Tasmania
Flag Coat of Arms
Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle
Motto(s): "Ubertas et Fidelitas" (Fertility and Faithfulness)
Other Australian states and territories
Capital	Hobart
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Governor	Peter Underwood
Premier	David Bartlett (ALP)
Federal representation
- House seats	5
- Senate seats	12
Gross State Product (2006-07)
- Product ($m)	$19,239[1] (7th)
- Product per capita	$39,160 (8th)
Population (End of June 2007)
- Population	493,300 (6th)
- Density	7. The current state flag of Tasmania was officially adopted following a proclamation by Tasmanian colonial Governor Frederick Aloysius Weld on September The Coat of Arms of Tasmania is the official symbol of the Australian state and island of Tasmania The following is a list of Australian state and territory slogans. The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of 8 states and territories controlled under a federal system of government There are eight capital cities in Australia, all of which function at a sub-national level Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution which dates from 1856 although it has been amended many times since then A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is The Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. Peter George Underwood AO is currently the Governor of Tasmania. See Premiers of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Premier David John Bartlett (born 19 January 1968 is the current Premier of Tasmania in Australia The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. The House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers of the Parliament of Australia; it is the Lower house, the Upper house being the Senate The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 21/km² (4th) 18. 7 /sq mi
Area
- Total	90,758 km² (7th) 35,042 sq mi
- Land	68,401 km² 26,410 sq mi
- Water	22,357 km² (24. 63%) 8,632 sq mi
Elevation
- Highest	Mount Ossa +1,614 m AHD[2] (5,295 ft)
- Lowest
Time zone	UTC+10 (+11 DST)
Abbreviations
- Postal	TAS
- ISO 3166-2	AU-TS
Emblems
- Flora	Tasmanian Blue Gum
- Mineral	Crocoite
Web site	www.tas.gov.au

Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The Australian Height Datum is a Geodetic datum for Altitude measurement in Australia. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The UTC+10 Time zone covers the following locations Australia (AEST&mdash Australian Eastern Standard Time) Australian Daylight saving time ( DST ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an Evergreen tree one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. Crocoite is a mineral consisting of Lead Chromate, PbCrO4 and crystallizing in the Monoclinic system For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. It is located 240 kilometres (150 mi) south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Bass Strait (bæs is a sea Strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland ( Victoria in particular The state of Tasmania includes the island of Tasmania, and other surrounding islands. Australia has 8222 islands within its maritime borders The largest islands are Tasmania 68332 km² Melville Island 5786 km² Kangaroo Island, 4416 Tasmania has an estimated population of 493,300 as of June 2007^[3] and an area of 68,401 square kilometres (26,410 sq mi). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile.

Tasmania promotes itself as the Natural State and the "Island of Inspiration"^[4] owing to its large, and relatively unspoiled natural environment. Formally, almost 37% of Tasmania is in reserves, National Parks and World Heritage Sites. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex ^[5] The island is 364 kilometres long from the northernmost point to the southernmost point, and 306 kilometres from west to east. South East Cape is the southernmost point of the main island of Tasmania and also the southernmost point of the mainlands of Australia and Tasmania together

The state capital and largest city is Hobart, which encompasses the local government areas of City of Hobart, City of Glenorchy and City of Clarence. There are eight capital cities in Australia, all of which function at a sub-national level Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. The City of Hobart is a Local Government Area of Tasmania, Australia. The City of Glenorchy is one of the five city councils that make up the greater Hobart area of Tasmania. The City of Clarence is a Local Government Area in Tasmania, Australia. Other major population centres include Launceston in the north, and Devonport and Burnie in the northwest. Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia Devonport is a city in the north-west of Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Mersey River. Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, originally settled in 1827 as Emu Bay

The subantarctic Macquarie Island is also under the administration of the state, as part of the Huon Valley Council local government area. Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between Australia and Antarctica. The Huon Valley Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania.

History

Tessellated pavement, a rare rock formation on the Tasman Peninsula

Main article: History of Tasmania

Physical history

It is believed that the island was joined to the mainland until the end of the most recent ice age approximately 10,000 years ago. Tessellated pavement is a rare Sedimentary rock formation that occurs on some ocean shores so named because it fractures into square blocks that appear like tiles or The history of Tasmania begins at the end of the most recent Ice age (approximately 10 000 years ago when it is believed that the island was joined to the Australian An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets

Much of the island is composed of Jurassic dolerite intrusions (upwellings of magma) through other rock types, sometimes forming large columnar crystals. Diabase (ˈdaɪəbeɪs or Dolerite is a Mafic, Holocrystalline, Igneous rock equivalent to Volcanic Basalt or plutonic Tasmania has the world's largest areas of dolerite, with many distinctive mountains and cliffs formed from this rock type. The central plateau and the southeast portions of the island are mostly dolerite. Mount Wellington above Hobart is a good example, showing distinct columns known as the Organ Pipes. Mount Wellington is a Mountain on whose Foothills is built much of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. In the southwest, Precambrian quartzites are formed from very ancient sea sediments and form strikingly sharp ridges and ranges, such as Federation Peak or Frenchman's Cap. The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current Quartzite (from German Quarzit) not to be confused with the Mineral Quartz, is a hard Metamorphic rock which was originally Frenchmans Cap is a prominent mountain in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Western Tasmania, Australia. In the northeast and east, continental granites can be seen, such as at Freycinet, similar to coastal granites on mainland Australia. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. In the northwest and west, mineral rich volcanic rock can be seen at Mt. Volcanic rock is an Igneous rock of volcanic origin Texture Volcanic rocks are usually fine-grained or Aphanitic to glassy in Read near Rosebery, or at Mt. Lyell near Queenstown. Rosebery ( is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Mount Lyell is a mountain in the West Coast Range, Tasmania, named by Charles Gould in 1863 Charles Lyell was named during the nineteenth century Queenstown is a town near the West Coast of the island of Tasmania, Australia. Also present in the south and northwest is limestone with some magnificent caves. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter

The quartzite and dolerite areas in the higher mountains show evidence of glaciation and much of Australia's glaciated landscape is found on the Central Plateau and the Southwest. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Cradle Mountain, another dolerite peak, for example, was a Nunatak. Cradle Mountain is a distinctive mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. A nunatak (from Inuit nunataq) is an exposed often rocky element of a ridge mountain or peak not covered with ice or snow within (or at the edge of an ice The combination of these different rock types offers incredible scenery, much of it distinct from any other region of the world.

Indigenous people

Map of the Tasmanian tribes, 1803

A picture of the last four Tasmanian Aborigines c. 1860s. Truganini, the last to survive, is seated at far right. Truganini (ca 1812 – May 8 1876) is the person generally considered to be the last "full blood" Tasmanian Aborigine.

