FAX:(202) 797–3168
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American
Samoa), and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward PERKINS
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
consulate(s):
Brisbane
Flag:
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
Overview: Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Primary products account for more than 60% of the value of total exports, so that, as in 1983–84, 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. In 1992–93 the economy recovered slowly from the prolonged recession of 1990–91, a major restraining factor being weak world demand for Australia's exports. Unemployment has hovered around 10% and probably will remain at that level in 1994 as productivity gains rather than more jobs account for growth. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $339.7 billion (1993) National product real growth rate: 4% (1993) National product per capita: $19,100 (1993) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.1% (1993) Unemployment rate: 10% (December 1993) Budget: revenues: $71.9 billion expenditures: $83.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93) Exports: $44.1 billion (1992) commodities: coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment partners: Japan 25%, US 11%, South Korea 6%, NZ 5.7%, UK, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong (1992) Imports: $43.6 billion (1992) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, crude oil and petroleum products partners: US 23%, Japan 18%, UK 6%, Germany 5.7%, NZ 4% (1992) External debt: $141.1 billion (1993) Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (FY93); accounts for 32% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 40,000,000 kW production: 150 billion kWh consumption per capita: 8,475 kWh (1992) Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP and over 30% of export revenues; world's largest exporter of beef and wool, second-largest for mutton, and among top wheat exporters; major crops - wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruit; livestock - cattle, sheep, poultry 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 Economic aid: donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970–89), $10.4 billion Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4364 (January 1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Australia, Communications
Railroads:
40,478 km total; 7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge; 183 km dual gauge; 1,130
km electrified; government owned (except for a few hundred kilometers
of privately owned track) (1985)
Highways:
total:
837,872 km
paved:
243,750 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 228,396 km; unimproved earth
365,726 km
Inland 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:
Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong,
Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine:
83 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,517,538 GRT/3,711,549 DWT,
bulk 30, cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 7,
liquefied gas 5, oil tanker 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea
passenger 2, vehicle carrier 1
Airports:
total:
481
usable:
440
with permanent-surface runways:
241
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440–3,659 m:
20
with runways 1,220–2,439 m:
268
Telecommunications:
good international and domestic service; 8.7 million telephones;
broadcast stations - 258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; submarine cables to New
Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; domestic satellite service;
satellite stations - 4 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
earth stations
@Australia, Defense Forces
