Queensland

state of Australia

Queensland is a state in eastern Australia. It is the second largest state by area and the third largest state by population. In 2006 there were 3,904,532 people living in Queensland.[1]

Queensland
alt text for flag alt text for coat of arms
Flag Coat of arms
Slogan or nicknameThe Sunshine State
Motto(s)Audax at Fidelis
(Bold but Faithful)
Map of Australia with Queensland highlighted
Other Australian states and territories
Capital cityBrisbane
DemonymQueenslander
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy
 • GovernorJeannette Young
 • PremierAnnastacia Palaszczuk (Labor)
Australian state 
 • Colony of Queensland6 June 1869
 • Federation1 January 1901
 • Australia Act3 March 1986
Area 
 • Total1,851,736 km² (2nd)
714,959 sq mi
 • Land1,729,742 km²
667,857 sq mi
 • Water121,994 km² (%)
47,102 sq mi
Population
(2022)
 
 • Population5,354,800 (3rd)
 • Density2.8/km² (5th)
7.3 /sq mi
Elevation 
 • Highest pointMount Bartle Frere
1,622 m (5,322 ft)
Gross state product
(2020)
 
 • Product ($m)$AU$363.524 billion (3rd)
 • Product per capita$AUD$70,862 (5th)
Time zone(s)UTC+10 (AEST)
Federal representation 
 • House seats30/150
 • Senate seats12/76
Abbreviations 
 • PostalQLD
 • ISO 3166-2AU-QLD
Emblems 
 • FloralCooktown orchid
(Dendrobium phalaenopsis)
 • AnimalKoala
(Phascolarctos cinereus)
 • BirdBrolga
(Grus rubicunda)
 • FishBarrier Reef anenomefish
(Amphiprion akindynos)
 • Mineral or gemstoneSapphire
 • ColoursMaroon
Websitewww.qld.gov.au

It occupies the north-east corner of Australia. The state has the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. The capital city is Brisbane.

The area was first settled by Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, who arrived between 40,000 and 65,000 years ago. Later, Queensland was made a British Crown Colony that was separated from New South Wales in 1859. The area that currently forms Brisbane was originally the Moreton Bay punishment colony, intended as a place for criminals with a repeated offence history who had offended while serving out their sentences in New South Wales. The state later encouraged free settlement, and today Queensland's economy is dominated by the agricultural, tourist and natural resource sectors.

The population is concentrated in the south-east corner, which includes the capital Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan City, and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Other major regional centres are in North Queensland and they are Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba, and Mount Isa. Queensland is often nicknamed the Sunshine State, since it enjoys warm weather and a sizable portion of the state is in the tropics.

Emblems of Queensland change

  • The floral emblem of Queensland is the Cooktown Orchid, Dendrobium phalaenopsis, which was chosen in 1959 for the centenary of the beginning of the state of Queensland.[2]
  • The fauna emblem of Queensland is the Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus.[3] It was chosen in 1971.
  • The bird emblem of Queensland is the Brolga, Grus rubicunda.[4] It is the only one of the 17 species of crane that come from Queensland. It has been on the Queensland Coat of Arms since 1977, and became the bird emblem in 1986.
  • The aquatic emblem is the Anemone Fish, Amphiprion akindynos.[5] It was chosen in 2005.
  • The state's official gem is the sapphire, which was first found in Queensland in 1870.[6]

References change

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "QLD". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  2. "Queensland - Floral Emblems - Australian Plant Information". anbg.gov.au. 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  3. "Animal (faunal) emblem". qld.gov.au. 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  4. "Bird emblem". qld.gov.au. 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  5. "Aquatic emblem". qld.gov.au. 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012. Anemone Fish (Amphiprion akindynos)
  6. "State gem". qld.gov.au. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

Other websites change