Main article: Tasmanian Aborigines

Tasmania was first inhabited by the Tasmanian Aborigines, and evidence indicates their presence in the region, later to become an island, at least 35,000 years ago (rising sea levels cut Tasmania off from mainland Australia about 10,000 years ago). The Tasmanian Aborigines ( Aboriginal name Palawa) are the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. The Aboriginal people in Tasmania were divided into nine main ethnic groups (see map). The indigenous population at the time of British settlement in 1803 has been estimated at between 5,000 and 10,000 people, but through persecution (see Black War and Black Line) and disease the population had dwindled to 300 in 1833. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Black War refers to a period of conflict between the British colonists and Tasmanian Aborigines in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in The Black Line is a notorious act that occurred in 1830 in Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land as it was then known A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The entire indigenous population was moved to Flinders Island by George Augustus Robinson at this time. Flinders Island is an island in the Bass Strait, located 20 km from Cape Portland being the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia George Augustus Robinson ( 22 March 1791 &ndash October 18 1866) was a builder and untrained preacher Truganini (1812-1876) is generally recognised as the last full-blooded Tasmanian Aborigine, although there is strong evidence that it was in fact Fanny Cochrane Smith, who was born at Wybalena, and died in 1905. Truganini (ca 1812 – May 8 1876) is the person generally considered to be the last "full blood" Tasmanian Aborigine. Fanny Cochrane Smith, (ca 1834 - 1905 was a Tasmanian Aborigine, born December 1834 after relocation of Tasmania's indigenous population to Wybalena Flinders Island Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting

European arrival

The first reported sighting of Tasmania by a European was on 24 November 1642 by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, after his sponsor, the Governor of the Dutch East Indies Anthony van Diemen. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Abel Janszoon Tasman ( 1603 - October 10 1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and Merchant. See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below Anthony van Diemen (also Antonie, Antonio, Anton, Antonius) ( Culemborg, 1593&ndash Batavia, 19 April 1645 The name was later shortened to Van Diemen's Land by the British. Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. Captain James Cook also sighted the island in 1777, and numerous other European seafarers made landfalls, adding a colourful array to the names of topographical features. Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and

The first settlement was by the British at Risdon Cove on the eastern bank of the Derwent estuary in 1803, by a small party sent from Sydney, under Lt. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Risdon Cove was the site of the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, the smallest Australian state The Derwent is a River in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 John Bowen for the purpose of preventing the French from claiming the island. An alternative settlement was established by Captain David Collins 5 km to the south in 1804 in Sullivan's Cove on the western side of the Derwent, where fresh water was more plentiful. Sullivan's Cove, is on the Derwent River, adjacent to the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania. The latter settlement became known as Hobart Town or Hobarton, later shortened to Hobart, after the British Colonial Secretary of the time, Lord Hobart. The settlement at Risdon was later abandoned.

The early settlers were mostly convicts and their military guards, with the task of developing agriculture and other industries. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Numerous other convict-based settlements were made in Van Diemen's Land, including secondary prisons, such as the particularly harsh penal colonies at Port Arthur in the southeast and Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast. Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Macquarie Harbour is a large shallow inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.

Van Diemen's Land was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales, with its own judicial establishment and Legislative Council, on 3 December 1825. The Legislative Council, or upper house is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common

World attention

View of Hobart foreshore with Mt Wellington in the background

Although the state is seldom in the world news, global attention has turned to Tasmania a few times. Tasmania was badly affected by the 1967 Tasmanian fires in which there was major loss of life and property. The 1967 Tasmanian fires were an Australian Natural disaster which occurred on 7 February 1967, an event which became known as the Black In the 1970s the state government announced plans to flood environmentally significant Lake Pedder. Lake Pedder was a former natural Lake, located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia, and is now the name used to refer to the much larger The collapse of the Tasman Bridge when struck by the bulk ore carrier MV Lake Illawarra in 1975 made crossing the River Derwent at Hobart almost impossible. The Tasman Bridge is a five-lane Bridge crossing the Derwent River, near the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania. River Derwent is the name of several Rivers in England: River Derwent Derbyshire; see also Derwent Reservoir Derbyshire, also National and international attention surrounded the campaign against the Franklin Dam in the early 1980s. The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia that was never This contributed to the start of the Green movement. Green politics is a Political ideology which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals and on achieving these goals through broad-based

Tasmania has received a position in the top ten of several popular international tourism publications.

On 28 April 1996 in the incident now known as the Port Arthur Massacre, lone gunman Martin Bryant shot and killed 35 people (including tourists and residents) and injured 37 others. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The Port Arthur massacre of 28 April 1996 was a killing spree which claimed the lives of 35 people and wounded 37 others mainly at the historic Martin John Bryant (born 7 May 1967) murdered 35 people and injured 19 others in the Port Arthur massacre, a killing spree in Tasmania The use of firearms was immediately reviewed, and new gun ownership laws were adopted nationwide, with Tasmania's law one of the strictest in the nation. A firearm is a Tool that projects either single or multiple Projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is an annual blue-water sailing event that attracts foreign media attention. For the current edition of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race see 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

On 14 May 2004 the royal wedding of former Hobart woman Mary Donaldson to Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, and their subsequent visit in 2005, again drew some international attention to the state. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Early life Mary was born and raised in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Education and military service His godparents include Prince Georg of Denmark Baron Maximilien de Watteville-Berckheim Count Etienne de Laborde de Monpezat Queen Anne-Marie

In April 2006 the Beaconsfield Gold Mine created world media attention when a minor earthquake triggered a mine collapse that killed one person and trapped two others underground for fourteen days. Beaconsfield ( is a town near the Tamar River, in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. The Beaconsfield Mine collapse occurred on 25 April 2006 in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia.

Geography

Tasmania map

Main article: Geography of Tasmania

Tasmania is a rugged island of temperate climate, and was considered so similar in some ways to pre-industrial England that it was referred to by some English colonists as 'a Southern England'. The geography of Tasmania is rugged and varied Tasmania is an island of Temperate climate, so similar in some ways to pre-industrial England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

Tasmania has been volcanically inactive in recent geological times, and has rugged mountain ranges over much of its land area.

