The Land
The Climate
The northern third of Australia lies in the tropics and so is warm or hot the year around. The rest of the country lies south of the tropics and has warm summers and mild or cool winters.
The Terrain
The Australian continent is mainly low plateau with much of the country covered in desert. Areas closer to the coast are a mixture of grassy plains, rainforest, mountainous forest and fertile farming land. The country is well known for its spectacular beaches and marine parks like Ningaloo and The Great Barrier Reef.
Australian States & Territories*
Australia is divided into six states and two territories. They are:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
Australian Captial Territory (ACT)
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.
New South Wales (NSW)
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.
Northern Territory (NT)
The Northern Territory 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.
Queensland (QLD)
With Brisbane as capital city, 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.
South Australia (SA)
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.
Tasmania (TAS)
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.
Tasmania has substantial farming, forestry, hydro-electric, mining and fishery industries as well as unique wilderness areas and a significant tourist industry. Its landscapes and colonial era buildings are major tourist attractions.
Victoria (VIC)
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 (WA)
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.
* Information sourced from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Contact Us for more information or complete the free assessment for a detailed report on your options for migration to Australia.
