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Compare Virgin Islands (2003) - Australia (2007)

Compare Virgin Islands (2003) z Australia (2007)

 Virgin Islands (2003)Australia (2007)
 Virgin IslandsAustralia
Administrative divisions 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 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: 26% (male 16,685; female 15,794)


15-64 years: 64.4% (male 36,241; female 44,157)


65 years and over: 9.5% (male 5,078; female 6,823) (2003 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 fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry
Airports 2 (2002) 461 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (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: 352 sq km


land: 349 sq km


water: 3 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 twice the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Background 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. 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.
Birth rate 15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 12.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $364.4 million


expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
revenues: $268.2 billion


expenditures: $257.3 billion (2006 est.)
Capital Charlotte Amalie 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 subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Coastline 188 km 25,760 km
Constitution Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Country name conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands


conventional short form: Virgin Islands


former: Danish West Indies
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia


conventional short form: Australia
Currency US dollar (USD) -
Death rate 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 7.56 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $NA $628.1 billion (2006 est.)
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 none (territory of 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
Diplomatic representation in the US none (territory of 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
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 $NA -
Economy - overview Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of 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, support construction projects in the private sector, expand tourist facilities, reduce crime, and protect the environment. Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist 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. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. Drought and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, although the trade balance improved in 2006. 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 since 2002.
Electricity - consumption 957.9 million kWh (2001) 219.8 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 1.03 billion kWh (2001) 236.7 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m


highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Environment - current issues lack of natural freshwater resources 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 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%
white 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Exchange rates the US dollar is used Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001)


head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Vargrave RICHARDS (since NA January 2003)


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%
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 NA (2001) 333,200 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities refined petroleum products coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Exports - partners US, Puerto Rico Japan 19.6%, China 12.3%, South Korea 7.5%, US 6.2%, India 5.5%, NZ 5.5%, UK 5% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 October - 30 September 1 July - 30 June
Flag description 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 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 (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture: 3.7%


industry: 26.2%


services: 70.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 2% (2001 est.) 2.7% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 20 N, 64 50 W 27 00 S, 133 00 E
Geography - note 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 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: 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%: NA%


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


highest 10%: 25.4% (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; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines
Imports NA (2001) 611,400 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
Imports - partners US, Puerto Rico China 14.4%, US 14.1%, Japan 9.6%, Singapore 6%, Germany 5.1% (2006)
Independence - 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Industrial production growth rate NA% -3.5% (2006 est.)
Industries tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Infant mortality rate total: 9 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 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) 2% (1992) 3.5% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, 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, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 50 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 25,450 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)
Labor force 49,000 (2002 est.) 10.74 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.) agriculture: 3.6%


industry: 21.2%


services: 75.2% (2004 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 15%


permanent crops: 6%


other: 79% (1998 est.)
arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)


permanent crops: 0.04%


other: 93.81% (2005)
Languages English (official), Spanish, Creole English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
Legal system based on US laws based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch 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 NA November 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM NA, no party affiliation NA


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 NA November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected
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 80, Liberal Party 50, National Party 10, independents 2, undecided 8
Life expectancy at birth total population: 78.59 years


male: 74.73 years


female: 82.68 years (2003 est.)
total population: 80.62 years


male: 77.75 years


female: 83.63 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico 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 none (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 US -
Military branches - 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)
National holiday Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) 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: Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: Virgin Islander
noun: Australian(s)


adjective: Australian
Natural hazards several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Natural resources sun, sand, sea, surf bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Net migration rate 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 3.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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 Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] 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 124,778 (July 2003 est.) 20,434,176 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 1.02% (2003 est.) 0.824% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix -
Radio broadcast stations AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002) AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways 0 km 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 Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% 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: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female


total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2003 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; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay


international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA
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 65,000 (1997) 9.94 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2,000 (1992) 19.76 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 2 (2002) 104 (1997)
Terrain mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Total fertility rate 2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.76 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.9% (March 1999) 4.9% (2006 est.)
Waterways none 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2006)
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