The most mountainous regions are the Central Highlands and south western areas, which cover most of the central, west and south west parts of the state. Central Highlands (Tasmania is a region in Tasmania where geographical and administrative boundaries closely coincide The central east area (the Midlands) is fairly flat only by comparison, and is predominantly used for agriculture, although various types of farming activity can be seen all around the state. The Midlands in Tasmania refers to the relatively flat dry agricultural area between Launceston and Hobart, so named because it covers most of the middle

The West Coast has a high rainfall which powers most of the hydro-electric projects, and its earnings from mineral activities are significant. The West Coast Range has some of the better known West Coast mines on its slopes – notably the Mount Lyell mine. The West Coast Range ( of Tasmania is a group of mountains in the West Coast area of Tasmania in Australia that lies to the west of the Mount Lyell is a mountain in the West Coast Range, Tasmania, named by Charles Gould in 1863 Charles Lyell was named during the nineteenth century

The Southwest region, in particular, is densely forested, the National Park holding some of the last temperate rainforests in the world. See also South West Wilderness. The Southwest National Park is located in the south-west of Tasmania, Australia. Management of such an isolated and inaccessible area has been made easier and more reliable with the advent of satellite imaging. Earth observation satellites are Satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from Orbit, similar to Reconnaissance satellites but intended

Cataract Gorge, near Launceston

Most of the population lives on and around the coastal rivers – the Derwent and the Tamar and Mersey Rivers in the north. The Cataract Gorge is a river gorge in Launceston, northern Tasmania, Australia and is one of the region's premier tourist attractions Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia The Derwent is a River in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes Named for the River Tamar in Great Britain, the Tamar River in northern Tasmania is formed by the merging of the North Esk River and South There is also a Mersey River in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.

The temperate climate (Tasmania is the only Australian state with any land south of the 40th parallel), rustic environment and numerous historic features make Tasmania a popular choice for retirees who prefer a temperate climate over a tropical one such as Queensland. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the A tropical climate is a kind of Climate typical in the Tropics. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent Tasmania receives snow in the highlands during winter months, but very little in significantly populated areas.

Tasmania is separated from the Australian mainland by Bass Strait, one of the roughest bodies of water in the world, primarily a result of its shallow depth (typically around 60 m) and its susceptibility to Southern Ocean currents and swells. The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of

Climate, soils and vegetation

Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain, Central Tasmanian Highlands

See also: Climate diagrams of Tasmania

Tasmania is located at latitude 42° South, longitude 147° East, right in the pathway of the notorious "Roaring Forties" wind that encircles the globe. Cradle Mountain is a distinctive mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. The Roaring Forties is a name given especially by sailors to the latitudes between 40°S and 50°S so called because of the boisterous and prevailing westerly winds Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) The Tasmanian climate is extremely variable with high fluctuations in temperature and wind speed during the average week.

Summer lasts from December to February when the average maximum temperature at sea level is 21 °C (70 °F). Winter is from June to August with an average maximum temperature at sea level of 12 °C (54 °F). Inland, temperatures are much cooler. Liawenee on the Central Plateau is regarded as the coldest place in Australia with temperatures even in February ranging only from a still-cold minimum of 4 °C (39 °F) to a maximum of 17 °C (63 °F). In winter the Central Plateau ranges from around -2 °C (28 °F) to 3 °C (37 °F), with much, though very soft, snow.

Highest maximum temperature: 40. 8 °C (105. 4 °F), Hobart, 4 January 1976

Lowest minimum temperature: -13. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 0 °C (8. 6 °F), Butlers Gorge and Shannon, 30 June 1983 ^[6]

Rainfall in Tasmania follows a complicated pattern rather analogous to that found on large continents at the same latitude in the northern hemisphere. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) On the western side rainfall increases from around 1,600 mm (64 inches) at Strahan on the coast up to 2,700 mm (110 inches) at Cradle Valley in the highlands. There is a strong winter maximum in rainfall: January and February typically averages between 30 and 40 percent the rainfall of July and August, though even in the driest months rain usually falls on every second day and the number of rainy days per year is much greater than on any part of the Australian mainland. Further east in the Lake Country, annual rainfall declines to around 900 mm (35 inches), whilst in the Midlands, annual rainfall is as low as 450 mm (18 inches) at Ross and generally below 600 mm (24 inches). Here the rainfall is more evenly distributed than in the west, and most months receive very similar averages.

The densely populated northern coast is a much drier version of the western side, with annual rainfall ranging from 710 mm (28 inches) at Launceston to 1,050 mm (42 inches) at Burnie in the west and Scottsdale in the east. Most rain falls in winter and in summer the average can be as low as 35 mm (1. 5 inches) per month in the Lower Tamar. The east coast is wetter than the Midlands, with an average annual rainfall ranging from 1,000 mm (40 inches) at St. Helens to around 640 mm at Swansea. Here the rainfall is evenly distributed over the year but can be very erratic as heavy rainfalls from the warm Tasman Sea are quite frequent. Whereas a three-day fall of 125 mm (5 inches) occurs only once every fifty years the north coast, it occurs on average once every four or five years around Swansea and Bicheno, and on 7-8 June 1954 there were many falls as large as 230 mm (9 inches) in two days in that area. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) The east coast is sometime called the "sun coast" because of its sunny climate due to the rain shadow of the prevailing westerly winds.

Tasmania's reputation in Australia for having high rainfall, however, differs from the true situation: several sections of inland Tasmania, together with Flinders Island, were declared drought-affected areas by the state government on 1 May 2007. Flinders Island is an island in the Bass Strait, located 20 km from Cape Portland being the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Soils

Great Oyster Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula

Hellyer Gorge, Tasmania

Despite the presence of some Quaternary glaciation, Tasmania's soils are no more fertile than those of mainland Australia, largely because most are severely leached and the areas with driest climate (thus least leaching) were unaffected by glaciation or alluvia derived therefrom. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Most soils on the Bass Strait Islands, the east coast and western Tasmania are very infertile Spodosols or Psamments, with some even less fertile "lateritic podzolic soils" in the latter region. In Soil science, Podsol (also spelled Podzol, or known as Spodosol) are the typical Soils of Coniferous, or Boreal forests In USDA soil taxonomy, a Psamment is defined as an Entisol which consists basically of unconsolidated Sand deposits often found in shifting sand dunes Most of these lands are thus not used for agriculture, but there is much productive forestry - which remains the economic mainstay of the state.

On the north coast, apart from some relatively fertile alluvial soils used for fruit growing, there are also deep red, easily workable soils known as "krasnozems" ("red land"). These soils are highly acidic and fix phosphate very effectively, but their extremely favourable physical properties make them extensively used for dairying, beef cattle and fodder crops.

The Midlands and the Lower Derwent present a different story from the rest of the state. Owing to a relatively dry climate and alkaline (mostly dolerite) parent material, these soils are relatively unleached and contain lime in the deeper subsoil. Diabase (ˈdaɪəbeɪs or Dolerite is a Mafic, Holocrystalline, Igneous rock equivalent to Volcanic Basalt or plutonic They are mostly classified as "prairie soils" or "brown earths" and bear some resemblance to the chernozems of Russia and North America, although they are much lower in available phosphorus and somewhat acidic in the surface levels. Chernozem (чернозём black soil) also known as "black land" or "black earth" is a black-coloured Soil containing a very high percentage Phosphorus, (ˈfɒsfərəs is the Chemical element that has the symbol P and Atomic number 15 Their higher nutrient levels, however, allow them to support productive pasture and large numbers of sheep are grazed in these regions. Some grain crops are also grown in the driest areas. In the alluvial areas of southeastern Tasmania, rich alluvial soils permit apples to be grown. The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae.

