Name: Hien Nguyen
ECON211 Tues 9:50-11:05am
Prep Work: Country Resources Worksheet THIS ASSIGNMENT IS WORTH A TOTAL OF 10 POINTS.
TASK: Find out about your research country's resources. AUSTRALIA
This worksheet is to help you gather the data that you will need to complete your first Country Analyst
Assignment.
• Go to the CIA Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/) for data
regarding your country's resources (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurial ability).
• Consider what the data means (for example, which category of resources represents your country's
greatest strength/asset? Which represents your country's greatest weakness?).
OVERVIEW
Australia – the country of kangaroos – is a stable, culturally diverse and democratic society with one of
the strongest performing economies in the world. With an estimated population of more than 22.5
million, Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent. It is the earth's biggest island and
sixth-largest country in the world in land area, about the size of mainland United States and one and a
half times the size of Europe including the strength of many kinds of resources.
RESOURCE CATEGORY:
LAND: (Factbook >> Geography)
total: 7,741,220 sq km
country comparison to the world: 6
land: 7,682,300 sq km
water: 58,920 sq km
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
`
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north.
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral
sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
volcanism: volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands
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 freshwater resources
WHAT DOES IT MEAN
Natural Resources appear to be an area of strength for Australia when you consider the following:
- The largest country in Oceania (Coastline is 25760 km)
- The sixth largest country and the largest country without land borders.
- Rich on water resource.
- The only continent without glaciers => nice climate
- Many kinds of mineral from almost metal, coal (Australia is the world's largest net exporter of
coal accounting for 29% of global coal exports) to the very valuable kind like diamond.
LABOR (Factbook >> People and Society)
Population
22,507,617 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
0-14 years: 18% (male 2,075,316/female 1,969,645)
15-24 years: 13.3% (male 1,534,947/female 1,457,250)
25-54 years: 41.8% (male 4,783,473/female 4,626,603)
55-64 years: 11.8% (male 1,321,246/female 1,341,329)
65 years and over: 15.1% (male 1,569,197/female 1,828,611) (2014 est.)
A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and
may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic
development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown
on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down
into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the
youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the
population pyramid gradual ly evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and
international migration trends
Median age
total: 38.3 years
male: 37.5 years
female: 39 years (2014 est.)
Life expectancy: 82.07 years (10th in the world), male: 79.63 years ,female: 84.64 years (2014 est.)
Sanitation: Improved 100% at all areas.
Education Expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (2010)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99%
(2003 est.)
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Labor appears to be a lightly strong side for Australia when you consider the following
Quantity: Population 22,507,617 (July 2014 est.), country comparison to the world: 56 (not too low or
high) with the highest medium age is 25-54 (41.8%)
Quality: Sanitation is improved 100% for all areas and low rate of HIV-AIDS adult Prevalence rate (0.1%),
child labor is not mentioned (maybe very low), Literacy (99% - very high), Education Expenditure 5.6%
GDP, low rate of diseases especially infectious diseases are not mentioned, but Obesity rate is a little bit
high (26.8%)
CAPITAL (Factbook>>Energy/Communication/Transportation)
Electricity - production: 225.5 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Electricity - consumption: 213.5 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 116
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 59.13 million kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the
world: 17
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 78.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the
world: 94
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the
world: 41
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 13.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison
to the world: 105
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 5.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country
comparison to the world: 46
Crude oil - production: 519,100 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Crude oil - exports: 314,100 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Crude oil - imports: 475,900 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Crude oil - proved reserves: 1.433 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Refined petroleum products - production: 675,200 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the
world: 25
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 1.023 million bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to
the world: 20
Refined petroleum products - exports: 70,810 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Refined petroleum products - imports: 304,100 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world:
21
Natural gas - production: 48.24 billion cu m (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas - consumption: 33.39 billion cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Natural gas - exports: 30.27 billion cu m (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - imports: 10.92 billion cu m (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Natural gas - proved reserves: 1.219 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)country comparison to the world:
24
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: 392.3 million Mt (2011 est.)
Telephones - main lines in use: 10.47 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 20
Telephones - mobile cellular: 24.4 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 43
Telephone system:
- general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
- domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population
density; rapid growth of mobile telephones
- international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications
submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic
submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite earth stations 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007)
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; several large
national commercial TV networks, a large number of local commercial TV stations, and hundreds of
commercial radio stations are accessible; cable and satellite systems are available (2008)
Internet hosts: 17.081 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 8
Internet users: 15.81 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 25
Airports: 480 (2013) country comparison to the world: 16 Airports - with paved runways: total: 349,
over 3,047 m: 11, 2,438 to 3,047 m: 14, 1,524 to 2,437 m: 155, 914 to 1,523 m: 155, under 914 m: 14
(2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 131, 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16, 914 to 1,523 m: 101, under 914 m:
14 (2013)
Heliports: 1 (2013)
Pipelines: condensate/gas 637 km; gas 30,054 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,609 km;
oil/gas/water 110 km; refined products 72 km (2013)
Railways: total: 38,445 km country comparison to the world: 7, broad gauge: 3,355 km 1.600-m gauge,
standard gauge: 21,674 km 1.435-m gauge (650 km electrified), narrow gauge: 9,539 km 1.067-m gauge
(2,067 km electrified); 3,877 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways: total: 823,217 km, country comparison to the world: 9, paved: 356,343 km, unpaved:
466,874 km (2011)
Waterways: 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 43
Merchant marine: total: 41 country comparison to the world: 75 by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 7,
liquefied gas 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 5
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Base on the Factbook data, Australia is one of country has the high position for technology development
with various infrastructure, making Capital Strengthen.
