Economy of Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere which is comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Before European settlement in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the Australian mainland was inhabited by around 250 individual nations of indigenous Australians who lived sustainably on the land for around 40,000 years. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north and then European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was later claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, commencing on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established during the 19th century.
On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since Federation, Australia maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The capital city is Canberra. The population is just over 21.3 million, with approximately 60% of the population concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Australian Securities Exchange and the Sydney Futures Exchange are the largest stock exchanges in Australia.
Australia is one of the most laissez-faire capitalist economies 1. Australia's per capita 2 GDP 3 is slightly higher than that of the UK, Germany, and France in terms of purchasing power parity. The emphasis on exporting commodities rather than manufactures underpinned a significant increase in Australia's terms of trade during the rise in commodity prices since the start of the century. Australia has a balance of payments that is more than 7% of GDP negative, and has persistently large current account deficits for more than 50 years.
In 1983 the Government floated the Australian dollar and partially deregulated the financial system. Later the government followed with a partial deregulation of the labour market and the further privatisation of state-owned businesses, most notably in the telecommunications industry. The indirect tax system was substantially changed in July 2000, which slightly reduced the reliance on personal and company income tax that characterizes Australia's tax system.
|
|
|
In January 2007, there were 10,033,480 people employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.6%. Over the past decade, inflation was typically 2–3% and the base interest rate 5–6%. The service sector of the economy, which includes tourism, education, and financial services, accounts for 69% of GDP. Although agriculture and natural resources account for only 3% and 5% of GDP respectively, they contribute substantially to export performance. Australia's largest export markets are Japan, China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand.
Notes:
1. one of the most laissez-faire capitalist economies – одна из капиталистических экономик c наименьшей степенью государственного вмешательства
2. per capita – на душу населения
3. GDP = Gross Domestic Product – валовый внутренний продукт (ВВП)
Дата добавления: 2016-01-03; просмотров: 18; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!