Capital

Australien

name: Canberra

geographic coordinates: 35 16 S, 149 08 E

time difference: UTC+10 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April

time zone note: Australia has four time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+10:30)

etymology: the name is claimed to derive from either Kambera or Camberry, which are names corrupted from the original native designation for the area "Nganbra" or "Nganbira"

Thailand

name: Bangkok

geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E

time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: Bangkok was likely originally a colloquial name, but one that was widely adopted by foreign visitors; the name may derive from bang ko, where bang is the Thai word for "village on a stream" and ko means "island," both referencing the area's landscape, which was carved by rivers and canals; alternatively, the name may come from bang makok, where makok is the name of the Java plum, a plant bearing olive-like fruit; this possibility is supported by the former name of Wat Arun, a historic temple in the area, that used to be called Wat Makok;

Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, the city's Thai name, means "City of Angels, Great City" or simply "Great City of Angels" and is a shortening of the full ceremonial name: Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit; translated the meaning is: "City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest"; it holds the world's record as the longest place name (169 letters); Krung Thep is used colloquially

Dominican Republic

name: Santo Domingo

geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after Saint Dominic de GUZMAN (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order

Citizenship

Australien

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

Thailand

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Thailand

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Dominican Republic

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Dominican Republic

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years

Legal system

Australien

common law system based on the English model

Thailand

civil law system with common law influences

Dominican Republic

civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system

Suffrage

Australien

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Thailand

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Dominican Republic

18 years of age; universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police by law cannot vote

Area

Australien

total: 7,741,220 sq km

land: 7,682,300 sq km

water: 58,920 sq km

note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

Thailand

total: 513,120 sq km

land: 510,890 sq km

water: 2,230 sq km

Dominican Republic

total: 48,670 sq km

land: 48,320 sq km

water: 350 sq km

Land use

Australien

agricultural land: 46.65% (2018 est.)

arable land: 4.03% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.04% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 42.58% (2018 est.)

forest: 17.42% (2018 est.)

other: 33.42% (2018 est.)

Thailand

agricultural land: 41.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 30.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 37.2% (2018 est.)

other: 21.6% (2018 est.)

Dominican Republic

agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 40.8% (2018 est.)

other: 7.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Australien

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Thailand

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Dominican Republic

Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Age structure

Australien

0-14 years: 18.43% (male 2,515,636/female 2,359,859)

15-64 years: 64.89% (male 8,602,204/female 8,568,004)

65 years and over: 16.69% (2023 est.) (male 2,034,383/female 2,381,080)

Thailand

0-14 years: 16% (male 5,720,842/female 5,443,981)

15-64 years: 69.53% (male 23,797,302/female 24,734,505)

65 years and over: 14.47% (2023 est.) (male 4,500,808/female 5,597,559)

Dominican Republic

0-14 years: 25.92% (male 1,422,186/female 1,374,991)

15-64 years: 67.09% (male 3,675,934/female 3,563,597)

65 years and over: 6.99% (2023 est.) (male 355,069/female 398,967)

Birth rate

Australien

12.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Thailand

10 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

17.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Australien

6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Thailand

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Australien

English 72%, Mandarin 2.7%, Arabic 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, other 15.7%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.)

note: data represent language spoken at home

Thailand

Thai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages 2.9% (includes Malay, Burmese); note - data represent population by language(s) spoken at home; English is a secondary language of the elite (2010 est.)

major-language sample(s):
สารานุกรมโลก - แหล่งข้อมูลพื้นฐานที่สำคัญ (Thai)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Dominican Republic

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Australien

total population: 83.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 81.1 years

female: 85.5 years

Thailand

total population: 77.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 74.9 years

female: 81.1 years

Dominican Republic

total population: 71.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 70.3 years

female: 73.5 years

Major urban areas - population

Australien

5.235 million Melbourne, 5.121 million Sydney, 2.505 million Brisbane, 2.118 million Perth, 1.367 million Adelaide, 472,000 CANBERRA (capital) (2023)

Thailand

11.070 million BANGKOK (capital), 1.454 Chon Buri, 1.359 million Samut Prakan, 1.213 million Chiang Mai, 1.005 million Songkla, 1.001 million Nothaburi (2023)

Dominican Republic

3.524 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2023)

Median age

Australien

total: 37.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 36.8 years

female: 39 years

Thailand

total: 41 years (2023 est.)

male: 39.8 years

female: 42.2 years

Dominican Republic

total: 28.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 28.7 years

female: 29 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Australien

28.7 years (2019 est.)

Thailand

23.3 years (2009 est.)

Dominican Republic

20.9 years (2013 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Australien

6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Thailand

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

-2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Australien

population is primarily located on the periphery, with the highest concentration of people residing in the east and southeast; a secondary population center is located in and around Perth in the west; of the States and Territories, New South Wales has, by far, the largest population; the interior, or "outback", has a very sparse population

Thailand

highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country

Dominican Republic

coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central)

Population growth rate

Australien

1.19% (2023 est.)

