Names: conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia

Capital City: Canberra

Population: 20,264,082 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $32,900 (2006 est.)

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)

Languages: English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)

Total Area: total: 7,686,850 sq km land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states

Region: Oceania

Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

Agriculture: wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry

Resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum

Labor Force: 10.66 million (2006 est.)
agriculture: 3.6% industry: 21.2% services: 75.2% (2004 est.)

Exports: $117 billion (2006 est.)
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment

Imports: $127.7 billion (2006 est.)
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products

Overview: Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy, robust business and consumer confidence, and high export prices for raw materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up in recent years, although the trade balance improved in 2006. Housing prices probably peaked in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies have kept Australia's budget in surplus since 2002.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $206,797,614 in goods to Australia. This ranks Australia 11^th among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Australia decreased from the previous year by $60,405,739 a change of -4.93%. State exports to Australia have increased over the last 5 years by $80,734,199 a change of 64.04%. Missouri exports account for 1.54%. of all 2007 US exports to Australia.

Chemicals at $80,030,820 was the largest export in 2007. The largest dollar gain was Miscellaneous manufactured Commodites with an increase of $3,852,815 a 57.50% change. The biggest dollar loss was in Chemicals with an decrease of $36,364,156 a -30.20% change.