Australia

Australia Background

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.

Australia Information

• Population: 19,913,144 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian
• Location:: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
• Religions:: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%
• Ethnic Groups:: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
• Land Boundaries:: 0 km
• Area: total: 7,686,850 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island land: 7,617,930 sq km
• Coast Line: 25,760 km
• Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
• Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.41% (2001)
• Environmental 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 an
• Natural Resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
• Highways: total: 811,603 km paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways) unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.)
• Railways: total: 44,015 km (5,290 km electrified) broad gauge: 1,957 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 27,095 km 1.435-m gauge (2,828 km electrified) dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2003) narrow gauge: 14,957 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)
• Ports & Harbours: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
• Airports: 444 (2003 est.)