The 1999 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      Telephone system:

       international: numerous submarine cables with most between

       continental Europe and the UK, between North America and the UK, and

       in the Mediterranean; numerous direct links across Atlantic via

       satellite networks

      Transportation

      Ports and harbors: 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), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de

       Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg

       (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)

      Transportation—note: Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two

       important waterways

      Transnational Issues

      Disputes—international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

      ======================================================================

      @Australia————

      Introduction

      Background: Australia became a British commonwealth in 1901. Blessed by rich natural resources, the country enjoyed rapid gains in herding, agriculture, and manufacturing and made a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Australia subsequently developed its minerals, metals, and fossil fuel markets, all of which have become key Australian exports. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. Sydney will host the 2000 summer Olympics.

      Geography

      Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the

       South Pacific Ocean

      Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S, 133 00 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,

       Whaling

       signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,

       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

      People

      Population: 18,783,551 (July 1999 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 21% (male 2,023,569; female 1,926,901)

       15–64 years: 66% (male 6,317,045; female 6,172,735)

       65 years and over: 13% (male 1,022,485; female 1,320,816) (1999 est.)

      Population growth rate: 0.9% (1999 est.)

      Birth rate: 13.21 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Death rate: 6.9 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Net СКАЧАТЬ