,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80 years female: 83 years
(2002 est.) male: 77.15 years

Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 14,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 100 (1999 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 ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor General Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter HOLLINGWORTH
(since 29 June 2001) head of government: Prime Minister John Winston
HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON
(since 20 July 1999) cabinet: Cabinet Parliament nominates, from among
its members, a list of candidates to serve as government ministers;
from this list, the governor general makes the final selections for the
Cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader
of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term
note: government coalition