Thailand

0.2% (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

0.73% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Australien

1.73 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Thailand

1.54 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Dominican Republic

2.13 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Australien

urban population: 86.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

note: data include Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island

Thailand

urban population: 53.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Dominican Republic

urban population: 84.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Australien

6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Thailand

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Dominican Republic

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Australien

total: 21 years

male: 20 years

female: 22 years (2020)

Thailand

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 16 years (2016)

Dominican Republic

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 15 years (2017)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Australien

-0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Thailand

-3.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Dominican Republic

-3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Australien

-0.55% (2021 est.)

Thailand

3.34% (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

15.89% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Australien

13.786 million (2021 est.)

Thailand

40.213 million (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

5.027 million (2021 est.)

Thailand

9.9% (2018 est.)

Dominican Republic

21% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Australien

5.11% (2021 est.)

6.46% (2020 est.)

5.16% (2019 est.)

Thailand

1.42% (2021 est.)

1.1% (2020 est.)

0.72% (2019 est.)

Dominican Republic

8.5% (2021 est.)

6.13% (2020 est.)

6.36% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Australien

69.41% of GDP (2020 est.)

60.25% of GDP (2019 est.)

54.49% of GDP (2018 est.)

Thailand

50.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

40.13% of GDP (2019 est.)

39.25% of GDP (2018 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

Dominican Republic

37.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

34.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Australien

2.86% (2021 est.)

0.85% (2020 est.)

1.61% (2019 est.)

Thailand

1.23% (2021 est.)

-0.85% (2020 est.)

0.71% (2019 est.)

Dominican Republic

8.24% (2021 est.)

3.78% (2020 est.)

1.81% (2019 est.)

Exports

Australien

$389.794 billion (2021 est.)

$300.77 billion (2020 est.)

$342.485 billion (2019 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Thailand

$296.002 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$257.981 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$323.878 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Dominican Republic

$20.509 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$14.889 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.509 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Australien

China 40%, Japan 14%, South Korea 9%, India 6%, Taiwan 4% (2021)

Thailand

United States 16%, China 13%, Japan 9%, Vietnam 4%, Australia 4% (2021)

Dominican Republic

United States 51%, Haiti 7%, Switzerland 7%, India 5%, Netherlands 3% (2021)

Imports

Australien

$298.712 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$250.178 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$295.504 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Thailand

$295.78 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$232.039 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$272.831 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Dominican Republic

$28.541 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.302 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$24.526 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Australien

China 28%, United States 10%, Japan 6%, Germany 5%, Thailand 5% (2021)

Thailand

China 28%, Japan 12%, Malaysia 5%, United States 5%, United Arab Emirates 4% (2021)

Dominican Republic

United States 42%, China 19%, Spain 3%, Brazil 3%, Mexico 3% (2021)

Airports

Australien

418 (2021)

Thailand

101 (2021)

Dominican Republic

36 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Australien

total: 9,099,619 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2020 est.)

Thailand

total: 11,478,265 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2020 est.)

Dominican Republic

total: 1,031,858 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Australien

total: 24.96 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 96% (2021 est.)

Thailand

total: 61.2 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

total: 9.35 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)

Railways

Australien

total: 36,064 km (2022) 3,448 km electrified

standard gauge: 18,007 km (2022) 1.435 mm

narrow gauge: 11,914 km (2022) 1.067 mm

broad gauge: 2,685 km (2022) 1.600 mm

Thailand

total: 4,127 km (2017)

standard gauge: 84 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 4,043 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

Dominican Republic

total: 496 km (2014)

standard gauge: 354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge

Roadways

Australien

total: 873,573 km (2015)

urban: 145,928 km (2015)

non-urban: 727,645 km (2015)

Thailand

total: 180,053 km (2006) (includes 450 km of expressways)

Dominican Republic

total: 19,705 km (2002)

paved: 9,872 km (2002)

unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)

Telephones - fixed lines

Australien

total subscriptions: 4.6 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2021 est.)

Thailand

total subscriptions: 4.6 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

total subscriptions: 1,154,670 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Australien

total subscriptions: 27.09 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105 (2021 est.)

Thailand

total subscriptions: 120 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 170 (2021 est.)

Dominican Republic

total subscriptions: 9,735,351 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Australien

2,000 km (2011) (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling River systems)

Thailand

4,000 km (2011) (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m)

Disputes - international

Australien

Australia-Indonesia: Australia has closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef 

Thailand

Thailand-Burma: in 2016, Thailand expressed its interest in investing in Burma’s Hatgyi Dam project on the Salween River near the Thai-Burma border; the dam has the potential to supply electricity and water during the drought season; approximately 100,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval, and economic stagnation in Burma live in nine remote camps in Thailand near the border

Thailand-Cambodia: Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of their border; in 2011, Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage site; in 2013, the International Court of Justice ruled that the land with the temple was Cambodian territory but that a nearby hill belonged to Thailand

Thailand-Laos: talks continue on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong River

Thailand-Malaysia: separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Malay-Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem insurgent activities; disputed areas are the Bukit Jeli area at the headwaters of the Golok River and the continental shelf boundary in the Gulf of Thailand

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic-Haiti: unauthorized migration and smuggling from impoverished and unstable Haiti has led to occasional border tensions and increased security by the Dominican Republic, including the construction of a fence and the deployment of military troops