Fast facts about Australia

· Average gross weekly income (full-time work) – $1050

· Australia has almost 112, 600 Surf Life Savers, who collectively spend some 1.4 million hours patrolling Australian beaches, where they rescue approximately 10, 000 people per year.

· Australia currently exports around 793 million litres of wine per year, with a value of $2.8 billion.

· Unemployment – 4, 3%

· Tourism generates over $8.1 billion annually (0.9% of Australia's GDP).

· Inflation – 2, 5%

· Population: 21, 457, 000

· Australia's coastline is 25, 800km long and is dusted with over 7000 beaches.

· GDP growth – 3, 5%

· Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)

· Governor-General: Quentin Bryce (2008)

· Prime Minister: Julia Gillard (2010)

· Land area: 2, 941, 283 sq mi (7, 617, 931 sq km); total area: 2, 967, 893 sq mi (7, 686, 850 sq km)

· Population (2011 est.): 21, 766, 711 (growth rate: 1.148%); birth rate: 12.33/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.61/1000; life expectancy: 81.81

· Capital (2009 est.): Canberra, 384, 000

· Largest cities: Sydney 4.429 million; Melbourne 3.853 million; Brisbane 1.97 million; Perth 1.599 million (2009)

· Monetary unit: Australian dollar

· Languages: English 78.5%, Chinese 2.5%, Italian 1.6%, Greek 1.3%, Arabic 1.2%, Vietnamese 1%, other 8.2%, unspecified 5.7% (2006 Census)

· Ethnicity/race: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%

· Religions: Protestant 27.4% (Anglican 18.7%, Uniting Church 5.7%, Presbyterian and Reformed 3%), Catholic 25.8%, Eastern Orthodox 2.7%, other Christian 7.9%, Buddhist 2.1%, Muslim 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 11.3%, none 18.7% (2006 Census)

· National Holiday: Australia Day, January 26

· Literacy rate: 99% (2003 est.)

· Economic summary: GDP/PPP $917.7 billion (2011 est.); per capita $40, 800. Real growth rate: 1.8%. Inflation: 3.4%. Unemployment: 5%. Arable land: 6.15%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry. Labor force: 12.02 million; agriculture 3.6%, industry 21.1%, services 70.4% (2009 est.). Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel. Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum. Exports: $266 billion (2011 est.): coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment. Imports: $236.3 billion (2011 est.): machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products. Major trading partners: China, US, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, India, Germany, Malaysia (2010).

· Member of Commonwealth of Nations

· Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 8.66 million (2010); mobile cellular: 22.5 million (2010). Broadcast media: the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs multiple national and local radio networks and TV stations, as well as Australia Network, a TV service that broadcasts throughout the Asia-Pacific region and is the main public broadcaster; Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), a second large public broadcaster, operates radio and TV networks broadcasting in multiple languages. Internet hosts: 13.361 million (2010). Internet users: 15.81 million (2009).

· Transportation: Railways: total: 38, 445 km. Highways: total: 818, 356 km (2008). Waterways: 2, 000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2006). Ports and terminals: Brisbane, Cairns, Dampier, Darwin, Fremantle, Gladstone, Geelong, Hay Point, Hobart, Jervis Bay, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Adelaide, Port Dalrymple, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Lincoln, Port Walcott, Sydney. Airports: 465 (2010).