Australia

Australia is one of the world's rich, developed countries. Most developed countries have become rich through the production and export of manufactured goods. Australia's wealth, however, has come chiefly from farming and mining.

The processing of farm and mineral products makes up a major part of Australia's manufacturing industry. The nation relies on its farms and mines to produce goods for export.

Australia's farms are highly mechanized. Only about 5 per cent of the country's workers are farmers. However, they produce nearly all the food needed by the people. Farmland covers about 65 per cent of Australia. But most of this land is dry grazing land. Crops are grown on only about 5 per cent of the farmland. Farmers use modern agricultural methods and so make the cropland highly productive.

Australia's leading farm products are cattle and calves, wheat, and wool, followed by dairy products, fruits, and sugar cane. These products are also the country's chief agricultural exports. Australia is the world's largest producer and exporter of wool and a leading producer and exporter of beef, sugar, and wheat.

Australia has rich mineral resources. It has become one of the world's major mining countries. Western Australia produces most of the nickel, iron ore, and gold and much of the bauxite. Queensland is the chief producer of bauxite, copper, and silver. New South Wales leads in the production of coal, lead, and Zink. All the manganese is mined in the Northern Territory. Most tin and tungsten come from Tasmania. Victoria produces almost all the petroleum and natural gas.

Unlike most other developed countries Australia imports more manufactured goods than it exports. Australian factories produce most of the consumer goods, such as processed foods and household articles, that the people require. But the nation has to import many of its producer goods - that is, factory machinery, construction equipment, and other goods used in production. Iron and steel are the chief exceptions. Australia's iron and steel industry produces enough of the metals to meet the needs of other industries. New South Wales and Victoria are the chief manufacturing states. Most of the factories are located in and around Sydney and Melbourne.

Sydney is Australia's oldest and largest city. The city lies on a huge, deep harbor on the southeastern coast. This harbor, called Port Jackson, or Sydney Harbor, has made Sydney Australia's busiest seaport. Sydney also ranks as the nation's leading industrial city.

Melbourne is the second largest city of Australia. Only Sydney has more people. Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria, lies on Port Phillip Bay on the southeastern coast. Melbourne is a busy seaport, Australia's chief financial city, and Victoria's commercial and industrial center. The chief products include automobiles, chemicals, food products, machinery, and textiles.

Canberra, the country's capital, is a young city. Construction of the capital began in 1913. It is the nation's leading example of large - scale city planning.

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