Total Area:7,741,220 sq km
Land Area: 7,682,300 sq km Water Area: 58,920 sq km Climate description: Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north Terrain description: Mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast Arable Land Use: 6.2% Permanent Crop Land Use: 0.1% Irrigated Land: 25,500 sq km Total Renewable Water Resources: 492 cu km Total Freshwater Withdrawal: 22.58 cu km/yr Per Person Freshwater Withdrawal: 1,152 cu m/yr Natural Hazards description: Cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires. Volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands Environmental - Current Issues: 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 Total Labor Force: 12.5 million % of Labor Force in Agriculture: 3.6% Agricultural Products description: Production of wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, and poultry |
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