Читать книгу The 2004 CIA World Factbook - United States. Central Intelligence Agency - Страница 33
ОглавлениеInternational organization participation:
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WToO
(associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to
Netherlands Antilles, Robert E. SORENSON, is accredited to Aruba
Flag description:
blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower
portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper
hoist-side corner
Economy Aruba
Economy - overview:
Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with
offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The
rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted
in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has
boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition,
the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source
of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred
growth. Aruba's small labor force and low unemployment rate have led
to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in
wage rates in recent years. Tourist arrivals have declined in the
aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The
government now must deal with a budget deficit and a negative trade
balance.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
−1.5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
41,500 (1997 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair,
followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Unemployment rate:
0.6% (2003 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $135.8 million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2000)
Agriculture - products:
aloes; livestock; fish
Industries:
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate:
NA (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
531.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
494.7 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Exports:
$128 million f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery
and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Netherlands 33.7%, Colombia 12%, Netherlands Antilles 12%, Panama
12%, Venezuela 10.8%, US 9.6% (2003)
Imports:
$841 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and
reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
US 55.3%, Netherlands 13%, Netherlands Antilles 3.1% (2003)
Debt - external:
$285 million (1996)
Economic aid - recipient:
$26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million
aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996
Currency:
Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)
Currency code:
AWG
Exchange rates:
Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002),
1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Aruba
Telephones - main lines in use:
37,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
53,000 (2001)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: more than adequate
international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten
(Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay
links
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
50,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Televisions:
20,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.aw
Internet hosts:
923 (2001)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA
Internet users:
24,000 (2002)
Transportation Aruba
Highways:
total: 800 km
paved: 513 km
note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large
tracts of the interior (1995)
unpaved: 287 km
Ports and harbors:
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,772 GRT/7,068 DWT
foreign-owned: Germany 1, Russia 1
registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.)
by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2
Airports:
1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Aruba
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and
Marines, Coast Guard
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues Aruba
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some
accompanying money-laundering activity
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Introduction Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Background:
These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931;
formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a
rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a
National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is
now a marine reserve.
Geography Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between
north-western Australia and Timor island
Geographic coordinates:
12 14 S, 123 05 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 5 sq km
note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and
Cartier Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 5 sq km
Area - comparative:
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
74.1 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
low with sand and coral
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2001)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983
People Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and
fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island (July 2004 est.)
People - note:
the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has
become an ongoing problem
Government Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department
of Transport and Regional Services
Legal system:
the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the
Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Economy - overview: no economic activity
Transportation Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the
Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
Transnational Issues Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Disputes - international:
Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef;
Australia has closed the surrounding waters to Indonesian
traditional fishing and has created a national park in the region
while continuing to prospect for hydrocarbons in the vicinity
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Atlantic Ocean
Introduction Atlantic Ocean
Background:
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans
(after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern
Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund
(Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar
(Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are
important strategic access waterways. The decision by the
International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to
delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion
of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south.
Geography Atlantic Ocean
Location:
body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the
Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates:
0 00 N, 25 00 W
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 76.762 million sq km
note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait,
Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador
Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the
Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:
slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Coastline:
111,866 km
Climate:
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near
Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can
occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to
November
Terrain:
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark
Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June;
clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in
the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the
southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench −8,605 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand
and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules,
precious stones
Natural hazards:
icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the
northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been
spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships
subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from
October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to
September; hurricanes (May to December)
Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions,
turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of
fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal
sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern
Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake
Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and
municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and
Mediterranean Sea
Geography - note:
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar,
access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the
Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound
(Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic
Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
Economy Atlantic Ocean
Economy - overview:
The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily
trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of
natural resources, e.g., fishing, the dredging of aragonite sands
(The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas
(Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).
Transportation Atlantic Ocean
Ports and harbors:
Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona
(Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon
(Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland),
Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands,
Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille
(France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy),
New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway),
Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam
(Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)
Transportation - note:
Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways;
significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal
Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico
coast of US
Transnational Issues Atlantic Ocean
Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Australia
Introduction Australia
Background:
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia
about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in
the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770,
when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain.
Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they
federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new
country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop
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. 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.
Geography Australia
Location:
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific
Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
27 00 S, 133 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 7,686,850 sq km
water: 68,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
land: 7,617,930 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
25,760 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
Climate:
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical
in north
Terrain:
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Eyre −15 m
highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium,
nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas,
petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of
cultivated grassland)
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 93.41% (2001)
Irrigated land:
24,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development,
urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due
to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for
agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique
animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast
coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by
increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited
natural fresh water resources
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
Geography - note:
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
People Australia
Population:
19,913,144 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 20.1% (male 2,044,449; female 1,948,574)
15–64 years: 67.2% (male 6,747,687; female 6,623,995)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 1,121,522; female 1,426,917) (2004
est.)
