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Tasmania Cities with Hotels
 Tasmania, state in southeastern Australia,
consisting of the island of Tasmania, many nearby small islands, and the
uninhabited, sub arctic volcanic island of Macquarie. Tasmania is bounded on the
north by Bass Strait (which separates it from the Australian mainland), on the
east by the Tasman Sea, and on the south and west by the Indian Ocean. Among
numerous other islands in the state are the Hunter Islands, the Furneaux Groups,
the Kent Group, King Island, and Maria Island. Tasmania has a total area of
about 67,800 sq km (26,180 sq mi). Its population in 1991 was 452,834.
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Tasmania
Hobart is the capital and largest city of
Tasmania. The other large cities are Launceston, the chief port; Devonport; and Burnie. The island of Tasmania is dominated by a continuation of the Great
Dividing Range of mainland Australia. The highest point is Mount Ossa, which
rises 1617 m (5305 ft) on Tasmania's large, high-lying central plateau. This
plateau also includes many lakes and several rivers. The coastline is generally
ragged, and substantial coastal plains are situated only in the northeast and
northwest. Tasmania has a mild, moist climate.
Tasmania has a diversified economy. Industrialization was
spurred after 1945 by the construction of large hydroelectric projects, notably
on the Derwent, Forth, and Mersey rivers. Agricultural commodities produced in
the state include dairy products, sheep (mainly for wool), wheat, fruit, and
vegetables. Mining is well developed, and copper, iron, lead, tin, tungsten, and
zinc ores are produced in sizable quantities, as are gold, silver, and coal.
Chief manufactures in the state are forest products, processed foods and
minerals, textiles, and cement. Tourism also is an important source of income.
National parks cover more than 20 percent of Tasmania and are popular tourist
attractions. The largest of these parks is South West National Park, also
designated as a World Heritage Site. Another popular tourist attraction is Port
Arthur, a former penal settlement on the Tasman Peninsula.
A governor representing the sovereign of Great Britain is the nominal chief
executive of Tasmania. In practice, however, a premier, assisted by a cabinet,
is the head of government. The prime minister is responsible to the House of
Assembly, the lower house of the state's parliament. The upper house is called
the Legislative Council.
The first European to visit the island of Tasmania was a
Dutch navigator, Abel Tasman, in 1642. He named it Van Diemen's Land, after the
governor of the Netherlands Indies. Great Britain claimed the island in 1788,
and in 1803 British convicts became the first European settlers. After the
arrival of some free settlers, Van Diemen's Land was made a separate British
colony in 1825. In 1855 the colony was granted responsible government, and in
1856 the name Tasmania was adopted. Tasmania became a constituent state of the
Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, when the Commonwealth was formed. Since the
1970s proposals for the building of hydroelectric schemes in southwestern
Tasmania have been met with opposition, especially from environmental groups. In
1983 Australia's High Court ruled in favor of halting construction of a dam on
Tasmania's Gordon River.
"Tasmania," Microsoft® Encarta® 97 Encyclopedia.
© 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Australian Capitals • Northern Territory • New South Wales • Queensland • South Australia • Tasmania • Victoria • Western Australia
Last Revised:
November 15, 2008 03:37 PM. |