Vegetation

Huon Pine. The species Lagarostrobos franklinii is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia; it is the sole

Mountain Ash, worlds tallest flowering plant. Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy

Lavender farm in Tasmania

All these factors contribute to the extremely diverse Tasmanian vegetation, from the heavily grazed grassland of the dry Midlands to the tall evergreen eucalypt forest, alpine heathlands and large areas of cool temperate rainforests and moorlands in the rest of the State. The Lavenders Lavandula are a Genus of about 25–30 species of Flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora. For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps. Temperate rainforests are Coniferous or broadleaf Forests that occur in the Temperate zone and receive high rainfall Many flora species are unique to Tasmania, and some are related to species in South America and New Zealand through ancestors which grew on the super continent of Gondwana, 50 million years ago. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Gondwana (ɡɒnˈdwɑːnə originally Gondwanaland) was a southern Supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Ma ago

Tasmania is also home to some of the tallest and oldest trees of the world. While individual Huon Pines are believed to be more than 2. The species Lagarostrobos franklinii is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia; it is the sole 000 years old, which is impressive by itself, a stand of male Huon Pines at Mount Read has maintained itself by vegetative reproduction and is estimated to be more than 10. Mount Read is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia, that is at the north west edge of what is known as the West Coast Range As colourful a history Vegetative reproduction is a type of Asexual reproduction found in plants and is also called vegetative propagation or vegetative multiplication. 000 years old. ^[7] The tallest trees in Australia are found in the Styx Valley and Mountain Ashes on the island are more than 90 metres tall. Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy As these are still growing, there is hope they will surpass the tallest tree ever measured in the country, a Mountain Ash growing at Thorpdale, Victoria measuring more than 112 metres before it was felled in 1884. Thorpdale is a small country town in the Gippsland area of eastern Victoria, Australia, less than 20 km south of Trafalgar. ^[8]

Government

Official logo of Tasmanian Government

Main article: Government of Tasmania

See also: Local Government Areas of Tasmania

The form of the government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution which dates from 1856 although it has been amended many times since then Local Government Areas of Tasmania, Australia This article also includes lists of towns suburbs and localities of Tasmania A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity Since 1901 Tasmania has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Australian Constitution regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth, and prescribes which powers each level of government enjoys. The Constitution of Australia is the law under which the Australian Commonwealth Government operates

Politics

Main articles: Governors of Tasmania and Parliament of Tasmania

Tasmanian politics is often characterised as being overly concerned with personality and parochialism. The Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Parliament of Tasmania consists of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Monarch represented by the Governor of Tasmania Parochialism means being provincial being narrow in scope or considering only small sections of an issue These factors may be due to the relative smallness of the Tasmanian electorate, as well as historical claims of Launceston being the "northern capital". Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia From 1803 until the proclamation of Van Diemen's Land in 1823, the island had been split into two dependencies of New South Wales, with Hobart and Launceston the administrative centres.

In the Commonwealth Parliament, Tasmania is well represented in the Senate, where seats are not proportional to population. The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. Between 1975 and 2005, Tasmanian independent senator Brian Harradine often held the balance of power. Brian Harradine (born 9 January 1935) Australian Politician, was an independent member of the Australian Senate from 1975 to 2005 In Parliamentary politics the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor Political party or other grouping whose guaranteed As a result he was able to gain the passage of legislation that, although often matching his conservative religious views, was also very financially rewarding for the state. Harradine successfully defended his seat in six consecutive senate elections and did not stand for re-election at the 2004 federal election. Federal elections were held in Australia on 9 October, 2004. All 150 seats in the House of Representatives and 40 seats in the 76-member His term ended in June 2005.

Tasmania's House of Assembly and local government elections use a system of multi-seat proportional representation known as Hare-Clark. The House of Assembly, or lower house is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes Single transferable vote (STV is a preferential Voting system designed to minimize Wasted votes and provide Proportional representation

In the 2002 state election, the Labor Party held 14 of the 25 available seats. The Liberal Party saw their percentage of the vote decrease dramatically, claiming only 7 seats. The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. The Greens won four seats, with over 18% of the vote, the highest proportion of any Green party in any parliament in the world. The Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia who developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder

On 23 February 2004, the Premier Jim Bacon announced his retirement, due to being diagnosed with lung cancer from smoking. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " James Alexander Bacon AC ( 15 May 1950 - 20 June 2004) was Premier of Tasmania from 1998 to 2004 Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. In his last months he opened a vigorous anti-smoking campaign which included many restrictions of where individuals could smoke, such as pubs. He died four months later.

Bacon was succeeded by Paul Lennon, who, after leading the state for two years, went on to win the 2006 state election in his own right. Paul Anthony Lennon (born 8 October 1955)is an Australian Labor Party politician Lennon resigned in 2008, and was succeeded by David Bartlett. David John Bartlett (born 19 January 1968 is the current Premier of Tasmania in Australia

Tasmania has a number of relatively unspoilt, ecologically valuable regions. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Proposals for local economic development have therefore been faced with strong requirements for environmental sensitivity, or outright opposition. In particular, proposals for hydroelectric power generation proved controversial in the late 20th century. In the 1970s, opposition to the construction of the Lake Pedder impoundment led to the formation of the world's first green party, the United Tasmania Group. Lake Pedder was a former natural Lake, located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia, and is now the name used to refer to the much larger A Green party' or ecologist party is a formally organized Political party based on the principles of Green politics. The United Tasmania Group (UTG is generally acknowledged as the world's first Green Party.

In the early 1980s the state was again plunged into often bitter debate over the proposed Franklin River Dam. The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia that was never The anti-dam sentiment was shared by many Australians outside Tasmania, and proved a factor in the election of the Hawke Labor government in 1983, which halted construction of the dam. Robert James Lee (Bob Hawke, AC (born 9 December 1929 was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia and longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister Since the 1980s the environmental focus has shifted to old growth logging, which has proved a highly divisive issue. Ancient Woodland Old growth forest, (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. The Tasmania Together process recommended an end to clear felling in high conservation old growth forests by January 2003.

Economy

Western Tasmania with natural resources on 1865 map

Tasmania's erratic economy was first experienced by colonists in the early 1800s. The reasons have been many and varied over the years. More recently the reasons have been attributed to: lack of federal infrastructure highway, lack of a gold rush, lack of open immigration initiatives, lack of population, decline in the wool and mineral economies, lack of early colonial initiatives, or lack of foreign investment. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of Gold. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species For the length of the history of Tasmania there has been a continuing exodus of youth to mainland Australia in order to seek employment opportunities.

