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 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) Permanent Crop Land Use 0.04% Irrigated Land 25,500 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources 398 cu km (1995) Total Freshwater Withdrawal 1,193 cu m/yr (2000) Per Person Freshwater Withdrawal 24.06 cu km/yr Natural Hazards description cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires volcanism: 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 12.27 million (2012 est.) % of Labor Force in Agriculture 3.6% Agricultural Products description wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry |