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Compare Australia (2006) - Virgin Islands (2004)

Compare Australia (2006) z Virgin Islands (2004)

 Australia (2006)Virgin Islands (2004)
 AustraliaVirgin Islands
Administrative divisions 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
Age structure 0-14 years: 19.6% (male 2,031,313/female 1,936,802)


15-64 years: 67.3% (male 6,881,863/female 6,764,709)


65 years and over: 13.1% (male 1,170,589/female 1,478,806) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 23.8% (male 13,116; female 12,770)


15-64 years: 66% (male 33,944; female 37,870)


65 years and over: 10.2% (male 4,855; female 6,220) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Airports 455 (2006) 2 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 311


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 12


1,524 to 2,437 m: 133


914 to 1,523 m: 143


under 914 m: 13 (2006)
total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 144


1,524 to 2,437 m: 18


914 to 1,523 m: 111


under 914 m: 15 (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: 352 sq km


land: 349 sq km


water: 3 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states twice 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 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 1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Birth rate 12.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 14.49 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $249.8 billion


expenditures: $240.2 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $560


expenditures: NA (2003)
Capital name: Canberra


geographic coordinates: 35 17 S, 149 08 E


time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March (ended first Sunday in April 2006)


note: Australia is divided into three time zones
Charlotte Amalie
Climate generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
Coastline 25,760 km 188 km
Constitution 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Country name conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia


conventional short form: Australia
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands


conventional short form: Virgin Islands


former: Danish West Indies
Currency - US dollar (USD)
Death rate 7.51 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $323.4 billion (2005 est.) NA
Dependency status - organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
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: Ambassador Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr.


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
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Dennis J. RICHARDSON


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, San Francisco
none (territory of the US)
Disputes - international East Timor and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly 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 identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margin from both its mainland and Antarctic claims none
Economic aid - donor ODA, $894 million (FY99/00) -
Economic aid - recipient - NA
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, $13 billion in 2004, and nearly $17 billion in 2005. Housing prices probably peaked in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies have kept Australia's budget in surplus from 2002 to 2005. Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.
Electricity - consumption 221 billion kWh (2004) 957.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 237 billion kWh (2004) 1.03 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m


highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Crown Mountain 474 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 lack of natural freshwater resources
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
-
Ethnic groups Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% black 78%, white 10%, other 12%


note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands and 32% born elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 4%, other 2%
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) 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)


head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999)


cabinet: NA


elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006)


election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4%
Exports 523,400 bbl/day (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment refined petroleum products
Exports - partners Japan 20.3%, China 11.5%, South Korea 7.9%, US 6.7%, NZ 6.5%, India 5% (2005) US, Puerto Rico
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 or Federation 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; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.8%


industry: 26.2%


services: 70% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 19%


services: 80% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.7% (2005 est.) 2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 27 00 S, 133 00 E 18 20 N, 64 50 W
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 important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
Heliports 1 (2006) -
Highways - total: 856 km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km


note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2000)
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) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Imports - partners US 13.9%, China 13.7%, Japan 11%, Singapore 5.6%, Germany 5.6% (2005) US, Puerto Rico
Independence 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) -
Industrial production growth rate 1.1% (2005 est.) NA
Industries mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Infant mortality rate total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.02 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.7% (2005 est.) 2.2% (2003)
International organization participation ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU
Irrigated land 25,450 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general) US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)
Labor force 10.42 million (2005 est.) 48,900 (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 3.6%


industry: 21.2%


services: 75.2% (2004 est.)
agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 93.81% (2005)
arable land: 11.76%


permanent crops: 2.94%


other: 85.29% (2001)
Languages English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census) English (official), Spanish, Creole
Legal system based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on US laws
Legislative branch bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and 2 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 5 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 - 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
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)


elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3


note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected
Life expectancy at birth total population: 80.5 years


male: 77.64 years


female: 83.52 years (2006 est.)
total population: 78.75 years


male: 74.91 years


female: 82.82 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2003 est.)
definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Location Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Oceania Central America and the Caribbean
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: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,361,000 GRT/1,532,874 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 17, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 5


foreign-owned: 17 (Canada 1, France 3, Germany 3, Japan 1, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, UK 2, US 3)


registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 2, Bermuda 3, Fiji 1, Hong Kong 1, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2, Netherlands 1, NZ 2, Panama 3, Portugal 1, Singapore 7, Tonga 1, UK 3, US 2, Vanuatu 2) (2006)
none
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 $17.84 billion (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.7% (2005 est.) -
National holiday Australia Day, 26 January (1788) Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
Nationality noun: Australian(s)


adjective: Australian
noun: Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: Virgin Islander
Natural hazards cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Natural resources bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum sun, sand, sea, surf
Net migration rate 3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -8.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines condensate/gas 546 km; gas 31,323 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,808 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2006) -
Political parties and leaders Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country Liberal Party [Jodeen CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD]; The Nationals [Mark VAILE] Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population 20,264,082 (July 2006 est.) 108,775 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate 0.85% (2006 est.) -0.05% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix
Radio broadcast stations AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)
Railways total: 47,738 km


broad gauge: 4,015 km 1.600-m gauge


standard gauge: 28,662 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 14,831 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)


dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2005)
-
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) Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
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 (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female


total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal; note - island residents 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 - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2005)
general assessment: NA


domestic: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay


international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA
Telephones - main lines in use 11.46 million (2005) 69,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 18.42 million (2005) 41,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 104 (1997) 2 (2002)
Terrain mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Total fertility rate 1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.) 2.21 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 5.1% (2005 est.) 9.3% (2003 est.)
Waterways 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2002) -
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