E

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total: 7,686,850 sq km
land: 7,617,930 sq km
water: 68,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

Area-comparative: slightly smaller than the US

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

Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east;
tropical in north

Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Elevation extremes:
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%
permanent pastures: 54%
forests and woodland: 19%
other: 21% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 21,070 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts

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

Environment-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, 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: 18,613,087 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (male 2,023,147; female 1,926,206)
15-64 years: 66% (male 6,251,159; female 6,105,381)
65 years and over: 13% (male 1,005,196; female 1,301,998) (Jul