straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, MonaPassage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator
divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South
======================================================================
@Australia————
Map—
Location: 27 00 S, 133 00 E—Oceania, continent between the
Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
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
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 area: 7,686,850 sq km
land area: 7,617,930 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than the US
note: includes Macquarie Island
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
International disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica
(Australian Antarctic Territory)
Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east;
tropical in north
Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in
southeast
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%
meadows and pastures: 58%
forest and woodland: 14%
other: 22%
Irrigated land: 18,800 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts
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,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic 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
People———
Population: 18,260,863 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 21% (male 2,009,915; female 1,912,605)
15–64 years: 66% (male 6,129,285; female 5,980,315)
65 years and over: 13% (male 967,291; female 1,261,452) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.99% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 13.99 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 6.88 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 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
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.39 years male: 76.44 years female: 82.5 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.84 children born/woman (1996 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:
