Official Name: Commonwealth of Australia
Currency: Australian Dollar
Current Exchange Rate: |
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Hemisphere: Southern
Continent: Oceania
Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.
Area: 2,969,978 sq mi, 7,692,208 sq km
Form of Government: federal parliamentary state (formally a constitutional monarchy) with two legislative houses (Senate [76]; House of Representatives [150]
Population: (2007) 20,857,000
Population Density: (2007) persons per sq mi 7.0, persons per sq km 2.7
Principal Language(s): English, Chinese, Italian, other.
Religions: Roman Catholic 26%, Anglican 21%, other Christian 21%, unspecified 13%, none 15%.
Capital: Canberra
Capital Population: Canberra 378,000
Capital Average Temperature: Avg. Maximum 20 degrees celsius, 68 degrees fahrenheit; Avg Minimum 7degrees celsius, 44.6 degrees fahrenheit.
Major Cities: (urban aggr.): Sydney 4,327,000; Melbourne 3,738,000; Brisbane 1,860,000; Perth 1,532,000; Adelaide 1,145,000.
Topography: An island continent. The Great Dividing Range along the E coast has Mr. Kosciusko, 7,310 ft. The W plateau rises to 2,000 ft, with arid areas in the Great Sandy and Great Victoria deserts. The NW part of Western Australia and Northern Terr. are arid and hot. The NE has heavy rainfall and Cape York Peninsula has jungles.
Economy: (2007 est.) G.D.P. $766.8 bil.
G.D.P. per Capita: $35,700
Vital Statistics: Birth rate per 1,000 population (2006): 12.8. Death rate per 1,000 population (2006): 6.5. Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (2006): 6.3. Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 2005): 1.81 Life expectancy at birth (2005): male 78.5 years; female 83.3 years.
Government Website: www.australia.gov.au
Reference Sources: The World Almanac 2009, The New York Times Almanac 2009, Time Almanac 2009, World Climate Website.
