Australia

Year

INTRODUCTION

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Department of Health and Ageing
The Secretary
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
Attention: Assistant Secretary
Policy and International Branch
G.P.O. Box 9848, MDP 84
Canberra, A.C.T. 2601
Australia
Fax:(612) 6289 7087
WHO Representative to Australia
There is no WHO Representative to Australia. Queries about WHO’s programme of collaboration with Australia should be directed to Director, Programme Management, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
Director, Programme Management
World Health Organization
Regional Office for the Western Pacific
United Nations Avenue
P.O. Box 2932, 1000
Manila, the Philippines

Australia covers an area of 7 692.03 square kilometres (km2).  Nearly 39% of its land mass lies within the tropics; Cape York, the northernmost point, is only 10°south of the equator.  Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent and its outlying islands.  The mainland is 3134 km from north to south, and 3782 km from east to west. Australia is the largest island and the smallest, flattest continent on earth.

Table 1.  Core population and health data­

Population

[Total]

19 881 500 (2003)

Life expectancy
at birth (years)

[Both]

…

[0-14 years]

3 979 410 (20.0%)

[Male]

77.4 (2000-2002)

[65+ years]

2 545 640 (12.80%)

[Female]

82.6 (2000-2002)

Crude birth rate
(per 1000 population)

12.80 (2002)

Total fertility rate

(women aged 15-49 years)

1.75 (2002)

Crude death rate
(per 1000 population)

6.80 (2002)

% of population with access to safe water

[Total]

100.00 (2000)

[Urban]

100.00 (2000)

[Rural]

100.00 (2000)

Infant mortality rate
(per 1000 live births)

5.00 (2002)

% of population with adequate sanitary facilities

[Total]

100.00 (2000)

[Urban]

100.00 (2000)

Maternal mortality rate
(per 100 000 live births)

8.5 (1994-1996)

[Rural]

100.00 (2000)


Disclaimer: The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of an opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or areas or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.