Operation World - Pray Today

	Australia
	Commonwealth of Australia
	February 18-19

Pacific

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6 The 350,000 indigenous Aborigines have been demoralized in their contacts with Western culture and greed and have been frustrated about their lack of control over their lands and their heritage

a) Pray for the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship, a key coordinating body of Aboriginal Christians, as it encourages leadership development through its training college, outreach and church planting in every Aboriginal community

b) Pray for the nearly 500 missionaries in 26 denominational and interdenominational agencies working among these people

c) Bible translation is in progress in 19 of these small language groups

d) The use of GRN records and cassettes in 86 languages

7 Witness among the 630,000 students in the 36 universities and colleges is barely adequate

8 Young people and children. There has been a drastic drop in Sunday School attendance, and alternative methods must be found to reach the younger generation

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Politics

Overview: Religion, Geography, Peoples, Economy

A federal, parliamentary democracy formed in 1901 with 6 states and 2 federal territories.

Religion

A secular state with freedom of religion.

Religions	Population %	Adherents	Ann.Gr.
Christian	67.50	12,743,679	+0.0%
non-Religious/other	28.21	5,325,914	+3.1%
Buddhist	1.40	264,313	+6.6%
Muslim	1.33	251,098	+5.2%
Hindu	0.47	88,734	+6.5%
Jewish	0.45	84,958	+1.0%
Chinese	0.26	49,087	+1.0%
Traditional ethnic	0.25	47,199	+71.6%
Sikh	0.08	15,104	+4.5%
Baha'i	0.05	9,440	+6.8%

Christians	Denom.	Affil.%	,000	Ann.Gr.
Protestant	155	12.83	2,423	+0.0%
Independent	28	1.06	199	+10.1%
Anglican	1	20.23	3,820	-0.6%
Catholic	1	25.21	4,760	-0.2%
Orthodox	35	3.20	605	+1.8%
Marginal	56	1.30	245	+0.5%
Unaffiliated		14.88	2,809	n.a.
Doubly affiliated		-11.21	-2,100	n.a.

Churches in Australia

Missionaries from Australia

4,388 in 97 agencies and in 134 countries

Missionaries to Australia

3,277 in 109 agencies

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Area 7,682,300 sq.km. This island continent is largely grassland and desert in the interior but better watered in the east, southeast and southwest coastal regions, where most live in highly concentrated urban areas. There are three permanently inhabited dependent territories; Norfolk Is. (35 sq.km.; 2,500 pop), Christmas Is. (135 sq.km.; 2,300 pop), Cocos Is. (14 sq.km.; 600 pop).

Population (2000) 18,879,524 +1.03%AGR

Capital Canberra 328,370.

Peoples

Anglo-Celtic 67.8%; Other European 20%; Asian 6%; Middle Eastern 3.0%; Australian Aborigine 2%; Other 1.2%.

Literacy 99%. Official language English. Over 19% of the population do not use English as their first language. All indigenous languages 234. Languages with Scriptures 1Bi 8NT 26por 19 w.i.p.

Economy

Mixed economy based on industry, agriculture and mining. HDI 0.922; 7^th/174. Public debt 23% of GNP. Income/person $20,090 (66% of USA).

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The above information and prayer material is an excerpt from the full text of Operation World for today's date. To view the prayer calendar for the year click here. If you would like the material for other days in the prayer calendar, you can purchase Operation World (click here for more information). Operation World content © 2001 Patrick J. St. G. Johnstone. All Rights Reserved. See Policy for use and reproduction permissions. Published by Paternoster Lifestyle (an imprint of Paternoster Publishing). Web site development by Global Mapping International.