Part 6
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. EMAN (since 29 July 1994) and Deputy Prime Minister Glenbert F. CROES cabinet: Council of Ministers (elected by the Staten) elections: the queen is a constitutional monarch; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the queen; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for a four-year term; election last held 12 July 1997 (next to be held by December 2001) election results: inconclusive; no party won majority in December 1997 parliamentary elections; no new government formed as of May 1998
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote and serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held by NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-AVP 10, MEP 9, OLA 2; although elections were held 12 December 1997, a new government had not been formed as of May 1998
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice; judges are appointed by the Netherlands monarch
Political parties and leaders: Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson ODUBER]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY]; New Patriotic Party or PPN [Eddy WERLEMEN]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Democratic Action '86 or AD '86 [Arturo ODUBER]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]
International organization participation: ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James L. WILLIAMS embassy: J.B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P.O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: 461-6489
Flag description: blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner
@Aruba:Economy
Economy-overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.4 billion (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$21,000 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 3.2% (1996)
Labor force: NA by occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1996)
Unemployment rate: 0.6% (1996 est.)
Budget: revenues: $376 million expenditures: $409 million, including capital expenditures of $107 million (1997 est.)
Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 90,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 340 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 5,154 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: aloes; livestock; fishing
Exports: total value: $1.7 billion (including oil re-exports) (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: mostly refined petroleum products partners: US 64%, EU
Imports: total value: $2 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products, crude oil for refining and reexport partners: US 8%, EU
Debt-external: $669 million (December 1995)
Economic aid: the Netherlands provided a 1996 aid package of $224 million to Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and Suriname
Currency: 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1-1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 22,922 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: more than adequate international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 19,000 (1993 est.)
@Aruba:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior
Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Merchant marine: total: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,365 GRT/29,170 DWT (1997 est.)
Airports: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Aruba:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
@Aruba:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
Illicit drugs: drug money-laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; added to the US list of major drug producing or drug transit countries in December 1996
______________________________________________________________________
ASHMORE AND CARTIER ISLANDS
(territory of Australia)
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia
Geographic coordinates: 12 14 S, 123 05 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island
Area-comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 74.1 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: low with sand and coral
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:People
Population: note: there are only seasonal caretakers
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Data code: AT
Dependency status: territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories
Legal system: relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)
Flag description: the flag of Australia is used
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Economy
Economy-overview: no economic activity
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
@Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
ATLANTIC OCEAN
@Atlantic Ocean:Geography
Location: body of water between Africa, Europe, Antarctica, and the Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 W
Map references: World
Area: total: 82.217 million sq km note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area-comparative: slightly less than nine times the size of the US; second-largest of the world's four oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than Indian Ocean or Arctic Ocean)
Coastline: 111,866 km
Climate: tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November
Terrain: surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones
Natural hazards: icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; icebergs from Antarctica occur in the extreme southern Atlantic Ocean; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May and extreme southern Atlantic from May to October; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September
Environment-current issues: endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea
Environment-international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
@Atlantic Ocean:Government
Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard for hydrographic codes-see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes appendix
@Atlantic Ocean:Economy
Economy-overview: The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, the dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).
Communications
Telephone system: international: numerous submarine cables with most between continental Europe and the UK, between North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean; numerous direct links across Atlantic via satellite networks
@Atlantic Ocean:Transportation
Ports and harbors: Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)
Transportation-note: Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways
@Atlantic Ocean:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
______________________________________________________________________
AUSTRALIA
@Australia:Geography
Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S, 133 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 7,686,850 sq km land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 25,760 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m highest point: Mount Kosciusko 2,229 m
Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Land use: arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 54% forests and woodland: 19% other: 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 21,070 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts
Environment-current issues: soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources
Environment-international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Desertification
Geography-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: 18,613,087 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 2,023,147; female 1,926,206) 15-64 years: 66% (male 6,251,159; female 6,105,381) 65 years and over: 13% (male 1,005,196; female 1,301,998) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.93% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 13.47 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.89 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.26 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.89 years male: 76.95 years female: 82.98 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1998 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%
Languages: English, native languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.)
