Chapter 7

Location: in the Indian Ocean, 320 km off the northwest coast of Australia, between Australia and Indonesia Map references: Oceania, Southeast Asia Area: total area: 5 km2 land area: 5 km2 comparative area: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 74.1 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploration exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm International disputes: none Climate: tropical Terrain: low with sand and coral Natural resources: fish Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) Irrigated land: 0 km2 Environment: surrounded by shoals and reefs; Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983

*Ashmore and Cartier Islands, People

Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are only seasonal caretakers

*Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Government

Names: conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands Digraph: AT Type: territory of Australia administered by the Australian Ministry for Arts, Sports, the Environment, Tourism, and Territories Capital: none; administered from Canberra, Australia Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia) Independence: none (territory of Australia) Legal system: relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia Diplomatic representation in US: none (territory of Australia) US diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)

*Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Economy

Overview: no economic activity

*Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Communications

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

*Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

*Atlantic Ocean, Geography

Location: body of water between the Western Hemisphere and Europe/Africa Map references: Africa, Antarctic Region, Arctic Region, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, North America, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 82.217 million km2 comparative area: slightly less than nine times the size of the US; second-largest of the world's four oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than Indian Ocean or Arctic Ocean) note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies Coastline: 111,866 km International disputes: some maritime disputes (see littoral states) Climate: tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November Terrain: surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the north Atlantic, counterclockwise warm water gyre in the south Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin; maximum depth is 8,605 meters in the Puerto Rico Trench Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones Environment: endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea; icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; icebergs from Antarctica occur in the extreme southern Atlantic Note: ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north Atlantic from October to May and extreme south Atlantic from May to October; persistent fog can be a hazard to shipping from May to September; major choke points include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Dover Strait, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; north Atlantic shipping lanes subject to icebergs from February to August; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

*Atlantic Ocean, Government

Digraph: ZH

*Atlantic Ocean, Economy

Overview: Economic activity is limited to exploitation of natural resources, especially fish, dredging aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and crude oil and natural gas production (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).

*Atlantic Ocean, Communications

Ports: Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad; Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) Telecommunications: numerous submarine cables with most between continental Europe and the UK, North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean; numerous direct links across Atlantic via INTELSAT satellite network Note: Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways

*Australia, Geography

Location: Oceania, between Indonesia and New Zealand Map references: Southeast Asia, Oceania, Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 7,686,850 km2 land area: 7,617,930 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than the US note: includes Macquarie Island Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 25,760 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing 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 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 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: subject to severe droughts and floods; cyclones along coast; limited freshwater availability; irrigated soil degradation; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along west coast in summer; desertification Note: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country

*Australia, People

Population: 17,827,204 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 1.41% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 14.43 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 7.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.36 years male: 74.24 years female: 80.63 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1993 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: English, native languages Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% Labor force: 8.63 million (September 1991) by occupation: finance and services 33.8%, public and community services 22.3%, wholesale and retail trade 20.1%, manufacturing and industry 16.2%, agriculture 6.1% (1987)

*Australia, Government

Names: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia Digraph: AS Type: federal parliamentary state 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, Norfolk Island Independence: 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 Legal system: based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January Political parties and leaders: government: Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING opposition: Liberal Party, John HEWSON; National Party, Timothy FISCHER; Australian Democratic Party, John COULTER Other political or pressure groups: Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Elections: House of Representatives: last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA May 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (147 total) Labor 80, Liberal-National 65, independent 2 Senate: last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA May 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (76 total) Liberal-National 36, Labor 30, Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2, independents 1 Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: High Court

*Australia, Government

Leaders: Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General William George HAYDEN (since 16 February 1989) Head of Government: Prime Minister Paul John KEATING (since 20 December 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Brian HOWE (since 4 June 1991) Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, COCOM, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, G-8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. COOK chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 797-3000 consulates general: Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant) embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: APO AP 96549 telephone: [61] (6) 270-5000 FAX: [61] (6) 270-5970 consulates general: Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney consulate: Brisbane Flag: 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

