semiarid; temperate in
south and east; tropical in north mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile
plain in southeast lowest point:
Lake Eyre -15 m bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin,
gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc,
diamonds, natural gas, petroleum arable land:
6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) 24,000 sq km (1998 est.) cyclones along the coast; severe droughts;
forest fires 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
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 19,913,144 (July 2004 est.) Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and
other 1% Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other
Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6% English, native languages democratic, federal-state system
recognizing the British monarch as sovereign Canberra 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian
Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South
Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas
Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and
McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
based on English common law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Australia has a prosperous Western-style
capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West
European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy has been
offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains
robust. Australia's emphasis on reforms is another key factor behind the
economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak foreign demand, and strong
import demand pushed the trade deficit up to $14 billion in 2003 from $5
billion in 2002. 35.2 (1994) 2.8% (2003 est.) 10.19 million (37256) agriculture 5%, industry 22%, services 73%
(1997 est.) 6% (2003) wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle,
sheep, poultry mining, industrial and transportation
equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore,
wheat, machinery and transport equipment Japan 18.1%, US 8.7%, China 8.4%, South
Korea 7.4%, New Zealand 7.4%, UK 6.7% (2003 est.) machinery and transport equipment,
computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude
oil and petroleum products US 16%, Japan 12.5%, China 11%, Germany
6.1%, UK 4.2% (2003 est.) Australian dollar (AUD) 10.815 million (2003) 14.347 million (2003) total: 44,015
km (5,290 km electrified) total:
811,603 km 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on
Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2004) condensate 36 km; condensate/gas 243 km;
gas 27,321 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,779 km; oil/gas/water 104
km (2003) Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin,
Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston
(Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville total: 52
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,531,461 GRT/1,999,409 DWT 444 (2003 est.) total: 297
total: 147
Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy,
Royal Australian Air Force, new Special Operations Command (announced in
December 2002) the 1999 maritime delimitation established
partial maritime boundaries with East Timor over part of the Timor Gap but
temporary resource-sharing agreements over an unreconciled area grant
Australia 90% share of exploited gas reserves and hamper creation of a
southern maritime boundary with Indonesia (see Ashmore and Cartier Islands
disputes); Australia asserts a territorial claim to Antarctica and to its
continental shelf (see Antarctica) Tasmania is one of the world's major
suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls
over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate
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