Traditionally Tasmania's main industries have been: mining, including copper, zinc, tin, and iron; agriculture; forestry; and tourism. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50 Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Significantly in the 1940s and 1950s there had been a notion of 'Hydro-Industrialisation' embodied in the state by Hydro Tasmania. Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as The HEC, is the predominant Electricity generator in the state of Tasmania, Australia. These all have had varying fortunes over the last century and more, involved in ebbs and flows of population moving in and away dependent upon the specific requirements of the dominant industries of the time.

There had been a decline in manufacturing during the 1990s, leading to a drain of some of the island's trained and experienced working population to mainland Australia. Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale The major urban centres such as Melbourne and Sydney are popular destinations. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4

The state has a large number of food exporting sectors, including but not limited to seafood (for example, Atlantic salmon, abalone and crayfish). Seafood is any Sea Animal or Seaweed that is served as Food, or is suitable for eating particularly saltwater animals such Atlantic salmon, known scientifically as Salmo salar, is a species of Fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Abalone (from Spanish Abulón) are medium-sized to very large edible sea Snails marine Gastropod Mollusks in the Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, or crodgers are freshwater Crustaceans resembling small Lobsters to which they are closely

Since 2001, Tasmania has experienced a positive turnaround. Favourable economic conditions throughout Australia, cheaper air fares and two new Spirit of Tasmania ferries have all contributed to what is now a booming tourism industry. Spirit of Tasmania may refer to The trading name of TT-Line Pty

Today, a significant number of employed Tasmanians work for the government. Other major employers include the Federal Group, owner of several hotels and Tasmania's two casinos, and Gunns Limited, the state's biggest forestry company. The Federal Group owns and operates tourism and gambling businesses in Tasmania. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis A casino is in the modern sense of the word a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of Gambling activities Gunns Limited ( is a major Forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. In the late 1990s, many national companies based their call centres in the state after obtaining cheap access to broad-band fibre-optic connections. A call centre or call center (see spelling differences) is a centralized office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by

Apparently the state's housing market was undervalued in the early part of 2000, and a large boom in the national housing market finally made Tasmanian housing prices rise dramatically. This has in part been attributed to increased levels of interstate^[9] and overseas migration. Immigration to Australian continent is estimated to have begun around 50000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of A shortage of rental accommodation has caused problems for many of Tasmania's low income earners.

Small business is a large part of the community life and it is believed by many that the business environment in Tasmania is not an easy one to survive in. However there have been many success stories, such as International Catamarans, Moorilla Estate and Tassal. Incat is a manufacturer of large HSC Catamarans based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Moorilla Estate is a Winery located in the suburb of Berriedale, 12 km north of the city centre of Hobart, Tasmania. TASSAL is Australia's largest producer and exporter of Atlantic Salmon.

Transport

The Spirit of Tasmania links the island with mainland Australia

Air The fastest and cheapest method of travel across Bass Strait is by air. Spirit of Tasmania may refer to The trading name of TT-Line Pty An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license The main carriers are Qantas and its subsidiary JetStar, and Virgin Blue, which fly direct routes to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. Jetstar Airways is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne, Australia. Virgin Blue is an Australian Low-cost airline, Australia's second-biggest Airline as well as the largest airline (by fleet size with the Virgin branding Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia with a Low cost airline Tiger Airways commenced services between Melbourne and Launceston in November 2007 and Hobart in January 2008. Tiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd is a low cost airline which commenced services in the Australian domestic airline market on 23 November 2007 Launceston Airport is a regional airport on the outskirts of Launceston, Tasmania. Major airports include Hobart International Airport and Launceston Airport; the smaller airports, Burnie (Wynyard), serviced by Regional Express and Devonport, serviced by Qantaslink have services to Melbourne. Launceston Airport is a regional airport on the outskirts of Launceston, Tasmania. Burnie Airport, also called Wynyard Airport, is a small regional airport located in Wynyard near the town of Burnie, Tasmania, Regional Express Pty Ltd (also known as Rex) is an Airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. Devonport Airport is a small Australian regional airport serving the town of Devonport in Tasmania 's north-west QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld Airline alliance. Melbourne Airport, also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the busiest of the four airports in Melbourne, and the second busiest in Australia

Sea The domestic sea route is serviced by Bass Strait passenger/vehicle ferries operated by the Tasmanian Government-owned TT-Line (Tasmania). The TT-Line Pty Ltd of Tasmania is a Ferry company operating ferries from Tasmania to the mainland of Australia since 1985

From 1986 the Abel Tasman made six weekly overnight crossings between Devonport and Melbourne. History The M/S Abel Tasman was the first Ferry of the TT-line (Tasmania - a passenger/vehicle ferry that was built at Nobiskrug in Rendsburg Devonport is a city in the north-west of Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Mersey River. It was replaced by the Spirit of Tasmania in 1993, which performed the same route and schedule. History MS Princess of Norway was built as the MS Peter Pan (the third ship to bear the name in TT-Line fleet for the TT-line (Germany at The most recent change was the 2002 replacement of the Spirit by two Superfast ferries - Spirit of Tasmania I and Spirit of Tasmania II — which brought the number of weekly overnight crossings up to fourteen, plus additional daylight crossings in peak times. Spirit of Tasmania may refer to The trading name of TT-Line Pty In January 2004 a third ship, the slightly smaller Spirit of Tasmania III, started the Devonport to Sydney route. This service was axed by the Tasmanian Government in June 2006 quoting low passenger numbers. Two container ships owned by Toll Shipping also make daily crossings between Burnie and Melbourne. Toll Shipping, part of Toll Holdings, operates shipping services between the isalnd of Tasmania and mainland Australia. Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, originally settled in 1827 as Emu Bay The port of Hobart also serves as a host to visiting cruise ships.

The state is also home to International Catamarans, a manufacturer of very high-speed aluminium vessels (commonly known as SeaCat) that regularly broke records when they were first launched. Incat is a manufacturer of large HSC Catamarans based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. SeaCat was the marketing name used by Sea Containers Ltd for Ferry services between Northern Ireland and Scotland between 1992 and 2004 The state government tried using them on the Bass Strait run, but eventually decided to discontinue the run due to concerns over viability and the suitability of the vessels for the extreme weather conditions sometimes experienced in the strait.

