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Compare Australia (2005) - Northern Mariana Islands (2006)
Compare Australia (2005) z Northern Mariana Islands (2006)
| Australia (2005) | Northern Mariana Islands (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia | none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order: Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 19.8% (male 2,038,809/female 1,943,563)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 6,815,600/female 6,695,189) 65 years and over: 12.9% (male 1,145,274/female 1,452,002) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 19.4% (male 8,350/female 7,623)
15-64 years: 79% (male 26,715/female 38,442) 65 years and over: 1.6% (male 679/female 650) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry | coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle |
| Airports | 448 (2004 est.) | 5 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 305
over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 131 914 to 1,523 m: 139 under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 143
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 112 under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
| Area | total: 7,686,850 sq km
land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island |
total: 477 sq km
land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| 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 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 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 Reef. | Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978. |
| Birth rate | 12.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 19.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $222.7 billion
expenditures: $221.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues: $193 million
expenditures: $223 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02 est.) |
| Capital | Canberra | name: Saipan
geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north | tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October |
| Coastline | 25,760 km | 1,482 km |
| Constitution | 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 | Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant Agreement fully effective 4 November 1986 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands abbreviation: CNMI former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Mariana Islands District |
| Death rate | 7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 2.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $308.7 billion (3rd quarter, 2004 est.) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs |
| Dependent areas | Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: William A. STANTON, Charge d'Affaires ad interim
embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: APO AP 96549 telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600 FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970 consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney |
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| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. THAWLEY
chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000 FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco |
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| Disputes - international | East Timor and Australia continue to meet but disagree over how to delimit a permanent maritime boundary and share unexploited petroleum resources that fall outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia (see also Ashmore and Cartier Islands dispute); regional states express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime indentification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted claims to UNCLOS to extend its continental margin from both its mainland and Antarctic claims | none |
| Economic aid - donor | ODA, $894 million (FY99/00) | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | extensive funding from US |
| Economy - overview | Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust business and consumer confidence, and rising exports of raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up from $8 billion in 2002, to $18 billion in 2003, and to $13 billion in 2004. One other concern is the rapid increase in domestic housing prices, which have raised the prospect that interest rates will need to be raised to prevent a speculative bubble. | The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent years, but financial difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is by far the most important industry with the employment of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under duty and quota exemptions. |
| Electricity - consumption | 195.6 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh |
| Electricity - production | 210.3 billion kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m |
| Environment - current 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 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 | contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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| Ethnic groups | Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% | Asian 56.3%, Pacific islander 36.3%, Caucasian 1.8%, other 0.8%, mixed 4.8% (2000 census) |
| Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) | the US dollar is used |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Mark VAILE (since 6 July 2005) cabinet: Prime Minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the Governor General to serve as government ministers elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party |
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Benigno R. FITIAL (since 9 January 2006); Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. VILLAGOMEZ (since 9 January 2006) cabinet: the cabinet consists of the heads of the 10 principal departments under the executive branch who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; other members include Special Assistants to the governor and office heads appointed by and reporting directly to the governor elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009) election results: Benigno R. FITIAL elected governor in a four-way race; percent of vote - Benigno R. FITIAL (Covenant Party) 28.07%, Heinz HOFSCHNEIDER (Independent) 27.34%, Juan BABAUTA (Republican) 26.6%, Froilan TENORIO (Democrat) 17.99% |
| Exports | 523,400 bbl/day (2001) | $NA |
| Exports - commodities | coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment | garments |
| Exports - partners | Japan 18.6%, China 9.2%, US 8.1%, South Korea 7.7%, New Zealand 7.4%, India 4.6%, UK 4.2% (2004) | US (2004) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 October - 30 September |
| Flag description | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars | blue, with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.4%
industry: 28.2% services: 68.4% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $30,700 (2004 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 27 00 S, 133 00 E | 15 12 N, 145 45 E |
| Geography - note | world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating tropical sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most consistent winds in the world | strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2006) |
| Highways | total: 811,603 km
paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways) unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1994) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | 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 | - |
| Imports | 530,800 bbl/day (2001) | $214.4 million $NA |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products | food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | US 14.8%, China 12.7%, Japan 11.8%, Germany 5.8%, Singapore 4.4%, UK 4.1% (2004) | US, Japan (2004) |
| Independence | 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) | none (commonwealth in political union with the US) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 1.9% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel | tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.3% (2004 est.) | -0.8% (2000) |
| International organization participation | ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO, ZC | Interpol (subbureau), SPC, UPU |
| Irrigated land | 24,000 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
| Judicial branch | High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general) | Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court |
| Labor force | 10.35 million (2004 est.) | 44,470 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers (2000) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 3.6%, industry 26.4%, services 70% (2004 est.) | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)
permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.41% (2001) |
arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 4.35% other: 82.61% (2005) |
| Languages | English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census) | Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census) |
| Legal system | based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential voting to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than five representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held no later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be called no later than November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party (for session beginning on 1 July 2005) - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 39, Australian Labor Party 28, Democrats 4, Australian Greens 4, Family First Party 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 87, Australian Labor Party 60, independents 3 |
bicameral Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 2, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 7, Republican Party 7, Democratic Party 2, independent 2 note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party - Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.39 years
male: 77.52 years female: 83.4 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 76.09 years
male: 73.5 years female: 78.83 years (2006 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.) |
| Location | Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean | Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines |
| Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,531,461 GRT/1,999,409 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 16 (France 1, Germany 3, Japan 1, Philippines 1, Saudi Arabia 1, United Kingdom 2, United States 7) registered in other countries: 35 (2005) |
- |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the US |
| Military branches | Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $16.65 billion (2004) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.7% (2004) | - |
| National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978) |
| Nationality | noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian |
noun: NA (US citizens)
adjective: NA |
| Natural hazards | cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires | active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November) |
| Natural resources | bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum | arable land, fish |
| Net migration rate | 3.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 8.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Pipelines | condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Labor Party [Kim BEAZLEY]; Australian Progressive Alliance [Meg LEES]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD]; The Nationals [Mark VAILE]; One Nation Party [Len HARRIS]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING] | Covenant Party [Benigno R. FITIAL]; Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Juan S. REYES] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | 20,090,437 (July 2005 est.) | 82,459 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.87% (2005 est.) | 2.54% (2006 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 1 (2006) |
| Railways | total: 54,439 km (3859 km electrified)
broad gauge: 5,434 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 34,110 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified) narrow gauge: 14,895 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified) dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2004) |
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| Religions | Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census) | Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.7 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 0.77 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections |
| Telephone system | general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 61; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean regions) (1998) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 10.815 million (2003) | 21,000 (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 14.347 million (2003) | 20,500 (2004) |
| Television broadcast stations | 104 (1997) | 1 (Low Power TV on Saipan; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (2006) |
| Terrain | mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast | southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic |
| Total fertility rate | 1.76 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.24 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% (December 2004 est.) | 3.9% NA% |
| Waterways | 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2004) | - |
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