Tasmania

state of Australia

Tasmania (Palawa Kani: lutruwita) is a large island off the southern coast of mainland Australia. It is a state of Australia. Its capital and the largest city is Hobart. The island was joined to the mainland until the end of the most recent ice age about 10,000 years ago.

Tasmania
Flag Coat of arms
Slogan or nicknameThe Apple Isle
Map of Australia with Tasmania highlighted
Other Australian states and territories
Capital cityHobart
DemonymTasmanian
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy
 • PremierJeremy Rockliff (Liberal)
Population 
 • Population571,165 (6th)
Elevation 
 • Highest pointMount Ossa
1,167 m (3,829 ft)
Gross state product 
 • Product ($m)$AU$32.102 billion (8th)
 • Product per capita$AU$59,779 (7th)
Time zone(s)UTC+10:00 (AEST)
UTC+11:00 (AEDT)
Federal representation 
 • House seats5/150
 • Senate seats12/76
Abbreviations 
 • PostalTAS
 • ISO 3166-2AU-TAS
Emblems 
 • FloralLeatherwood (unofficial)
(Eucryphia lucida)
 • AnimalTasmanian devil
(Sarcophilus harrisii)
 • BirdYellow wattlebird (unofficial)
(Athochaera paradoxa)
 • Mineral or gemstoneCrocoite
 • Colours

Tasmania has wonderful natural history, and is the most forested part of Australia. It has the country's largest areas of temperate rainforest. One of its many unique trees is the Leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida). This is a common tree in wet forests, and there are four related species on the mainland.

Tasmania is the home of rare animals such as eastern quolls and Tasmanian devils. It was the last home of the thylacine, which became extinct in 1936.

Brief account change

Tasmania is a state of Australia. Unlike the other states, it is an island. The Bass Strait separates it from the Australian mainland.

Australian aboriginals are the native people of Tasmania. Abel Janszoon Tasman landed on the island in 1642. He called it "Van Diemen's Land". It was later called Tasmania. Much later, people came from Europe, mostly from the British Empire, to live on the island.

Cities and towns change

Tasmania has four cities: capital city Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.

Population change

Tasmania is the smallest state in Australia. It also has the smallest population. The total population of Tasmania is just over 500,000 (September 2014).

History change

For an history of Tasmania, see Van Diemen's Land.

Darwin Crater change

Darwin Crater
Tasmania
 
False-colour Landsat image of Darwin Crater (arrowed); screen capture from NASA World Wind
 
 
Darwin Crater
Coordinates42°18′15″S 145°39′27″E / 42.30417°S 145.65750°E / -42.30417; 145.65750

Darwin Crater is a suspected meteorite impact crater in Western Tasmania about 26 km (16 mi) south of Queenstown.

It is just in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The crater is a rimless circular flat-floored depression, 1.2 km (0.75 mi) in diameter, in mountainous and heavily forested terrain. It is East of the West Coast Range and the former North Mount Lyell Railway formation.

Places to visit change

Tasmania has some of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. They range from old country towns to up to date cities. Some popular tourist places are:

Famous Tasmanians change

References change