Tasmania, Hobart in particular, serves as Australia's chief sea link to Antarctica, with the Australian Antarctic Division located in Kingston. The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD is a division of the Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts. Kingston is a suburb and region on the outskirts of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Hobart is also the home port of the French ship l'Astrolabe, which makes regular supply runs to the French Southern Territories near and in Antarctica. The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises abbreviated TAAF) full name Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Hobart has the second deepest natural port in the world, second to only Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

Road Within the state, the primary form of transport is by road. Since the 1980s, many of the state's highways have undergone regular upgrades. The Highways in Tasmania generally expand from Hobart and other major cities with secondary roads interconnecting the highways to each other These include the Hobart Southern Outlet, Launceston Southern Outlet, Bass Highway reconstruction, and the Huon Highway. The Bass Highway is a Highway in Tasmania, Australia. It is a part of the National Highway, designated as National Highway 1 The Huon Highway is an 87 km Highway in southern Tasmania, Australia.

Rail Rail transport in Tasmania consists of narrow gauge lines to all four major population centres and to mining and forestry operations on the west coast and in the northwest. See also Rail transport in Australia Rail transport in Tasmania consists of a network of narrow gauge track of reaching virtually all cities and major towns A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways Services are operated by TasRail, a Pacific National subsidiary. Tasrail was the brand name of the Australian National Railways Commission 's Tasmanian rail operations that it had absorbed from the former Tasmanian Government Pacific National is one of Australia 's largest private rail freight businesses Regular passenger train services in the state ceased in 1977; the only trains are for freight, and there are tourist trains in specific areas, for example the West Coast Wilderness Railway. A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another The West Coast Wilderness Railway Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point In 2005 there were concerns that the rail service was in so much trouble that it might stop for everything but cement haulage.

Culture

Cuisine

During colonial times typical English cuisine would have been standard in most areas of Tasmania. Cuisine (from French cuisine, "cooking culinary art kitchen" ultimately from Latin coquere, "to cook" is a specific set The arrival of immigrants and changing cultural patterns has meant Tasmania now has a wide range of restaurants. Scattered across Tasmania are a number of vineyards and Tasmanian beer brands such as Boags and Cascade are known and sold on the mainland. A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic Boag's Brewery (J Boag & Son is an Australian Brewery company founded in 1883 by James Boag and son also named James in Launceston, Tasmania, Cascade Brewery is the oldest Brewery in Australia. It is based in South Hobart, Tasmania. King Island off the north-western coast of Tasmania has a reputation for boutique cheeses and dairy products. King Island is one of the islands that make up the state of Tasmania, Australia.

Events

Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Wild Oats XI after the 2005 race

Constitution Dock

Main article: List of Events in Tasmania

In order to foster tourism, the state government encourages or supports several different annual events in and around the island. For the current edition of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race see 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. A range of events occur in Tasmania, from well known sporting fixtures such as Sydney to Hobart, to arts festivals such as 10 Days on the Island. The best known of these would be the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, starting on Boxing Day in Sydney and usually arriving at Constitution Dock in Hobart around three to four days later, during the Taste of Tasmania an annual food and wine festival. For the current edition of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race see 2007 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Yacht racing is the sport of competitive Sailing. There is a broad variety of kinds of races and sailboats used for racing Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth Constitution Dock is the Harbour -side dock area of Hobart, the capital city of the Australian state of Tasmania, on the Derwent The Taste (previously branded The Taste of Tasmania) is Tasmania's largest food and wine festival

Other events include the road rally Targa Tasmania which attracts world-class rally drivers and is staged all over the state, over five days. Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars Targa Tasmania is a tarmac-based rally event held on the island state of Tasmania, Australia, annually since 1992. Rural or regional events include Agfest is a three-day agricultural show held at Carrick (just west of Launceston) in early May, and the Royal Hobart Show and Royal Launceston Show, both held in October of each year. Carrick is a small town in northern Tasmania about west of Launceston on the Liffey River, and on the 'Old Bass Highway' or Meander Valley Highway. The Royal Hobart Show is an annual event held at the Royal Showgrounds in Glenorchy in October The Royal Launceston Show is an annual event held at the Launceston Showgrounds in Inveresk in October and is hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania. Music events held in Tasmania include the Falls Festival at Marion Bay (a Victoria event now held in both Victoria and Tasmania on New Year's Eve), and the Southern Roots Festival held in Hobart each Easter. The Falls Festival is a New Year's Eve Music festival, held annually in Marion Bay Tasmania and Lorne Victoria Australia since 1993 Marion Bay Located on the southern part of the east coast of Tasmania, Australia. New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year and the day before New Year's Day. Southern Roots is an annual Music festival in Australia, held in Hobart, Tasmania. A recent addition to the state has been the 10 Days on the Island arts festival; however, it has drawn criticism from environmental groups for its acceptance of sponsorship from forestry company Gunns. A festival is an event usually and ordinarily staged by a local community which centers on some unique aspect of that community Gunns Limited ( is a major Forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia.

Literature

Main article: Tasmanian literature

Tasmania has a relatively small but growing literary culture. Tasmania, given its small geographic size and population has a strong literary culture Notable titles include For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clarke, The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan and Out of Ireland by Christopher Koch. For the Term of his Natural Life, written by Marcus Clarke, was published in the Australian Journal between 1870 and 1872 (as His Natural Life This article is about the novelist Marcus Clarke For the puppeteer of the same name see Marcus Clarke (puppeteer. Richard Flanagan (born 1961 is an author historian and film director from Tasmania, Australia. Christopher John Koch AO Australian novelist was born in Hobart in 1932 The ‘Tasmanian genre’ of fiction includes children's books such as Tiger Tale by Marion and Steve Isham. Tiger Tale is a children's Picture book illustrated by Marion Isham and written by Steve Isham

Music

Tasmania has a varied musical scene, ranging from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra whose home is the Federation Concert Hall, to a substantial number of small bands, orchestras, string quintets, saxophone ensembles and individual artists who perform at a variety of venues around the state. Activities The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra was established in 1948. Tasmania is also home to a vibrant community of composers including Constantine Koukias, Maria Grenfell and Don Kay, who is the patron of the Tasmanian Composers Collective^[10] which is the representative body for composers in Tasmania. Constantine Koukias (born 1965 is a Greek - Australian Composer. Maria Grenfell (born 1969 is an Australian New Zealand Composer. Don Kay is a Tasmanian Composer. Born and educated in Tasmania, Kay moved to undertake his music degree at the University of Melbourne before moving The Tasmanian Composers Collective is the representative body for Composers born and/or living in Tasmania, Australia. Tasmania is also home to one of Ausralia's leading new music institutions, IHOS Music Theatre and Opera and gospel choirs, the Southern Gospel Choir. IHOS Music Theatre and Opera is a Tasmanian opera company was established in Hobart in 1990 by composer and artistic director Constantine Koukias, Death Metal band Psycroptic hail from Tasmania and are one of the most prominent Australian metal bands. Psycroptic is a Technical Death Metal band from Hobart Australia. Apart from the Classical musical season and regular gigs across the state by a number of local and interstate groups two of the highlights of the musical year would be the Falls Festival held during the summer holidays and the Carols by Candlelight held in the weeks prior to Christmas. The Falls Festival is a New Year's Eve Music festival, held annually in Marion Bay Tasmania and Lorne Victoria Australia since 1993 Carols by Candlelight is an Australian Christmas tradition that has spread around the world

