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Compare Netherlands Antilles (2002) - Australia (2008)

Compare Netherlands Antilles (2002) z Australia (2008)

 Netherlands Antilles (2002)Australia (2008)
 Netherlands AntillesAustralia
Administrative divisions none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)


note: each island has its own government
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: 25% (male 27,351; female 26,135)


15-64 years: 67.1% (male 68,431; female 75,312)


65 years and over: 7.9% (male 7,049; female 9,980) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 19.3% (male 2,023,375/female 1,929,229)


15-64 years: 67.4% (male 6,945,068/female 6,831,653)


65 years and over: 13.2% (male 1,197,494/female 1,507,357) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry
Airports 5 (2001) 461 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 5


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total: 317


over 3,047 m: 11


2,438 to 3,047 m: 12


1,524 to 2,437 m: 138


914 to 1,523 m: 143


under 914 m: 13 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 144


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 109


under 914 m: 16 (2007)
Area total: 960 sq km


land: 960 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
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 more than five times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Background Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe, and its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. 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 climate-change issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer and more frequest droughts, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.
Birth rate 16.16 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 12.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $710.8 million


expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
revenues: $312 billion


expenditures: $299.6 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Willemstad name: Canberra


geographic coordinates: 35 17 S, 149 13 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


note: Australia is divided into three time zones
Climate tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Coastline 364 km 25,760 km
Constitution 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles


local long form: none


local short form: Nederlandse Antillen


former: Curacao and Dependencies
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia


conventional short form: Australia
Currency Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) -
Death rate 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 7.56 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.35 billion (1996) (1996) $757.9 billion (30 June 2007)
Dependency status part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign 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: Consul General Deborah A. BOLTON


consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao


mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao


telephone: [599] (9) 4613066


FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
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
Diplomatic representation in the US none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) 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
Disputes - international none Timor-Leste 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 in the Timor Sea; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore and Cartier Islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catch; regional states continue to 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 margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers or roughly thirty percent of its claimed exclusive economic zone; since 2003, Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $894 million (FY99/00)
Economic aid - recipient IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million -
Economy - overview Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined in each of the past five years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy, particularly in mining states. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, a housing market boom, and growing ties with China have been key factors behind the economy's 16 solid years of expansion. Drought, robust import demand, and a strong currency have pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a tight labor market are constraining growth in export volumes and stoking inflation. Australia's budget has been in surplus since 2002 due to strong revenue growth.
Electricity - consumption 1.093 billion kWh (2000) 219.8 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 1.175 billion kWh (2000) 236.7 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Scenery 862 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian white 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Exchange rates Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989) Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Etienne YS (since 3 June 2002)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006)


note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP
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 Kevin RUDD (since 3 December 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Julia GILLARD (since 3 December 2007)


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
Exports $276 million f.o.b. (2000) 333,200 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities petroleum products coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Exports - partners US 35.9%, Guatemala 9.4%, Venezuela 8.7%, France 5.4%, Singapore 2.8% (2000) Japan 19.6%, China 12.3%, South Korea 7.5%, US 6.2%, India 5.5%, NZ 5.5%, UK 5% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 3.7%


industry: 25.6%


services: 70.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate -3.5% (2000 est.) 4% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 15 N, 68 45 W 27 00 S, 133 00 E
Geography - note the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao) world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating 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 (2007)
Highways total: 600 km


paved: 300 km


unpaved: 300 km (1992)
-
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 South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering 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; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines
Imports $1.5 billion f.o.b. (2000) 611,400 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities crude petroleum, food, manufactures machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
Imports - partners US 25.8%, Mexico 20.7%, Gabon 6.6%, Italy 5.8%, Netherlands 5.5% (2000) China 14.4%, US 14.1%, Japan 9.6%, Singapore 6%, Germany 5.1% (2006)
Independence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 3.5% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Infant mortality rate 11.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 4.57 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.8% (2000 est.) 3% (2007 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (observer), CCC, ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate) ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 6 -
Irrigated land NA sq km 25,450 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)
Labor force 89,000 10.9 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1994 est.) agriculture: 3.6%


industry: 21.2%


services: 75.2% (2004 est.)
Land boundaries total: 10.2 km


border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 10%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 90% (1998 est.)
arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 93.81% (2005)
Languages Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
Legal system based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral States or Staten (22 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FOL 5, PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP-St.M 2, UPB 2, DP 1, MAN 1, PDB 1, WIPM 1


note: the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties; current seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, FOL 2, MAN 2, UPB 2, DP-St. M 2, PDB 1, SEA 1, WIPM 1, other 4
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats; 12 members 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 vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives)


elections: Senate - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be held no later than 2010); House of Representatives - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be called no later than 2010)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 37, Australian Labor Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family First Party 1, other 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party 55, National Party 10, independents 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.15 years


male: 72.96 years


female: 77.46 years (2002 est.)
total population: 80.62 years


male: 77.75 years


female: 83.63 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 98%


female: 99% (1981 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Oceania
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 12 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: 123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,056,362 GRT/1,341,735 DWT


ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 39, chemical tanker 2, combination ore/oil 4, container 24, liquefied gas 5, multi-functional large-load carrier 15, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 24, roll on/roll off 7


note: includes foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 3, Denmark 2, Germany 43, Monaco 8, Netherlands 52, New Zealand 1, Norway 3, Peru 1, Spain 1, Sweden 3, United Kingdom 5 (2002 est.)
total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,322,527 GRT/1,501,865 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 5, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 5


foreign-owned: 16 (Canada 2, France 1, Germany 2, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, UK 2, US 5)


registered in other countries: 29 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 3, Bermuda 4, Fiji 1, The Gambia 1, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 4, Singapore 6, Tonga 1, UK 1, US 2, Vanuatu 2, unknown 1) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands -
Military branches no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command (2006)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.4% (2006)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 54,752 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 30,642 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 1,610 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April Australia Day, 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)
Nationality noun: Dutch Antillean(s)


adjective: Dutch Antillean
noun: Australian(s)


adjective: Australian
Natural hazards Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Natural resources phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Net migration rate -0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 3.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - condensate/gas 469 km; gas 26,719 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,720 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Miguel POURIER]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramon BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard Hodi]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK, Editha WRIGHT]


note: political parties are indigenous to each island
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 [Brendan NELSON]; The Nationals [Warren TRUSS]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 214,258 (July 2002 est.) 20,434,176 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 0.93% (2002 est.) 0.824% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad -
Radio broadcast stations AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 217,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km (2002) total: 38,550 km


broad gauge: 3,727 km 1.600-m gauge


standard gauge: 20,519 km 1.435-m gauge (1,877 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 14,074 km 1.067-m gauge (2,453 km electrified)


dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge (2006)
Religions Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist 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: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.049 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.017 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.794 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: generally adequate facilities


domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links


international: submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
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; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 76,000 (1995) 9.94 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 13,977 (1996) 19.76 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 3 (there is also a cable service which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (1997) 104 (1997)
Terrain generally hilly, volcanic interiors mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Total fertility rate 2.06 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.76 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 15% (1998 est.) 4.4% (November 2007 est.)
Waterways none 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2006)
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