*Australia, Economy

Overview: Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Of the top 25 exports, 21 are primary products, so that, as happened during 1983-84, a downturn in world commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The government is pushing for increased exports of manufactured goods, but competition in international markets continues to be severe. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $293.5 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: 2.5% (1992) National product per capita: $16,700 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.8% (September 1992) Unemployment rate: 11.3% (December 1992) Budget: revenues $68.5 billion; expenditures $78.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93) Exports: $41.7 billion (f.o.b., FY91) commodities: coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment partners: Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong Imports: $37.8 billion (f.o.b., FY91) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, crude oil and petroleum products partners: US 24%, Japan 19%, UK 6%, FRG 7%, NZ 4% (1990) External debt: $130.4 billion (June 1991) Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 32% of GDP Electricity: 40,000,000 kW capacity; 150,000 million kWh produced, 8,475 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP and 37% of export revenues; world's largest exporter of beef and wool, second-largest for mutton, and among top wheat exporters; major crops - wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruit; livestock - cattle, sheep, poultry Illicit drugs: Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.4 billion Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

*Australia, Economy

Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2836 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

*Australia, Communications

Railroads: 40,478 km total; 7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge; 183 km dual gauge; 1,130 km electrified; government owned (except for a few hundred kilometers of privately owned track) (1985) Highways: 837,872 km total; 243,750 km paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 8,368 km; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft Pipelines: crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km Ports: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville Merchant marine: 82 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,271 GRT/3,534,926 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 7 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 1 vehicle carrier, 17 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 30 bulk, 2 combination bulk Airports: total: 481 usable: 439 with permanent-surface runways: 243 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 268 Telecommunications: good international and domestic service; 8.7 million telephones; broadcast stations - 258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; domestic satellite service; satellite stations - 4 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

*Australia, Defense Forces

Branches: Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 4,830,068; fit for military service 4,198,622; reach military age (17) annually 135,591 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY92/93)

*Austria, Geography

Location: Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary Map references: Africa, Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 83,850 km2 land area: 82,730 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries: total 2,496 km, Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 262 km, Switzerland 164 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: none Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers Terrain: in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping Natural resources: iron ore, petroleum, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower Land use: arable land: 17% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 24% forest and woodland: 39% other: 19% Irrigated land: 40 km2 (1989) Environment: population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere Note: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube

*Austria, People

Population: 7,915,145 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.55% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 11.54 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 10.42 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 4.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.4 years male: 73.18 years female: 79.8 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian Ethnic divisions: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1% Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9% Languages: German Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1974) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 3.47 million (1989) by occupation: services 56.4%, industry and crafts 35.4%, agriculture and forestry 8.1% note: an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European countries; foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 6% of labor force (1988)

*Austria, Government

Names: conventional long form: Republic of Austria conventional short form: Austria local long form: Republik Oesterreich local short form: Oesterreich Digraph: AU Type: federal republic Capital: Vienna Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundeslander, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten, Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien Independence: 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire) Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1945) Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955) Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman; Austrian People's Party (OVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman; Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), Jorg HAIDER, chairman; Communist Party (KPO), Walter SILBERMAYER, chairman; Green Alternative List (GAL), Johannes VOGGENHUBER, chairman Other political or pressure groups: Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist); three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action Suffrage: 19 years of age, universal; compulsory for presidential elections Elections: President: last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1996); results of second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43% National Council: last held 7 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994); results - SPO 43%, OVP 32.1%, FPO 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPO 0.7%, other 0.32%; seats - (183 total) SPO 80, OVP 60, FPO 33, GAL 10 Executive branch: president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper council or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council or National Council (Nationalrat)

*Austria, Government

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases Leaders: Chief of State: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992) Head of Government: Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard BUSEK (since 2 July 1991) Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Friedrich HOESS chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: (202) 895-6700 FAX: (202) 895-6750 consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Roy Michael HUFFINGTON chancery: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Unit 27937, Vienna mailing address: APO AE 09222 telephone: [43] (1) 31-339 FAX: [43] (1) 310-0682 consulate general: Salzburg Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red

*Austria, Economy