Sport

Aurora Stadium in Launceston

Main article: Sport in Tasmania

The dominant sports in Tasmania are cricket and Australian rules football. Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia Sport is an important part of Tasmanian culture The only Tasmanian team in a major national sport is the Tasmanian cricket team which play in Australian domestic Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Australian (rules football, or simply known as football, footy or Aussie rules, is a Team sport played between two teams of 18 players Tasmania has produced two prominent international cricket stars, David Boon and current Australian captain Ricky Ponting. Ricky Thomas Ponting (born 19 December 1974 is a professional Australian Cricketer and current captain of the Australian cricket team in One Day International The Tasmanian Tigers cricket team, which plays home games at Bellerive Oval on the eastern shore, represents the state in limited overs and first-class cricket competitions. The Tasmanian Tigers are the official first-class Cricket team of Tasmania, Australia. Bellerive Oval is a sports ground in Bellerive, eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. In the last few years they have had significant success, with them winning the ING One Day Cup in 2004-05 for the first time in 10 years, and the Pura Cup for the first time in 2006-07.

Despite Australian rules football's huge popularity in the state, Tasmania does not have a team in the AFL. The Australian Football League (AFL is both the professional Australian national competition in the Sport of Australian Rules Football and its highest They do have a team (the Tasmanian Devils) in the VFL (Victorian league), and a team in the national league is a popular topic among supporters as well as the state government (one of the potential sponsors of such a team). The Tasmania Football Club, nicknamed The Devils, is an Australian rules football club in the Victorian Football League in Australia. History The Victorian Football Association (VFA was founded in 1877 on 17 May. From the 2001 season onwards, some AFL teams have played scheduled games at Aurora Stadium (at York Park in Launceston). Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia Since 2007, the Hawthorn Football Club has been in a sponsorship agreement with the Tasmanian government to play four home games a year in Launceston. Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL founded in 1902 One of the notable matches to be played at York Park was an infamous match between St Kilda and Fremantle which was controversially drawn after the umpires failed to hear the siren. The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian Football League club based in Melbourne Victoria Australia Fremantle Football Club, unofficially nicknamed The Dockers and known informally as "Freo" is one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League (AFL The AFL siren controversy of 2006 (dubbed Sirengate) surrounded the conclusion and result of an Australian rules football match played on 30 April

In basketball, the state has not been represented in the National Basketball League since the demise of the Hobart Devils in 1996; however, strong representation from the state can be found in the South East Australian Basketball League. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The National Basketball League is Australia 's top-level professional Basketball competition The Hobart Devils were an Australian Basketball team that played in Hobart, Tasmania, in the National Basketball League. SEABL (the South East Australian Basketball League) consists of two men's and one women's conferences in the Australian Basketball Association (ABA Two men's teams: The Oasis Hobart Chargers, and the Northwest Tasmania Thunder are joined in the women's SEABL by the Launceston Tornadoes and the Women's NW Tasmania Thunder also.

Tasmania is not being represented in national association football (see Association football in Tasmania) and netball leagues. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Association football (soccer in Tasmania is organised by Football Federation Tasmania. Netball is a non-contact team Sport similar to and derived from Basketball.

In Tasmania, there is a motor racing circuit in Launceston called Symmons Plains Raceway. Launceston ( (short first vowel /ˈlɔːnsəstən/ is often incorrectly heard in other parts of Australia is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia Symmons Plains Raceway is a Motor racing circuit in Australia, located about 30 kilometres (about 18 It holds rounds of the V8 Supercars, the YMF Loans Australian Superbike Championship, Australian Formula 3 Championship and the CAMS Nationals. V8 Supercars is a Touring car racing category operated under the regulations of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA Superbike racing is a category of Motorcycle racing that employs modified production motorcycles Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS has been the governing body of Australian Motorsport since 1953.

Finally, the town of Bridport in the north-east is home to Barnbougle Dunes, a public golf course designed by architect Tom Doak which opened in 2004 and is ranked among the top 100 courses in the world. Bridport is a small town on the north-east coast of Tasmania, Australia. Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links is a Golf course located near seaside village of Bridport in Tasmania 's North-East Tom Doak is a Golf course designer. He currently has 4 courses ranked among the top 100 in the world according to Golf Magazine 's Top 100 Courses in the ^[11]

Prominent Tasmanians

Main article: List of Tasmanians

Tasmania has produced a number of significant people. This is a list of well known Tasmanians by birth or association These include: the Prime Minister Joseph Lyons; author Richard Flanagan the actor Errol Flynn; Baywatch actor Jaason Simmons; drummer Adam Davison; Dancer and Choreographer Graeme Murphy; Composer Peter Sculthorpe; Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane and Primate of Australia Phillip Aspinall; Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (Mary Donaldson); World Champion Woodchopper; David Foster, Australian cricket personalities Ricky Ponting and David Boon; Motor Racing Australian Touring car/V8 Supercar; John Bowe (1995 champion) Marcos Ambrose (2003-4 champion): Marcos now races in the NASCAR Busch Series. Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH (15 September 1879 &ndash 7 April 1939 Australian politician Richard Flanagan (born 1961 is an author historian and film director from Tasmania, Australia. Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn ( June 20, 1909 &ndash October 14, 1959) was an Australian Film Actor, most Baywatch was an American Television series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the crowded Beaches of Jaason Simmons (b July 12 1970, Hobart Tasmania) is an Australian Actor, best known for the role of Logan Fowler Graeme Murphy (born 2 November 1950 is regarded as one of Australia 's best dance Choreographers Together with his wife the fellow dancer Janet Vernon, Peter Joshua Sculthorpe AO OBE (born 29 April 1929 is a noted Australian Composer. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Phillip Aspinall (born 1959 has been the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Queensland, Australia since February 2002 and Primate Early life Mary was born and raised in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. David "Big Dave" Foster OAM (born 20 March 1957) is a world champion woodchopper, and Tasmanian community figure Ricky Thomas Ponting (born 19 December 1974 is a professional Australian Cricketer and current captain of the Australian cricket team in One Day International Marcos Ambrose (born September 1, 1976 in Launceston Tasmania) is an Australian racing driver The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a Stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing.

Indigenous animals

Thylacine

Captive Tasmanian Tigers in a zoo.