Median age:
total: 36.3 years
male: 35.5 years
female: 37.1 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.9% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
12.4 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.26 years
male: 77.4 years
female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.76 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
14,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian
Ethnic groups:
Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Religions:
Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%,
non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%
Languages:
English, native languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (1980 est.)
Government Australia
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
Government type:
democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as
sovereign
Capital:
Canberra
Administrative divisions:
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New
South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia,
Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Dependent areas:
Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands,
Norfolk Island
Independence:
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Constitution:
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Legal system:
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor General Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael
JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11
March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON (since 20 July 1999)
cabinet: Parliament nominates and selects, from among its members, a
list of candidates to serve as government ministers; from this list,
the governor general swears in the final selections for the Cabinet
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
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 9 October 2004 (next to be held not
later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9
October 2004 (next to be held not later than November 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party (as of 1 July 2003) - Liberal Party-National Party coalition
34, Australian Labor Party 28, Australian Democrats 7, Green Party
2, One Nation Party 1, Country Liberal Party 1, Australian
Progressive Alliance 1, independent 2; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal
Party-National Party coalition 86, Australian Labor Party 60,
Country Liberal Party 1, independent and other 3
Judicial branch:
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed
by the governor general)
Political parties and leaders:
Australian Democrats [Andrew BARTLETT]; Australian Labor Party
[Mark LATHAM]; Australian Progressive Alliance [Meg LEES]; Country
Liberal Party [Terry MILLS]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Liberal
Party [John Winston HOWARD]; The Nationals [John ANDERSON]; One
Nation Party [Len HARRIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Australian Monarchist League [leader NA]; Australian Republican
Movement [leader NA]
International organization participation:
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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. THAWLEY
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 797–3168
telephone: [1] (202) 797–3000
chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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
Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a
large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as
the Commonwealth 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
Economy Australia
Economy - overview:
Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy, with a
per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European
economies. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting
the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains
robust. 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 to $18 billion in 2003 and to $20
billion in 2004 from $8 billion in 2002. One other concern is the
domestic housing bubble.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $571.4 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $29,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5% industry: 26.3% services: 70.2% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
24.8% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.2 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
10.19 million (37256)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5%, industry 22%, services 73% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6% (2003)
Budget:
revenues: $185 billion
expenditures: $181 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003)
Public debt:
18.2% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing,
chemicals, steel
Industrial production growth rate:
−0.1% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
198.2 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
184.4 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
731,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
796,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
523,400 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
530,800 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
3.664 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
33.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
23.33 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
9.744 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
$-30.14 billion (2003)
Exports:
$68.67 billion (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and
transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Japan 18.1%, US 8.7%, China 8.4%, South Korea 7.4%, New Zealand
7.4%, UK 6.7% (2003)
Imports:
$82.91 billion (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines,
telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum
products
Imports - partners:
US 16%, Japan 12.5%, China 11%, Germany 6.1%, UK 4.2% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$33.26 billion (2003)
Debt - external:
$233.5 billion (2003 est.)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $894 million (FY99/00)
Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
AUD
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002),
1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000), 1.55 (1999)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications Australia
Telephones - main lines in use:
10.815 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
14.347 million (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in
areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular
telephones
international: country code - 61; submarine cables to New Zealand,
Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10
Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian
and Pacific Ocean regions) (1998)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
25.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
104 (1997)
Televisions:
10.15 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.au
Internet hosts:
2,847,763 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
571 (2002)
Internet users:
9.472 million (2002)
Transportation Australia
Railways:
total: 44,015 km (5,290 km electrified)
broad gauge: 1,957 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 27,095 km 1.435-m gauge (2,828 km electrified)
dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2003)
narrow gauge: 14,957 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)
Highways:
total: 811,603 km
paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways)
unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling
river systems) (2004)
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km;
oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania),
Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania),
Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine:
total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,531,461 GRT/1,999,409 DWT
foreign-owned: United Kingdom 2, United States 12
registered in other countries: 60 (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 20, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2,
container 3, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll
on/roll off 6
Airports:
444 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: 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: 143 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 112 under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.)
Military Australia
Military branches:
Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force,
new Special Operations Command (announced in December 2002)
Military manpower - military age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary service (2001)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 5,061,810 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 4,356,671 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 140,182 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$14,120.1 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.8% (2003)
Transnational Issues Australia
Disputes - international:
the 1999 maritime delimitation established partial maritime
boundaries with East Timor over part of the Timor Gap but temporary
resource-sharing agreements over an unreconciled area grant
Australia 90% share of exploited gas reserves and hamper creation of
a southern maritime boundary with Indonesia (see Ashmore and Cartier
Islands disputes); Australia asserts a territorial claim to
Antarctica and to its continental shelf (see Antarctica)
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
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Austria
Introduction Austria
Background:
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World
War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent
occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status
remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended
the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade
unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year
declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for
Soviet military withdrawal. Following the Soviet Union's collapse in
1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995, some
Austrian's have called into question this neutrality. A prosperous,
democratic country, Austria entered the European Monetary Union in
1999.
