Facts and Figures

Official name: Commonwealth of Australia

Capital: Canberra

Area: 7,682,300 sq km; 2,966,200 sq mi

Population: 20,434,176 (2007 estimate)

Largest cities, with population
Sydney: 3,502,301 (2001 estimate)
Melbourne: 3,160,171 (2001 estimate)
Brisbane: 1,508,161 (2001 estimate)
Perth: 1,176,542 (2001 estimate)
Adelaide: 1,002,127 (2001 estimate)

Ethnic groups
White: 91 percent
Asian: 7 percent
Aboriginal and other: 2 percent

Languages
English (official), indigenous languages

Religions
Roman Catholic: 29 percent
Anglican: 22 percent
Protestants: 14 percent
Other Christian: 15 percent
Nonreligious: 14 percent
Other: 6 percent

Literacy rate
Total 100 percent (1995)

Government
Form of government: Federal parliamentary democracy
Head of state: Governor-general, representing the British monarch
Head of government: Prime minister
Legislature: Bicameral legislature
House of Representatives: 150 members
Senate: 76 senators

Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Highest court: High Court of Australia

Economy
Gross domestic product: (GDP, in U.S.$); $732.5 billion (2005)
GDP per capita: (U.S.$) $36,032.20 (2005)