Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Desertification

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

@Australia:People

Population: 18,322,231 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (female 1,929,366; male 2,032,238)
15-64 years: 67% (female 6,017,362; male 6,181,887)
65 years and over: 11% (female 1,227,004; male 934,374) (July 1995
est.)

Population growth rate: 1.31% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 14.13 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 7.37 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.78 years
male: 74.67 years
female: 81.04 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian

Ethnic divisions: Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%

Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%

Languages: English, native languages

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%

Labor force: 8.63 million (September 1991)
by occupation: finance and services 33.8%, public and community
services 22.3%, wholesale and retail trade 20.1%, manufacturing and
industry 16.2%, agriculture 6.1% (1987)

@Australia:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia

Digraph: AS

Type: federal parliamentary state

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; ac