Australia

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges   Australia at a glance Did you know? Australia, Antarctica and India once formed a giant land mass known as Gondwana. The name Australia comes from Terra Australis, used on early European maps to indicate ‘the great South Land’. Region Pacific Population 20,264,082 (July 2006 est.)   Land Geography:  Desert, mountain range and coastal plain along eastern coast Climate: Arid to semiarid; temperate in the south and tropical in the north People Religion: Christian 67%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census) Language: English (plus numerous community and indigenous languages) Economy GDP per person (PPP): $31,600 (2005 est.) GDP by sector: Agriculture: 3.8%, Industry: 26.2%, Services: 70% Government Federal parliamentary democracy Land Physical geography Australia is the world's smallest continent but sixth largest country in the world (7,692,030 square kilometres). The Great Dividing Range runs north-south separating the eastern coastal plain from the flat, dry inland. The highest point is Mount Kosciusko (2228 metres) in the south-east. There is a fertile eastern coastal strip. Climate Australia’s large size creates a wide range of climatic conditions from the alpine, in the south-eastern mountains, to the tropical in the north. Temperate conditions with consistent rainfall averages are confined to the fertile, densely populated eastern coastal sectors and the south-west. Environment Australia's unique environment has many distinctive plants, including eucalyptus, wattles and banksias. Animals include the marsupials such as kangaroo, koala and possum; the monotremes, platypus and echidna; and birds including emus, cockatoos and kookaburras. Forests cover an estimated 18% of the total surface area, primarily on the Great Dividing Range. People The majority of the population of 20.3 million (2006) lives along the eastern coast with 85% living in urban areas. The major cities are Sydney with 4.3 million and Melbourne 3.6 million, Brisbane 1.5 million and Perth 1.3. People Culture and identity Australia’s indigenous people settled the country roughly 50,000 years ago. These people all lived by hunting and gathering and had a land-based spirituality but the 200-250 language groups had widely varying kinship systems, art forms and technologies. People of predominantly English, Scottish and Irish descent have settled in Australia since 1788. Approximately six million people from over 200 countries have migrated to Australia since 1945. The current ethnic composition is European 92%, Asian 6% and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2%. Approximately 43% of the population was born overseas or has at least one parent born overseas. There is a diverse range of art, literature, music, film, dance and theatre reflecting Australia's multicultural heritage. Australians are renowned for their keen interest in sports. Health Australia is considered to be one of the healthiest countries in the world. Life expectancy is high, about 80.5 years, and the infant mortality rate low, 5 per 1000 births. Australians have universal access to doctor of choice for out of hospital care, free public hospital care and subsidised pharmaceuticals under a tax–funded national health insurance scheme. However the health Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders is much worse than the general population. Religion and beliefs Approximately 68% of the population follow Christian beliefs, and around 5% follow four main non-Christian religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism). The remainder either have no religion or prefer not to disclose their religion. The biggest Christian denominations are Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church and Orthodox. Food and shelter With a range of climates and a multicultural community Australians produce and eat a wide range of foods. Cereals, dairy produce, fish, meat and poultry, fresh fruits and vegetables form the basis of a plentiful and varied diet. There is increasing recognition of the indigenous plants and animals so bush tomatoes, wattle seeds, desert limes, quandongs, kangaroo and emu are becoming more common restaurant foods. The majority of Australian households own or are buying their own home. The most common housing style is the single storey detached house, often on a large block of land. Australian homes are usually well serviced with running water, gas, electricity, sewerage and telephones. Economy Wealth and poverty Australia is a wealthy country and is able to provide high quality education and health services and social security for vulnerable groups. Yet there is a sizeable gap between rich and poor with the richest 10% of the population earning about 13.5 times the poorest 10% of the population. Education and work Australia has a well-developed education system. Attendance at school is compulsory between the ages of six and 16, either at a free government school (most of which are coeducational and comprehensive) or at a recognised private educational institution. About 40% of people have post school qualifications. About 60% of the Australian population are in paid employment. Of these more than 70% work in service industries, while manufacturing employs 22% and agriculture employs 5%. About 2% work in mining, fishing and forestry. Industries and products Mining, agriculture, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals and steel are the major industries. Trade Australia’s main export earners include coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery, cars and car parts, and transport equipment. Tourism and other service exports are also important. Australia’s main export destinations are Japan 20.3%, China 11.5%, South Korea 7.9%, United States 6.7%, and New Zealand 6.5%. Australia’s major imports include machinery and transport equipment, computers, telecommunications equipment, crude oil and petroleum products. The biggest sources of imports are the United States 13.9%, China 13.7%, Japan 11%, Singapore 5.6% and Germany 5.6%. Achievements and challenges Cyclones along the northern coasts, severe droughts and bushfires are regular natural challenges. Soil erosion and salinity from poor farming practices, pollution and depletion of the ozone layer from industrial development, and the management and conservation of unique environments are some of the major environmental issues facing Australia. Recent economic reforms have made Australia less at risk to the changeable international commodities market. Australia prides itself on its harmonious multicultural society offering all a "fair go". Overseas assistance program The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) manages the Australian Government's overseas aid program. Australia 's aid program focuses on the Asia Pacific region and provides assistance to Africa and the Middle East through international and non-government organisations. In 2006-2007 Australia will provide $2.946 billion (0.3% of GNI) worth of official development assistance. http://www.ausaid.gov.au/default.cfm Main sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/

Parliament House, Canberra Outback Australia