Australia Australia is desert. The main mountain chain, the Great Dividing Range, runs down the east coast, rising to Australia’s highest point at Mt Kosciusko (2,230 metres). Consequently, many of the rivers draining to the east are short; those flowing to the west, of which the Murray–Darling river system is the most considerable, tend to flow only after heavy rains and end in lakes which are often dry with a salt-bed. Climate: The Tropic of Capricorn almost bisects the continent, running just north of Alice Springs, Australia’s central settlement. The subtropical areas north of this line have summer rainfall and dry winters. South of the Tropic, the rest of the continent and Tasmania are temperate. Continental considerations affect this basic pattern, most coastal areas having some rainfall, whereas a large tract of central Australia has annual rainfall of less than 300 mm. Drought and consequent bushfires are a serious problem. This pattern of rainfall will be dramatically affected by occasional La Niña events which occur in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean causing the sea to cool and increasing the probability that strong cool onshore winds The Commonwealth of Australia is a will bring heavy rains to the eastern regions KEY FACTS Federation with six states – New South Wales of Australia, as occurred from November Joined Commonwealth: 1931 (Statute of (state capital Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne), 2010, when there were devastating floods Westminster) Queensland (Brisbane), South Australia first in Queensland, then in Victoria. Population: 23,343,000 (2013) (Adelaide), Western Australia (Perth) and Environment: The most significant Tasmania (Hobart) – and two territories, GDP p.c. growth: 1.8% p.a. 1990–2013 environmental issues are soil erosion and Northern Territory (capital Darwin) and the UN HDI 2014: World ranking 2 desertification; loss of the natural habitat of Australian Capital Territory, where the federal many unique animal and plant species due to Official language: English capital, Canberra, is situated. Australia also increases in agricultural and industrial has external territories (described in the Time: GMT plus 8–11 hrs production; and damage to the Great Barrier profiles following this one). These have small Currency: Australian dollar (A$) Reef, the largest coral reef in the world, due populations or are uninhabited and, apart to increased shipping and tourism. from the vast Australian Antarctic Territory, Geography are small islands. Vegetation: A wide range, from the tropical jungle of Queensland to the sparse flowers of Area: 7,682,395 sq km Time: There are three time zones: western the desert, with many unique species which (GMT plus 8 hrs, and no change in summer); Coastline: 25,800 km evolved in the continent’s long geological central (GMT plus 9.5 hrs, no change in Capital: Canberra isolation. Over 700 species of eucalyptus and summer in Northern Territory, and GMT plus close to 1,000 species of acacia (wattle). The The term ‘Australia’ is derived from Terra 10.5 hrs October–March in South Australia); main fertile areas are in the south and east in Australis , the name given to a southern and north-east/south-east (GMT plus 10 hrs, New South Wales and Victoria – arable land landmass whose existence geographers and in all eastern states except Queensland, comprises six per cent of the total land area, deduced before it was discovered. Papua GMT plus 11 hrs October–March). while the north-east has tropical forest and New Guinea (to the north) and New Zealand Area: 7,682,395 sq km including the State of bush – forest covers 16 per cent of the (to the east) are Australia’s closest Tasmania and some smaller island territories. country. neighbours. To the south lie the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. It is one of 28 island Topography: Australia is the largest link in Wildlife: Many indigenous animal species are nations in the Commonwealth; the mainland the chain running between South-East Asia unique to the continent. The most distinctive of Australia is the largest island in the world. and the South Pacific. Much of central are the marsupials, of which there are 120 THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 Australia species from the kangaroo to the tiny desert languages are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, For every 1,000 people there are 443 mouse, and the monotremes, the rare order Arabic and Mandarin (2006 census). landlines, 1,068 mobile phone subscriptions of mammals which lay eggs, such as the and 830 internet users (2013). Religion: Mainly Christians (Roman Catholics duck-billed platypus and the echidna. There 26 per cent, Anglicans 19 per cent), small Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Australia are also several species of flightless birds – minorities of Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Day (26 January), ANZAC Day (25 