Country Information

 

 

    

General

Investing and doing business in Australia

Government

Accessing and entering Australia

Economic indicators

 

  

General

  

Country name

Commonwealth of Australia

Capital city

Canberra (pop. 327,700)

Population

19.913 million (July 2004 estimate); 0.9% growth rate (2004 estimate)
Distribution by:  age    sex

Land area

7,617,930  sq km (6th largest country)
Population density is 2.6 km-2

People

Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, indigenous and others 1%

Official language

English

Religions

Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%

National insignia

Flag   Coat of arms

National anthem

"Advance Australia Fair"
 ¯Listen to the anthem here

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD)
Notes: $100; $50; $20; $10; $5    Coins: $2; $1; 50 cents; 20 cents; 10 cents; 5 cents

Weights and measures

Metric
Electrical supply

230 volts; 50 Hz; plug and socket Type G

National holiday

Australia Day (26th Jan).
Other Major holidays

New Year's Day (1 Jan); Good Friday and Easter Monday (date variable);  Anzac Day (25th April); Labour Day (7th May 2005 in WA); Queen's Birthday (13th Jun Australia-wide except WA 26th Sept); Labour Day (3rd Oct 2005 in NSW, ACT and SA); Christmas Day; Boxing Day.

Time zones

History

Australia's indigenous people, the aborigines arrived on the island continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the explorations of the first Europeans in the 17th century. In 1770, Capt. James Cook took possession of Australia in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries which later federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

Communications

  
Telephones - landline

10.815 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile

14.347 million (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

104 (1997)
Internet code

.au
Internet hosts

2,847,763 (2003)
Internet users

9.472 million (2002)

Transportation

 
Railways (2003)

Broad gauge: 1,957 km (1.600 m gauge )
Standard gauge: 27,095 km (1.435-m gauge)
Narrow gauge: 14,957 km (.067-m gauge)
Total: 44,015 km
Highways (2003)

Paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.)
Total: 811,603 km
Ports and harbours

Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville