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AUSTRALIA
Michael and Hazel Marsh
Sending
Church:
Dyer Baptist Church
735 213th St.
Dyer, IN 46311
dyerbaptistchurch@juno.com
Field
Address:
P.O.Box 32
Kippa Ring
Queensland, Australia 4021
pastormarsh@pacific.net.au
Missions Agency:
Baptist International Missions, Inc.
P.O.Box 9215
Chattanooga, TN 37412
423-344-5050
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Religion
Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26.0%, other Christian 24.3%.
People/Language/Ethnicity
Language: English. Ethnicity/race: Caucasian 92%, Asian
7%, aboriginal (353,000) and other 1%.
Most Australians are of British and Irish ancestry and the
majority of the country lives in urban areas. The indigenous
Australian aborigines population is estimated at 386,049.
Two thirds of aborigines live in cities.
Overview
2,967,893 sq mi. The continent of Australia, with the island
state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United
States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run
from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest
point in Mount Kosciusko. The western half of the continent
is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling
hills near the west coast. It includes the Great Victoria
Desert to the south and the Great Sandy Desert to the north.
The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi , lies along
the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi)
is off the southeast coast.
Population
19,731,984 (growth rate: 0.5%). Capital (2003 est.): Canberra,
327,700. Largest cities (2003 est.): Sydney, 4,250,100; Melbourne,
3,610,800; Brisbane, 1,545,700; Perth, 1,375,200; Adelaide,
1,087,600
Economy
Per capita income $24,000. Real growth rate: 2.3%. Inflation:
4.3%. Unemployment: 6.7%. Arable land: 7%. Agriculture: wheat,
barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry. Labor force:
9.2 million (Dec. 2001); services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture
5% (1997 est.). Industries: mining, industrial and transportation
equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel. Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel,
tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas,
petroleum.
Source and Copyright: InfoPlease, The Columbia Encyclopedia,
Sixth Edition. 2001. The World Factbook 2002. |
