*Australia, Economy
Overview:
Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per
capita GDP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries.
Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural
products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Of the top 25 exports, 21 are
primary products, so that, as happened during 1983-84, a downturn in world
commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The government is
pushing for increased exports of manufactured goods, but competition in
international markets continues to be severe.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $293.5 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
2.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
$16,700 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.8% (September 1992)
Unemployment rate:
11.3% (December 1992)
Budget:
revenues $68.5 billion; expenditures $78.0 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY93)
Exports: $41.7 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
partners:
Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, UK, Taiwan, Hong
Kong
Imports:
$37.8 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, crude oil
and petroleum products
partners:
US 24%, Japan 19%, UK 6%, FRG 7%, NZ 4% (1990)
External debt:
$130.4 billion (June 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%; accounts for 32% of GDP
Electricity:
40,000,000 kW capacity; 150,000 million kWh produced, 8,475 kWh per capita
(1992)
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals,
steel
Agriculture:
accounts for 5% of GDP and 37% of export revenues; world's largest exporter
of beef and wool, second-largest for mutton, and among top wheat exporters;
major crops - wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruit; livestock - cattle, sheep,
poultry
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
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.4 billion
Currency:
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
*Australia, Economy
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 1.3600 (1992),
1.2836 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
*Australia, Communications
Railroads:
40,478 km total; 7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge; 183 km dual gauge; 1,130 km electrified;
government owned (except for a few hundred kilometers of privately owned
track) (1985)
Highways:
837,872 km total; 243,750 km paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone, or
stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
8,368 km; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft
Pipelines:
crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km
Ports:
Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart,
Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine:
82 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,271 GRT/3,534,926 DWT; includes
2 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 7 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 1 vehicle
carrier, 17 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 30 bulk, 2
combination bulk
Airports:
total:
481
usable:
439
with permanent-surface runways:
243
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
20
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
268
Telecommunications:
good international and domestic service; 8.7 million telephones; broadcast
stations - 258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, and Indonesia; domestic satellite service; satellite stations - 4
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
*Australia, Defense Forces
Branches:
Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 4,830,068; fit for military service 4,198,622; reach
military age (17) annually 135,591 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY92/93)
*Austria, Geography
Location:
Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary
Map references:
Africa, Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area: 83,850 km2
land area:
82,730 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
total 2,496 km, Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy
430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 262 km, Switzerland
164 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands
and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers
Terrain:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and
northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Natural resources:
iron ore, petroleum, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite,
copper, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
17%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
24%
forest and woodland:
39%
other:
19%
Irrigated land:
40 km2 (1989)
Environment:
population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor
soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
Note:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many
easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube