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Compare Bahamas, The (2002) - Australia (2005)

Compare Bahamas, The (2002) z Australia (2005)

 Bahamas, The (2002)Australia (2005)
 Bahamas, TheAustralia
Administrative divisions 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Age structure 0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250)


15-64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508; female 98,859)


65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products citrus, vegetables; poultry wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry
Airports 67 (2001) 448 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 30


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 12


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
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.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 34 35


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 3 23 (2002)
total: 143


1,524 to 2,437 m: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 112


under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.)
Area total: 13,940 sq km


land: 10,070 sq km


water: 3,870 sq km
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
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Background Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. 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.
Birth rate 18.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 12.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $918.5 million


expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00)
revenues: $222.7 billion


expenditures: $221.7 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital Nassau Canberra
Climate tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Coastline 3,542 km 25,760 km
Constitution 10 July 1973 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Country name conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas


conventional short form: The Bahamas
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia


conventional short form: Australia
Currency Bahamian dollar (BSD) -
Death rate 7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $381.9 million (2000) $308.7 billion (3rd quarter, 2004 est.)
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 J. Richard BLANKENSHIP


embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau


mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370


telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206


FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222
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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS


chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660


FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668


consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
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
Disputes - international none 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
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $894 million (FY99/00)
Economic aid - recipient $9.8 million (1995) -
Economy - overview The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of the majority of tourist visitors. 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.
Electricity - consumption 1.432 billion kWh (2000) 195.6 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 1.54 billion kWh (2000) 210.3 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m


highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Environment - current issues coral reef decay; solid waste disposal 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
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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 black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Exchange rates Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar) Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
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
Exports $535.8 million (2000) 523,400 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables (1999) coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Exports - partners US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany 14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000) Japan 18.6%, China 9.2%, US 8.1%, South Korea 7.7%, New Zealand 7.4%, India 4.6%, UK 4.2% (2004)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June 1 July - 30 June
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3%


industry: 7%


services: 90% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 3.4%


industry: 28.2%


services: 68.4% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $30,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.5% (2001) 3.5% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 15 N, 76 00 W 27 00 S, 133 00 E
Geography - note strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited 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
Heliports 1 (2002) -
Highways total: 2,693 km


paved: 1,546 km


unpaved: 1,147 km (1997)
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%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 25.4% (1994)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center 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 $1.88 billion (2000) 530,800 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals (1999) machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
Imports - partners US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy 17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000) US 14.8%, China 12.7%, Japan 11.8%, Germany 5.8%, Singapore 4.4%, UK 4.1% (2004)
Independence 10 July 1973 (from UK) 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 1.9% (2004 est.)
Industries tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Infant mortality rate 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.5% (2001 est.) 2.3% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 19 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 24,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)
Labor force 156,000 (1999) 10.35 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.) agriculture 3.6%, industry 26.4%, services 70% (2004 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 0.6%


permanent crops: 0.4%


other: 99% (1998 est.)
arable land: 6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 93.41% (2001)
Languages English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants) English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
Legal system based on English common law based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 69.87 years


male: 66.32 years


female: 73.49 years (2002 est.)
total population: 80.39 years


male: 77.52 years


female: 83.4 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.2%


male: 98.5%


female: 98% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 100%


male: 100%


female: 100% (1980 est.)
Location Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Oceania
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
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
Merchant marine total: 1,076 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,309,187 GRT/45,859,485 DWT


ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 246, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 13, combination ore/oil 22, container 80, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger 88, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 120, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 22


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium 18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany 26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2, Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.)
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 branches Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command
Military expenditures - dollar figure $20 million (FY95/96) $16.65 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.7% (FY99) 2.7% (2004)
National holiday Independence Day, 10 July (1973) Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality noun: Bahamian(s)


adjective: Bahamian
noun: Australian(s)


adjective: Australian
Natural hazards hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Natural resources salt, aragonite, timber, arable land bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Net migration rate -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 3.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 300,529


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
20,090,437 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate 0.86% (2002 est.) 0.87% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 215,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km 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)
Religions Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% 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)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: modern facilities


domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed


international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 96,000 (1997) 10.815 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 6,152 (1997) 14.347 million (2003)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 104 (1997)
Terrain long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Total fertility rate 2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.76 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.9% (2001 est.) 5.1% (December 2004 est.)
Waterways none 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2004)
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