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: 18,438,824 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 2,018,363; female 1,921,252)
15-64 years: 66% (male 6,188,476; female 6,041,173)
65 years and over : 12% (male 987,092; female 1,282,468) (July 1997
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.96% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 13.73 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.89 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.64 years
male : 76.69 years
female: 82.74 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian

Ethnic groups: Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%

Religions: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%

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: federal parliamentary state

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, Norfo