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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Australia (2002)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Australia (2002)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Australia (2002)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryAustralia
Administrative divisions - 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: 20.4% (male 2,046,052; female 1,949,725)


15-64 years: 67% (male 6,610,840; female 6,480,354)


65 years and over: 12.6% (male 1,078,506; female 1,381,315) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products - wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry
Airports 1 (2001) 421 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 294


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 11


1,524 to 2,437 m: 126


914 to 1,523 m: 134


under 914 m: 13 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 150


1,524 to 2,437 m: 20


914 to 1,523 m: 116


under 914 m: 14 (2002)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
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 about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It was able to take 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. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by the British monarch to a republic, was defeated in 1999.
Birth rate - 12.71 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget - revenues: $86.8 billion


expenditures: $84.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est. )
Capital - Canberra
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Coastline 698 km 25,760 km
Constitution - 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia


conventional short form: Australia
Currency - Australian dollar (AUD)
Death rate - 7.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external - $176.8 billion (2001 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Dependent areas - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER


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 none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain Australia-East Timor-Indonesia are working to resolve maritime boundary and sharing of seabed resources in "Timor Gap"; Australia asserts a territorial claim to Antarctica and to its continental shelf
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $894 million (FY99/00 )
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is another key factor behind the economy's strength. The stagnant economic conditions in major export partners and the impact of the worst drought in 100 years cast a shadow over prospects for 2003.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 188.49 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 202.68 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 90%


hydro: 8%


nuclear: 0%


other: 2% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m


highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Environment - current issues NA 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: 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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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%
Exchange rates - Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter HOLLINGWORTH (since 29 June 2001)


head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON (since 20 July 1999)


cabinet: Cabinet Parliament nominates, from among its members, a list of candidates to serve as government ministers; from this list, the governor general makes the final selections for the Cabinet


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general


note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party
Exports - $66.3 billion (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities - coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Exports - partners - Developing countries 45.6%, Japan 19.7%, ASEAN 13.3%, EU 11.7%, US 9.7% (2001)
Fiscal year - 1 July - 30 June
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag 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; 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 - $528 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 3%


industry: 26%


services: 71% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $27,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 27 00 S, 133 00 E
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast in the summer
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
total: 913,000 km


paved: 353,331 km (including 1,363 km of expressways)


unpaved: 559,669 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 25% (1994)
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 - $68 billion (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities - machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
Imports - partners - Developing countries 31.7%, EU 21.6%, US 18.9%, ASEAN 14.8%, Japan 13.0% (2001)
Independence - 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Industrial production growth rate - 4.3% (2002 est.)
Industries - mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Infant mortality rate - 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.8% (2002 est.)
International organization participation - ANZUS, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 571 (2002)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 24,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)
Labor force - 9.2 million (December 2001 )
Labor force - by occupation - services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture 5% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 6.88%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 93.09% (1998 est.)
Languages - English, native languages
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (150 seats - this is up from 148 seats in 2001 election; members elected by popular vote on the basis of preferential representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives)


elections: Senate - last held 10 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 10 November 2001 (next to be held by November 2004)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 35, Australian Labor Party 28, Australian Democrats 8, Green Party 2, One Nation Party 1, Country Labor Party 1, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 82, Australian Labor Party 65, independent and other 3
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 80 years


male: 77.15 years


female: 83 years (2002 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 100%


male: 100%


female: 100% (1980 est.)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Map references Political Map of the World Oceania
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - total: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,469,362 GRT/1,869,262 DWT


ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 5, chemical tanker 4, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 6, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: France 2, United Kingdom 2, United States 14 (2002 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Royal Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $9.3 billion (FY01/02 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2% (FY01/02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 5,013,406 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 4,321,387 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 142,686 (2002 est.)
National holiday - Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality - noun: Australian(s)


adjective: Australian
Natural hazards NA cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Net migration rate - 4.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km
Political parties and leaders - Australian Democrats [Andrew BARTLETT]; Australian Labor Party [Simon CREAN]; Country Labor Party [leader NA]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD]; National Party [John ANDERSON]; One Nation Party [Pauline HANSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Australian Monarchist League [leader NA]; Australian Republican Movement [leader NA]
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
19,546,792 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 0.96% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios NA 25.5 million (1997)
Railways - total: 33,819 km (2,540 km electrified)


broad gauge: 3,719 km 1.600-m gauge


standard gauge: 15,422 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 14,506 km 1.067-m gauge


dual gauge: 172 km NA gauges (1999 est.)
Religions - Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%
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: 0.78 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
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: 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 NA 10.05 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 8.6 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 104 (1997)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Total fertility rate - 1.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate - 6.3% (2002)
Waterways none 8,368 km (mainly used by small, shallow-draft craft)
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