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Western Australia Cities with Hotels
 Western Australia, state in western
Australia, the largest in the country, bounded on the north, west, and south by
the Indian Ocean and on the east by the state of
South Australia and the
Northern Territory. Western Australia covers an area of about 2,525,500 sq km
(975,100 sq mi).
Except for the fertile southwestern coastal area known as Swanland, most of
Western Australia is a sandy, dry plateau with little vegetation. The highest
point is Mount Meharry (1251 m/4104 ft) in the northwestern part of the state.
The climate varies from tropical in the north to temperate in the southwest and,
in the inland desert regions, is characterized by extreme temperatures and
scanty rainfall.
 Some of the hotels, motels and resorts available for
booking in our reservation network include, Ramada Inn, Marriott Hotels, Super 8
Motels, Econo Lodge, Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express, Travelodge, Hampton Inn,
Sheraton, Hilton, Best Western, Hyatt and Hyatt Regency, Wyndham Inn, Ritz and
Ritz Carlton, Days Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, La Quinta Inns, Comfort Inn and
Comfort Suite, Embassy Suites, Quality Inn, Radisson Inn, Sleep Inn, Numerous
Resorts and Resort Villas throughout the globe, along with Plaza and Plaza
Suites and and array of private and Golf Clubs and Golf Resorts.
Select a city from the list in this state or province below.
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Western Australia
Western Australia is the most sparsely
settled state in Australia and one of the most sparsely settled regions in the
world. The population is confined mainly to the coastal areas and to the
interior mining settlements. Perth is the capital and largest city. Fremantle is
the chief port. Other important cities are Bunbury and Geraldton. Kalgoorlie, in
the interior, is the center of a gold-mining region. A pipeline brings water to
Kalgoorlie from the Mount Charlotte Reservoir created by the Mundaring Weir dam
near Perth. Aborigines, the first inhabitants of Australia, make up less than 5
percent of the population of Western Australia. Aboriginal reserves are
scattered throughout the state. The population at the 1991 census was 1,586,825.
Livestock raising, mining, and fishing are leading industries
in Western Australia. The principal crops are wheat, oats, barley, hay,
potatoes, tobacco, and orchard fruits. Livestock includes sheep, cattle, pigs,
and horses. The state leads Australia in gold production. Iron ore is mined
chiefly in the Pilbara region, in the northwest. Farther north, the Kimberley
region has one of the world's largest diamond mines. Bauxite, nickel, and
petroleum are also produced in significant quantities in Western Australia. A
section of the sea floor near the Pilbara contains major reserves of oil and
natural gas. Exploitation of these reserves began around 1980. Cultured pearls
are raised on farms near Broome, once a center for pearl and pearl-shell
fishing. State forests and timber reserves cover an area of about 283,300
hectares (about 7 million acres).
About half of the population of Western Australia belongs to the Church of England. Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian denominations are also important in the state. Education is secular and free in Western Australia, and compulsory for children ages 6 to 15. There are several universities in the Perth metropolitan area, including the University of Western Australia (1911); Murdoch University (1973); Curtin University of Technology (1987; formerly the Western Australian Institute of Technology); and Edith Cowan University (1991; formerly the Western Australian College of Advanced Education).
Executive power in Western Australia is vested in a governor, who acts through a ministry headed by a premier. Legislative power is vested in a parliament of two houses-the Legislative Council, consisting of 34 members elected for six years, and the Legislative Assembly, consisting of 56 members elected for three years.
The coast of Western Australia was probably visited by Spanish and Portuguese navigators in the 16th century. Dutch sailor Dirk Hartog landed on an offshore islet in 1616, becoming the first known European to set foot on Australian soil. Later in the century the Dutch explorer and navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman surveyed the northern coast. The western coast was surveyed during later explorations. The earliest settlement was founded by British colonists in 1825. The British took official possession of the land in 1829. In that year colonization was begun on a planned basis by a British organization, which received large land grants. Several thousand convicts from Sydney were numbered among the early settlers. It was not until 1870, however, that extensive efforts were made by the British to facilitate the development of the colony. On January 1, 1901, Western Australia became a state of the Commonwealth of Australia.
"Western Australia," 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. |