ENERGY: Australia ranks high on both production and on usage, which certainly can attribute to the fact
that it is relatively large country. In addition, there are some kinds of energy resources make Australia to
be strong at that side such as natural gas, refined petroleum, crude oil (they rank at medium high to the
world)
COMMUNICATION: Telephone system: excellent on both domestic and international service (quality)
with 10.47 million (2012) main-lines in uses country comparison to the world: 20 & 24.4 million mobile
cellular (2012) country comparison to the world: 43 (quantity). Internet hosts: 8th to the world.
Broadcast media: develops multiple types of service with high quality such as radio networks, tv
stations, cable, satellite…
TRANSPORTATION: multiple types of transportation service which rank on the high position comparison
to the world such as: 480 airports(2013) country comparison to the world: 16, railways: total: 38,445
km country comparison to the world: 7, roadways: total: 823,217 km, country comparison to the world:
9 AND some others like heliports: 1 (2013), waterways: 2,000 km, merchant marine.
ENTREPRENERIAL ABILITY: (Heritage Foundation - Australia
and Factbook>>Economy)
GDP (PPP): $970.8 billion, 3.6% growth in 2012, 5-year compound annual growth 2.5%, $42,640 per
capita. Unemployment: 5.2% Inflation (CPI): 1.8%
Overall score: 82 (highest is 90.1)-one of the 6 countries on the top.
Over the 20-year history of the Index, Australia’s economic freedom score is 7.9 points, one of the 10
biggest improvements among developed economies. Substantial score increases in six of the 10
economic freedoms, including business freedom, investment freedom, and freedom from corruption,
have enabled Australia to achieve and sustain its economically “free” status in the Index.
With an economy that benefits from sound fundamentals including monetary stability, low public debt,
and a vibrant employment market, Australia has weathered the global economic uncertainty well.
Openness to global trade and investment is firmly institutionalized, supported by a relatively efficient
entrepreneurial framework and a well-functioning independent judiciary. Effective anti-corruption
measures are in force.
Graph: A overall comparison with the U.S and China in 10 years
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
According to the Heritage foundation data, in 2013 Australia:
- Had a very high annual income per person of $42640 (about $116.8 per day)
- Had a low unemployment rate of 5.2%
- Saw corruption on the rise
- Saw a decrease in Business Freedom, Labor Freedom, Monetary Freedom, and Fiscal Freedom.
- Saw an increase in Trade Freedom and Investment Freedom
- Had an overall index of Economic Freedom of 82.0, ranking 3rd out of 178 countries, and placing
Australia firmly in the “Free” category.
Conclusion about Australia’s Resources
Australia is one of the largest country in the world with a developed economy with:
- Natural resources: very rich from many mineral resources, and especially water resource since it
was surrounded by ocean.
- Labor resources: strong since population was placed on 56th to the world but with the high
quality in sanitary, education and low rate of infectious disease.
- Capital resources: strong from the development in Energy industry, Communication, and
Transportation.
- Entrepreneurial ability: strong base on the very high annual income ($42640 per capita)
CIA Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 23 June 214. Web. 09 Sept.
2014.
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html>
Heritage Foundation. "Australia." Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption.
Heritage Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.heritage.org/index/country/australia?ac=1>
Nairalandnews (current event article and image citation). Tanya. "Australian Immigration Boom May
Have Peaked." Www. Nairalandnews.com. Nairalandnews, 21 May 2014. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.
<http://nairalandnews.com/5496/australian-immigration-boom-peaked>
NPR (current event article). Peralta, Eyder. "Wildfires In Australia Destroy 200 Homes, May Get
Worse." NPR. NPR, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/20/238355903/wildfires-in-australia-destroy-200homes-may-get-worse>
NPR (current event article). Harris, Richard. "Australia's Heron Island: A Canary In The Coal Mine For
Coral Reefs?" NPR. NPR, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/07/173702462/australias-heron-island-a-canary-inthe-coal-mine-for-coral-reefs>
The Economist (current event article). "The Promised Land." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper,
26 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.economist.com/news/china/21601301-chinese-immigrants-are-remaking-entire-suburbsaustralias-biggest-city-promised-land>
Report on a key RESOURCE CHANGE (current or recent) that affects your country’s production
possibilities. This must be in the form of a current event (include a link to your source article in your
bibliography).
In the article “The Promise Land”, the authors report on the activities of immigration of Chinese to
Australia. They give an example of Nancy Liu who arrived Australia 14 years ago with her husband, set
up a business and got success later. In general, the immigration from China has the great effect on
Australia’s economy by increasing the labor resources. The immigrants have not only joined in the labor
forces for agriculture when arrived as farm workers in 1840, but also attended in many other services.
Their influence includes Chatswood (another formerly Anglo-Australian suburb), many towers of
apartments owned by Chinese immigrants, the Edwardian-era stone and timber bungalows, shops on
the main street are crammed with Chinese noodles and vegetables, Mandarin is the chief language
among shoppers, stacks of Chinese newspapers outnumber English ones. Chinese immigrants actually
play a role to form a part of the strong Australia‘s economy.
Manufacture is concerned more with Capital.
Agriculture is concerned more with Labor.
This PPF shifts from the left to the right, which shows if immigration is improved and increased,
agricultural and manufacturing will increase as well but the agriculture will increase more and
manufacture will increase less since the immigrants directly affect the labor resources & indirectly
affect capital resources (more labor can build more buildings or make more machine). Improving
immigration within Australia is a major current event in that Australia’s government is planning to
attract the labor resources from other countries, especially from Asia.