Australia is devided into six states and three territories, which are described below:
States
New South Wales: New South Wales located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
The capital of New South Wales is Sydney, the site of the country's oldest European settlement and its largest and most cosmopolitan city, with ethnic communities from more than 100 countries. The city's icons include its cricket ground, Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Australia's major international gateway, Sydney hosted the 2000 Olympic Games.
Queensland: Queensland, Australia's north-eastern State, stretches from the temperate zone into the tropics. Its northern tip, Cape York, is separated from Papua New Guinea by the narrow Torres Strait. The corals of the Great Barrier Reef fringe the eastern coastline for more than 2000 kilometres.
Annual rainfall ranges from four metres in the tropical northern rainforests to 0.2 metres on the Mitchell Grass plains of the southwest. The wide variety of natural habitats supports a great diversity of plants and animals.
Separated from the continent by the waters of Bass Strait, Tasmania and its many companion islands form the smallest Australian State.The capital, Hobart, was established in 1803.
Annual yacht races from Sydney and Melbourne bring ocean racers from around the world to Hobart.
South Australia: South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent and with a total land area of 984,377 kmē (380,070 sq mi), it is the fourth largest of Australia's states and territories.
European settlement in South Australia began in 1836.Adelaide, the capital, was a planned city, and retains much of its early architecture. The Adelaide Festival, held every two years, is an international cultural event.South Australia is the source of many fine wines. The wine-producing areas, including the Barossa Valley, are major tourist attractions.Industrial output includes steel, ship building and car manufacturing.
Aborigines form a larger proportion of the population in the Northern Territory than elsewhere.
was administered by the State of South Australia until it was placed under federal government control in 1911.Darwin, the capital, is a modern city whose links with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea echo trade and migration patterns that pre-date European expansion into the Asia Pacific by many thousands of years.
Alice Springs is the main town of central Australia. Southwest of 'the Alice' is the famous landmark of the red heart: Uluru, or Ayers Rock, a sandstone monolith of living significance to Australia's Indigenous people.
Aborigines form a larger proportion of the population in the Northern Territory than elsewhere.
Victoria: Although Victoria is the smallest of the mainland States, it is the second most populous, and the most densely populated.
Its capital, Melbourne, sprang up as the primary city of the Victorian gold rushes in the middle of the nineteenth century. During its boom Melbourne outgrew Sydney, and after Federation served as the national capital until Canberra was established. Melbourne has since lost its lead in population to Sydney, but remains the headquarters of a large number of business and financial organisations, as well as major manufacturing enterprises.
Victoria's tourist attractions include spectacular coastal formations and heritage settlements, where the lifestyle and atmosphere of colonial times has been reproduced.
Western Australia: Western Australia is about the size of Western Europe, but has a population of less than two million. More than 70 per cent of its people live in the capital, Perth.Opportunities to serve niche markets in Asia provide an important stimulus to innovation in Western Australia.
The State is a leading supplier of bulk ores for the world aluminium and steel industries. Other minerals produced include nickel and titanium, rare earths, gold and diamonds.
With the development of major gas fields off its northwest coast, the State has become a source of bulk supplies of liquefied petroleum gas to North Asia.
Tasmania: The island of Tasmania, an Australian state, is located 200 km south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait. Tasmania has a population of 484,700 (March 2005, ABS) and an area of 68 332 kmē (26,383 square miles). Tasmania promotes itself as the Natural State owing to its large, and relatively unspoilt, natural environment. 40% of Tasmania is formally in reserves, National Parks and World Heritage Sites.
The capital and largest city is Hobart, which also encompasses the cities of Glenorchy and Clarence. Other major population centres include Launceston in the north, and Devonport and Burnie in the northwest.
The subantarctic Macquarie Island is also under the administration of the state.
Territories
Australian Capital Territory: The Australian Capital Territory was established in 1911 within the borders of New South Wales as the site for the future national capital, Canberra.
Canberra is nearly 300km from Sydney and some 650km from Melbourne. A planned city, it is laid out around an artificial lake. The Territory became self-governing in 1989. National government remains its main industry, but private sector employment has expanded and includes production of sophisticated scientific and communications equipment, and computer software.
Jervis Bay: The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was bought by the Commonwealth Government in 1915 from the state of New South Wales so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have access to the sea. It was part of the Australian Capital Territory until 1989 when the Australian Capital Territory achieved self government, after which it became a separate territory administered by the Ministry of Territories. However it remains part of Canberra for federal electoral purposes.
