Compare key data on Australia & South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

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STAT	Australia	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	HISTORY
Economy > Economy > Overview	The Australian economy has experienced continuous growth and features low unemployment, contained inflation, very low public debt, and a strong and stable financial system. By 2012, Australia had experienced more than 20 years of continued economic growth, averaging 3.5% a year. Demand for resources and energy from Asia and especially China has grown rapidly, creating a channel for resources investments and growth in commodity exports. The high Australian dollar has hurt the manufacturing sector, while the services sector is the largest part of the Australian economy, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of jobs. Australia was comparatively unaffected by the global financial crisis as the banking system has remained strong and inflation is under control. Australia has benefited from a dramatic surge in its terms of trade in recent years, stemming from rising global commodity prices. Australia is a significant exporter of natural resources, energy, and food. Australia's abundant and diverse natural resources attract high levels of foreign investment and include extensive reserves of coal, iron, copper, gold, natural gas, uranium, and renewable energy sources. A series of major investments, such as the US$40 billion Gorgon Liquid Natural Gas project, will significantly expand the resources sector. Australia is an open market with minimal restrictions on imports of goods and services. The process of opening up has increased productivity, stimulated growth, and made the economy more flexible and dynamic. Australia plays an active role in the World Trade Organization, APEC, the G20, and other trade forums. Australia has bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and the US, has a regional FTA with ASEAN and New Zealand, is negotiating agreements with China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as with its Pacific neighbors and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and is also working on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement with Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US, and Vietnam.	Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.
Geography > Area > Comparative	slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states	slightly larger than Rhode Island
Geography > Area > Comparative to US places	slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states	slightly larger than Rhode Island
Geography > Area > Land	7.62 million sq km Ranked 7th. 1952 times more than South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	3,903 sq km Ranked 168th.
Geography > Area > Total	7.74 million sq km Ranked 7th. 1983 times more than South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	3,903 sq km Ranked 178th.
Geography > Climate	generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north	variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Geography > Elevation extremes > Highest point	Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m	Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m
Geography > Geographic coordinates	27 00 S, 133 00 E	54 30 S, 37 00 W
Geography > Location	Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
Geography > Natural hazards	cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires	the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism
Geography > Natural resources	bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum	fish
Geography > Terrain	mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast	most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes
Government > Flag description	blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small, five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)
Government > Legal system	common law system based on the English model	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court
Transport > Airports	480 Ranked 16th.	0.0 Ranked 240th.
Geography > Maritime claims > Territorial sea	12 nautical mile Ranked 137th. The same as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	12 nautical mile Ranked 51st.

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