Australian Information
The first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial 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 took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy.
It boasted one of the OECD's (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) fastest growing economies during the 1990's, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980's.
Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier ReefCommonwealth of Australia
|
Canberra |
|
2,967,909.38 sq mi 7,686,850.00 sq km (slightly smaller than the US) |
|
19,169,083 (July
2000) Estimated Population in 2050 24,175,783 |
|
English, native languages |
|
100.0% total, 100.0% male, 100.0% female |
|
Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11% |
|
76.9 male, 82.74 female (2000 est.) |
|
democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign |
|
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents |
|
mining, industrial
and transportation equipment, food processing,
chemicals, steel Agriculture wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry |
|
6% |
|
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment |
|
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products |
|
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum |
|
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 |