Geography Austria
Location:
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:
47 20 N, 13 20 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 83,870 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km
land: 82,444 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total: 2,562 km
border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366
km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330
km, Switzerland 164 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and
some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with
occasional showers
Terrain:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern
and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
Natural resources:
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony,
magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 16.91% permanent crops: 0.86% other: 82.23% (2001)
Irrigated land:
457 sq km (2000 est.)
Natural hazards:
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
Environment - current issues: some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe
with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river
is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
People Austria
Population:
8,174,762 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 15.9% (male 665,680; female 633,560)
15–64 years: 68.1% (male 2,799,411; female 2,764,426)
65 years and over: 16% (male 518,748; female 792,937) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 40 years
male: 38.8 years
female: 41.2 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.14% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
8.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
9.56 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.87 years
male: 76 years
female: 81.89 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
Ethnic groups:
German 88.5%, indigenous minorities 1.5% (includes Croatians,
Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma), recent immigrant
groups 10% (includes Turks, Bosnians, Serbians, Croatians) (2001)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 0.1%,
none 17.4%
Languages:
German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia),
Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: NA
female: NA
Government Austria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local short form: Oesterreich
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
Vienna
Administrative divisions:
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland,
Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark,
Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien
Independence:
1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 12 November 1918 (republic
proclaimed)
National holiday:
National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the State
Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of occupation and
the passage of the law on permanent neutrality
Constitution:
1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)
Legal system:
civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of
legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate
administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004)
head of government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4
February 2000); Vice Chancellor Hubert GORBACH (since 21 October
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice
of the chancellor
elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year
term; presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held
NA April 2010); chancellor traditionally chosen by the president
from the plurality party in the National Council; vice chancellor
chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe
election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote -
Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal
Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members represent each of the
states on the basis of population, but with each state having at
least three representatives; members serve a five- or six-year term)
and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected
by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP
42.3%, SPOe 36.5%, FPOe 10.0%, Greens 9.5%; seats by party - OeVP
79, SPOe 69, FPOe 18, Greens 17
elections: National Council - last held 24 November 2002 (next to be
held in the fall of 2006)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative
Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or
Verfassungsgerichtshof
Political parties and leaders:
Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party
of Austria or FPOe [Ursula HAUBNER]; Social Democratic Party of
Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER
BELLEN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Austrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but
primarily Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber;
OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman
Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic
Action; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or
OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers and other
non-government organizations in the areas of environment and human
rights
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY
chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008–3035
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 895–6750
telephone: [1] (202) 895–6700
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William Lee LYONS BROWN, Jr.
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [43] (1) 31339–0, 31375, 31335
FAX: [43] (1) 3100682
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red
Economy Austria
Economy - overview:
Austria, with its well-developed market economy and high standard
of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially
Germany's. Membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign
investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European
market and proximity to EU aspirant economies. Slow growth in
Germany and elsewhere in the world held the economy to 0.7% growth
in 2001, 1.4% in 2002, and again less than 1% in 2003. However,
recent data signal that the recovery has started. The government
estimates economic growth in 2004 of 1.7–2.1% and of 2.5% in 2005.
The government is planning a EURO 500 billion income tax cut in
2004, though some economists doubt it will have stimulative effects
in 2004, because it will be offset by higher health insurance
contributions and higher taxes on energy. For 2005, Austria plans a
tax cut of EURO 2.5 billion and harmonization of the various pension
schemes. To meet increased competition from both EU and Central
European countries, particularly the new EU members, Austria will
need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy, continue
to deregulate the service sector, and lower its tax burden. A key
issue is the encouragement of much greater participation in the
labor market by its aging population.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $245.3 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $30,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5% industry: 25.7% services: 70.9% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.5% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
3.9% (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 22.5% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
3.425 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and forestry 4%, industry and crafts 29%, services 67%
(2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.4% (2003 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $67 billion
expenditures: $70 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)
Public debt:
67.6% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle,
pigs, poultry; lumber
Industries:
construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals,
lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications
equipment, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
1.9% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
58.75 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
54.85 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
14.25 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
14.47 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
20,670 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
262,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
35,470 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
262,000 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
85.69 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
1.731 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
7.81 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
403 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
6.033 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.9 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
$-1.353 billion (2003)
