Australia People - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population: 15,793,000 (July 1986), average

annual growth rate 1.0%

Nationality: noun—Austraiian(s); adjective—Australian

Ethnic divisions: 99% Caucasian 1% Asian and Aboriginal

Religion: 26.1% Anglican, 26.0% Roman

Catholic, 24.3% other Christian

Language: English, native languages

Infant mortality rate-10/1,000(1983)

Life expectancy: men 71.2, women 78.2

Literacy: 98.5%

Labor force: 7.2 million (March 1985); 30.6% industry, 6 5% agriculture; 7.8% unemployment (December 19851

Organized labor: 55% of total employees (Dv^cmbs. 1983)

Gosernment

Official name: Commonwealth of Australia

Type: federal parliamentary state recognizing Elizabeth II as sovereign or head of state

Capital: Canberra

Political subdivisions: 6 states and 2 territories

Legal system: based on English common law; constitution adopted 1900; High Gourt has jurisdiction over cases involv ing interpretation of the constitution; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January

Branches: bicameral legislature (Federal Parliament—Senate and House of Representatives); Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to House; independent judiciary

Government leaders: Sir Ninian STEPHEN, Governor General (since July 1982); Robert HAWKE, Prime Minister (since March 1983)

Suffrage: universal and compulsory over age 18

Elections: held at three-year intervals or sooner if Parliament is dissolved by Prime Minister; last election 1 December 1984

Political parties and leaders: government— Australian Labor Party (Robert Hawke); opposition—Liberal Party (John Howard), National Party (Ian Sinclair), Australian Democratic Party (Donald L. Chipp), Nuclear Disarmament Party (Michael Denborough)

Voting strength: (1984 parliamentary election) House of Representatives—Labor Party 82 seats, Liberal-National coalition 66 seats; Senate—Labor Party 34 seats, LiberalNational coalition 33 seats, Australian Democratic Party 7 seats, Nuclear Disarmament Party 1 seat, independents 1 seat

Communists: 4,000 members (est)

Other political or pressure groups: Australian De mocratic Labor Patty (antiCommunist Lalior Party splinter group)

Member of: ADB, A1OEC, ANZUS, C1PEC (associate), Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, DAC, ELDO, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBA, IBRD, 1CAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, 1EA. IFAD, IFC, IHO, 1LO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group. IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, 1OOC, 1PU, IRC, ISO, 1TC, ITU, 1WC—International Whaling Commission, IWC—International Wheat Council, OECD, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

NOTE: The information regarding Australia on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Australia 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Australia 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.