AUSTRALIA
Commonwealth of Australia
GENERAL
- Area:
- 7,682,300 km2.
- Population:
- 17,660,000 (June 1993, estimated).
- Capital:
- Canberra.
- Ethnic composition:
- Predominantly British and other Europeans.
- Major languages:
- English.
- Major religions:
- Christianity, 74% (Roman Catholic, 27%; Church of
England, 24%) (1991 national census).
- History:
- Captain James Cook arrived in 1770 and claimed the land
for Britain. A colony was established in 1788 near
present-day Sydney by an expedition led by Captain Arthur
Phillip of the British navy, and he was appointed the
first governor. With the promulgation of a constitution
by six British colonies in 1901, the Commonwealth of
Australia was created as a federation. (Present-day
Australia consists of six states and two territories.)
GOVERNMENT
- Type:
- Constitutional monarchy.
- Head of state:
- Queen Elizabeth II.
- Legislature:
- The bicameral Federal Parliament encompasses a Senate and
a House of Representatives. The Senate consists of 76
members elected to six-year terms, the House of
Representatives 147 members elected to three-year terms.
Both houses are subject to dissolution.
- Executive:
- Paul J. Keating (Australian Labor Party) is prime
minister. The foreign minister is Gareth Evans
(Australian Labor Party).
- Military:
- Defense budget, A$9,673 million (8.0% of the national
budget, 2.1% of GDP: fiscal 1994/95 budget); regular
armed forces (volunteer) consist of 26,347 members of the
army, 14,776 members of the navy, and 17,807 members of
the air force on active duty (June 1994).
ECONOMY
- Major industries:
- Coal, iron ore, other mining industries; agriculture.
- Nominal GNP:
- $310.0 billion (1993).
- Per capita GNP:
- $17,510 (1993).
- Real growth rate:
- 3.9% (fiscal 1993/94).
- Inflation:
- 1.7% (fiscal 1993/94).
- Unemployment:
- 10.0% (fiscal 1993/94).
- Trade:
- Exports: A$63.9 billion; imports: A$64.4 billion (fiscal
1993/94).
- Principal items traded:
- Exports: coal (11%), gold (8%), beef (6%), natural fibers
(6%); imports: automobiles (11%), office equipment (8%),
industrial machinery (6%), oil and related products (5%)
(fiscal 1993/94).
- Principal trading partners:
- Exports: Japan (25%), United States (8%), Republic of
Korea (7%); imports: United States (22%), Japan (18%),
Britain (6%) (fiscal 1993/94).
- Currency:
- Australian dollar. A$1=US$0.75=63.27 yen (Apr. 21, 1995).
BILATERAL RELATIONS
- Trade:
- Exports to Japan: $12,218 million, featuring coal (26%),
iron ore (10%), beef (8%); imports from Japan: $7,694
million, featuring automobiles (23%), electric machinery
(14%), office equipment (6%) (1993).
- Investment:
- In the fiscal 1951-93 period cumulative Japanese direct
investment in Australia came to $22,667 million, the
third-highest amount received by any country.
- Cultural:
- Japan and Australia have been engaging in the exchange of
researchers, teachers, students, artists, athletes, and
others, as well as exchanging exhibitions and
performances. These activities, supported by a cultural
agreement that came into force in 1976, are led on the
Japanese side by the Japan Foundation and on the
Australian side by the Australia-Japan Foundation. On
December 1, 1980, the two countries inaugurated a system
of working-holiday visas. Five Australian states and 64
cities have sister relationships with counterparts in
Japan (July 1994).
- Japanese residing in Australia:
- 21,452 (Oct. 1994).
- Australians residing in Japan:
- 6,489 (June 1994).
(April 1995)
Back to Index