April), the emu, second only to the African ostrich in Jews (2006 census). Queen’s Official Birthday (Monday in early size, and the cassowary. Some 55 mammal June), Labour Day (early October in most species and 47 bird species are thought to be Health: Public spending on health was six states, otherwise in March), Christmas Day endangered (2014). per cent of GDP in 2012. Health facilities are and Boxing Day. States have additional public a responsibility of the states, although the Main towns: Canberra (capital, Australian holidays. federal government administers the Medicare Capital Territory, pop. 356,586 in 2011), insurance scheme, introduced in 1984. There Religious and other festivals whose dates vary Sydney (New South Wales, 3.9m), Melbourne are 18 medical schools in Australia (2014). from year to year include Good Friday and (Victoria, 3.7m), Brisbane (Queensland, Infant mortality was three per 1,000 live Easter Monday. 1.87m), Perth (Western Australia, 1.62m), births in 2013 (20 in 1960). Adelaide (South Australia, 1.1m), Gold Coast – Tweed Heads (Queensland, 533,659), Education: Public spending on education Economy Newcastle (New South Wales, 308,307), was 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2011. KEY FACTS 2013 Responsibility for education lies with the Hobart (Tasmania, 204,951) and Darwin GNI: US$1,524.3bn (Northern Territory, 78,467). states and education systems vary. There are 11 years of compulsory education starting at GNI p.c.: US$65,520 Transport: There are 825,500 km of roads, the age of five. The school year starts in GDP growth: 2.4% p.a. 2009–13 44 per cent paved; Australian road design is January. known for the long, straight roads in rural Inflation: 2.5% p.a. 2009–13 There are 39 universities with more than one areas. Some roads may be impassable after Australia has a high degree of prosperity, million students enrolled, 37 of which are heavy rain. based on its wealth of natural resources, public institutions (2013). The female–male Rail services link main towns across the policies of redistribution and welfare, and ratio for gross enrolment in tertiary education country and the total system extends to stable democratic society. Its economy is is 1.40:1 (2010). There is virtually no illiteracy 8,615 km. The 4,000 km Indian Pacific from among the largest in the world, ranking 19th among people aged 15–24. Sydney to Perth takes three days. The 3,000 in terms of GDP (PPP) in 2014 (IMF, April km north–south line, linking Adelaide in the In 1971 Australia hosted the Fifth 2015). Significant minerals include south with Alice Springs in the centre and Conference of Commonwealth Education aluminium, coal, copper, diamonds, gold, Darwin in the north was completed in 2003. Ministers in Canberra. Commonwealth iron, nickel, oil and gas, silver, tin, titanium, Education Ministers meet every three years uranium and zinc. Proven reserves of oil were The country has 25,800 km of coastline and to discuss issues of mutual concern and estimated in January 2014 to be 4.0 billion many deep-water harbours. interest. barrels, and of gas, 3.7 trillion cubic metres. International airports are at Sydney, Adelaide, Media: Newspapers have a high circulation Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Brisbane, Hobart, rate throughout the country. National dailies Real growth in GDP Townsville and Cairns. are The Australian and Australian Financial % 4.0 Review . Regional newspapers include The % 3.5 Society Advertiser (Adelaide), The Age (Melbourne), KEY FACTS 2013 The Courier-Mail (Brisbane), The Daily 3.0 Telegraph (Sydney), Herald-Sun (Melbourne), 2.5 Population per sq km: 3.0 The Sydney Morning Herald and The West 2.0 g Life expectancy: 82 years Australian (Perth). 1.5 Net primary enrolment: 97% The Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1.0 Population: 23,343,000 (2013); density is (ABC) operates national and regional public one of the lowest in the world; 89 per cent radio and TV stations. The Special 0.5 0.0 of people live in urban areas and 58 per cent Broadcasting Service is the other principal 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 in urban agglomerations of more than one public broadcaster, running radio and TV million people; growth 1.4 per cent p.a. networks that broadcast in many languages. 1990–2013; birth rate 13 per 1,000 people Pay TV networks are widely used, and digital Inflation (20 in 1970); life expectancy 82 years (71 in TV is available via satellite and cable. % 3.5 1970); life expectancy in the Aboriginal Some 99 per cent of households have TV sets 3.0 population about 62 years. (2007). There are 820 personal computers 2.5 People of Asian origin comprise 8.7 per cent per 1,000 people (2012). 2.0 of the population, and Aboriginal or Torres Communications: Country code 61; internet Strait Island peoples 2.5 per cent. Some 70 domain ‘.au’. Payphones are red, green, gold 1.5 per cent of people were born in Australia or blue.