Northern Territory: The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia. The capital city is Darwin; the other two sizable settlements are Alice Springs (in the desert interior, 1500 km to the south) and Katherine (near the base of the Top End). Residents of the Northern Territory are often known simply as 'Territorians'.
.gif){kind=spacer}
The capital of New South Wales is Sydney, the site of the country's oldest European settlement and its largest and most cosmopolitan city, with ethnic communities from more than 100 countries. The city's icons include its cricket ground, Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Australia's major international gateway, Sydney hosted the 2000 Olympic Games.
Annual rainfall ranges from four metres in the tropical northern rainforests to 0.2 metres on the Mitchell Grass plains of the southwest. The wide variety of natural habitats supports a great diversity of plants and animals.
Separated from the continent by the waters of Bass Strait, Tasmania and its many companion islands form the smallest Australian State.The capital, Hobart, was established in 1803.
Annual yacht races from Sydney and Melbourne bring ocean racers from around the world to Hobart.
European settlement in South Australia began in 1836.Adelaide, the capital, was a planned city, and retains much of its early architecture. The Adelaide Festival, held every two years, is an international cultural event.South Australia is the source of many fine wines. The wine-producing areas, including the Barossa Valley, are major tourist attractions.Industrial output includes steel, ship building and car manufacturing.
Aborigines form a larger proportion of the population in the Northern Territory than elsewhere.
was administered by the State of South Australia until it was placed under federal government control in 1911.Darwin, the capital, is a modern city whose links with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea echo trade and migration patterns that pre-date European expansion into the Asia Pacific by many thousands of years.
Alice Springs is the main town of central Australia. Southwest of 'the Alice' is the famous landmark of the red heart: Uluru, or Ayers Rock, a sandstone monolith of living significance to Australia's Indigenous people.
Aborigines form a larger proportion of the population in the Northern Territory than elsewhere.
Victoria: Although Victoria is the smallest of the mainland States, it is the second most populous, and the most densely populated.
Its capital, Melbourne, sprang up as the primary city of the Victorian gold rushes in the middle of the nineteenth century. During its boom Melbourne outgrew Sydney, and after Federation served as the national capital until Canberra was established. Melbourne has since lost its lead in population to Sydney, but remains the headquarters of a large number of business and financial organisations, as well as major manufacturing enterprises.
Victoria's tourist attractions include spectacular coastal formations and heritage settlements, where the lifestyle and atmosphere of colonial times has been reproduced.
Western Australia: Western Australia is about the size of Western Europe, but has a population of less than two million. More than 70 per cent of its people live in the capital, Perth.Opportunities to serve niche markets in Asia provide an important stimulus to innovation in Western Australia.
The State is a leading supplier of bulk ores for the world aluminium and steel industries. Other minerals produced include nickel and titanium, rare earths, gold and diamonds.
With the development of major gas fields off its northwest coast, the State has become a source of bulk supplies of liquefied petroleum gas to North Asia.
Tasmania: The island of Tasmania, an Australian state, is located 200 km south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait. Tasmania has a population of 484,700 (March 2005, ABS) and an area of 68 332 kmē (26,383 square miles). Tasmania promotes itself as the Natural State owing to its large, and relatively unspoilt, natural environment. 40% of Tasmania is formally in reserves, National Parks and World Heritage Sites.
The capital and largest city is Hobart, which also encompasses the cities of Glenorchy and Clarence. Other major population centres include Launceston in the north, and Devonport and Burnie in the northwest.
The subantarctic Macquarie Island is also under the administration of the state.
Australian Capital Territory: The Australian Capital Territory was established in 1911 within the borders of New South Wales as the site for the future national capital, Canberra.
Canberra is nearly 300km from Sydney and some 650km from Melbourne. A planned city, it is laid out around an artificial lake. The Territory became self-governing in 1989. National government remains its main industry, but private sector employment has expanded and includes production of sophisticated scientific and communications equipment, and computer software.
Jervis Bay: The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was bought by the Commonwealth Government in 1915 from the state of New South Wales so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have access to the sea. It was part of the Australian Capital Territory until 1989 when the Australian Capital Territory achieved self government, after which it became a separate territory administered by the Ministry of Territories. However it remains part of Canberra for federal electoral purposes.
Northern Territory: The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia. The capital city is Darwin; the other two sizable settlements are Alice Springs (in the desert interior, 1500 km to the south) and Katherine (near the base of the Top End). Residents of the Northern Territory are often known simply as 'Territorians'.