@Australia:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia
Data code: AS
Government type: democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign
National 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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir William DEANE (since 16 February 1996) head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Timothy Andrew FISCHER (since 11 March 1996) cabinet: Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; 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
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats-12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives) elections: Senate-last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held by March 1999); House of Representatives-last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held by March 1999) election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-Liberal-National 37, Labor 29, Australian Democrats 8, Greens 1, independent 1; note-subsequent to the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as follows-Liberal-National 37, Labor 28, Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2, independents 2; House of Representatives-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-Liberal-National 94, Labor 49, independent 5 note: it is widely anticipated that the prime minister will call elections in late 1998
Judicial branch: High Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general
Political parties and leaders: government: coalition of Liberal Party, John Winston HOWARD, and National Party, Timothy Andrew FISCHER opposition: Australian Labor Party, Kim BEAZLEY; Australian Democratic Party, Meg LEES; Green Party, Bob BROWN
Political pressure groups and leaders: Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)
International organization participation: AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINUGUA, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Sharp PEACOCK chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000 FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: APO AP 96549 telephone: [61] (6) 270-5000 FAX: [61] (6) 270-5970 consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars
@Australia:Economy
Economy-overview: Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP at the level of the highly industrialized West European countries. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Commodities account for 57% of the value of total exports, so that 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. Australia has suffered from the low growth and high unemployment characterizing the OECD countries in the early 1990s, but the economy has expanded at reasonably steady rates in recent years. In addition to high unemployment, short-term economic problems include a balancing of output growth and inflationary pressures and the stimulation of exports to offset rising imports, especially given the economic crisis in Asia.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$394 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3.3% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$21,400 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 31% services: 65% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 1% (1997 est.)
Labor force: total: 9.2 million (December 1997) by occupation: services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture 5% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.4% (1997)
Budget: revenues: $89.35 billion expenditures: $91.92 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY97/98 est.)
Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
Industrial production growth rate: 1.2% (1995)
Electricity-capacity: 38.83 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 163.082 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 8,901 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry
Exports: total value: $68 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment partners: Japan 20%, ASEAN 16%, South Korea 9%, US 9%, NZ 8%, UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China (1997)
Imports: total value: $67 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products partners: US 22%, Japan 17%, UK 6%, China 5%, NZ 5% (1994/95)
Debt-external: $150 billion (December 1996)
Economic aid: donor: ODA, $1.43 billion (FY97/98)
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1-1.4865 (February 1998), (1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3668 (1994), 1.4704 (1993)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Telephones: 8.7 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system: excellent domestic and international service domestic: domestic satellite system international: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations-10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 258, FM 67, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 134 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 9.2 million (1992 est.)
@Australia:Transportation
Railways: total: 38,563 km (2,914 km electrified; 172 km dual gauge) broad gauge: 6,083 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 16,752 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 15,728 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways: total: 913,000 km paved: 353,331 km (including 1,3630 km of expressways) unpaved: 559,669 km (1996 est.)
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 and harbors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine: total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,122,604 GRT/3,045,417 DWT ships by type: bulk 31, cargo 3, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 10, passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5 (1997 est.)
Airports: 419 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways: total: 259 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 111 914 to 1,523 m: 119 under 914 m: 8 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 160 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 123 under 914 m: 15 (1997 est.)
@Australia:Military
Military branches: Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
Military manpower-military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 4,873,392 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 4,206,104 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 128,524 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $8.2 billion (FY97/98)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY97/98)
@Australia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)
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
______________________________________________________________________
AUSTRIA
@Austria:Geography
Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 83,858 sq km land: 82,738 sq km water: 1,120 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries: total: 2,562 km border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m highest point: Grossglockner 3,797 m
Natural resources: iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 23% forests and woodland: 39% other: 20% (1996 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe
Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Geography-note: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
@Austria:People
Population: 8,133,611 (July 1998 est.)