The island of Tasmania was home to the Thylacine, a marsupial which resembled a wild dog. The Thylacine (ˈθaɪləsaɪn -iːn ( Thylacinus cynocephalus Latin wolf-headed pouched dog was the largest known carnivorous Marsupial of modern Marsupials are an Infraclass of Mammals characterized by a distinctive pouch (called the marsupium) in which females carry their young through Known colloquially as the Tasmanian Tiger for the distinctive striping across its back, it became extinct in mainland Australia much earlier because of competition by the dingo, introduced in prehistoric times. Description Appearance Adult dingoes are typically 48–58 cm (19–23 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh on average 23–32 kgs (50–70 pounds though specimens Owing to persecution by farmers, government-funded bounty hunters and, in the final years, collectors for overseas museums, it appears to have been exterminated in Tasmania. The last known animal died in captivity in 1936. Many alleged sightings have been recorded, none of them confirmed.

Tasmanian Devil

Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous marsupial found exclusively on the island of Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii) also referred to simply as "the devil" is a carnivorous Marsupial now found in the wild only in Marsupials are an Infraclass of Mammals characterized by a distinctive pouch (called the marsupium) in which females carry their young through The size of a small dog but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian Devil is characterised by black fur with white patches. It has a loud and disturbing screech-like growl, possesses a vicious temperament and is predominantly a scavenger. The Devil survived European settlement and was considered widespread and common throughout Tasmania until recently.

Like a lot of wildlife, fast vehicles on roads are a problem for Tasmanian Devils, which are often killed while feeding on other road-killed animals such as wallabies. A wallaby is any of about thirty species of Macropod (Family Macropodidae

As of 2005 the Tasmanian Devil population has been reduced by up to 80% in parts of Tasmania by the devil facial tumour disease, which is gradually spreading throughout the island. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Devil facial tumour disease ( DFTD) is a transmittable Parasitic cancer in the Tasmanian Devil. It is believed the majority starved when the tumours spread to their mouths, and that the tumours are spread by fighting between devils over carcasses they feed on – typically, fighting devils will bite one another's faces. There is no known cure for the disease, and intensive research is underway to determine its cause. There is also a captive breeding program being undertaken by the Tasmanian government to establish a disease-free, genetically-diverse population of Tasmanian Devils outside Tasmania. This has been relatively successful so far.

Birds

Many birds of the Australian mainland and surrounding oceans are also found in Tasmania. Tasmania has 12 endemic bird species:

• 4 honeyeaters (family Meliphagidae) - the Yellow Wattlebird (world's largest honeyeater) and the Yellow-throated, Black-headed and Strong-billed Honeyeaters
• 3 Australo-Papuan warblers (family Acanthizidae) - the Tasmanian Thornbill, the Scrubtit and the Tasmanian Scrubwren
• 1 pardalote (family Pardalotidae) - the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote
• 1 old-world flycatcher (family Muscicapidae) - the Dusky Robin
• 1 corvid (family Artamidae) - the Black Currawong
• 1 parrot (family Psittacidae) - the Green Rosella
• 1 rail (family Rallidae) - the Tasmanian Native-hen, Australia's only flightless land bird other than the giant ratites (Emu and Southern Cassowary). Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, UserPolbot. -->The Yellow Wattlebird ( Anthochaera paradoxa) is a species of Bird in UserPolbot. -->The Yellow-throated Honeyeater ( Lichenostomus flavicollis) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Black-headed Honeyeater ( Melithreptus affinis) is a species of Bird in the Meliphagidae UserPolbot. -->The Strong-billed Honeyeater ( Melithreptus validirostris) is a species of Bird in the The Acanthizidae, also known as the Australasian Warblers, are a family of passerine birds which include Gerygones Thornbills and Scrubwrens The Tasmanian Thornbill ( Acanthiza ewingii) is a small brown bird only found in Tasmania and the islands in the Bass Strait. The Scrubtit ( Acanthornis magnus) is a species of Bird in the thornbill family Acanthizidae. The Tasmanian Scrubwren or Brown Scrubwren ( Sericornis humilis) is a Bird Species. The large and diverse Passerine bird family Pardalotidae includes the Pardalotes Scrubwrens Thornbills Gerygones and allies The Forty-spotted Pardalote ( Pardalotus quadragintus) is by far the rarest Pardalote, now being confined to the south-east corner of Tasmania. The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small Passerine Birds restricted to the Old World. UserPolbot. -->The Dusky Robin ( Melanodryas vittata) is a species of Bird in the Petroicidae The family Artamidae gathers together 20 Species of mostly crow-like birds native to Australasia and nearby areas The Black Currawong, Strepera fuliginosa also known locally as the Black Jay is a medium-sized omnivorous Songbird native to Australia. The true parrots are about 330 species of bird belonging to the Psittacidae family, one of the two "traditional" families in the biological order The Green Rosella or Tasmanian Rosella ( Platycercus caledonicus) is endemic to Tasmania. The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized Birds The family exhibits considerable diversity The Tasmanian Native-hen ( Gallinula mortierii) is a Flightless water hen one of twelve species of birds endemic to Tasmania. A ratite is any of a diverse group of large Flightless birds of Gondwanan origin most of them now extinct The Emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest Bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the Genus The Southern Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius, also known as Double-wattled Cassowary or Two-wattled Cassowary, is a large flightless black bird with

The endemic Tasmanian Emu was exterminated in the mid-1800s. The Tasmanian Emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis) is an Extinct Subspecies of the Emu. The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle is a threatened endemic subspecies.

Frogs

Tasmania is home to 11 species of frog. This article is about the block cipher algorithm For the ultrafast laser pulse measurement technique see Frequency-resolved optical gating. Three of these are found only in Tasmania, the Tasmanian Tree Frog (Litoria burrowsae), the Tasmanian Froglet (Crinia tasmaniensis) and the recently discovered Moss Froglet (Bryobatrachus nimbus). The Tasmanian Tree Frog, ( Litoria burrowsae) is a species of tree frog that is found on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia The Tasmanian Froglet, ( Crinia tasmaniensis) is a species of ground-dwelling frog that occurs only in Tasmania, Australia UserPolbot. -->The Moss Froglet or Moss Frog ( Crinia nimbus) is a species of Frog in the Of the 11 species that inhabit Tasmania all are native to Australia. Tasmania is home to the largest breeding population of Growling Grass Frogs (Litoria raniformis), a vulnerable species, which has declined over much of its range. The Growling Grass Frog ( Litoria raniformis) also commonly known as the Southern Bell Frog, Warty Swamp Frog and erroneously as the

European Red Fox

On 20 June 2001, Tasmania formed a fox task force to eliminate the European red fox. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Red Fox ( Vulpes vulpes) is a Mammal of the order Carnivora. Officials planned to spend up to AU$ 50 million (US$ 48 million) on an eradication campaign. No foxes have been captured,shot,poisoned or photographed in the Island state in the past six years causing sceptics to claim the fox is an elaborate hoax. Authorities claim foxes (between 50 and 400) could devastate ground-nesting birds and native rodents. Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must Experts estimate there are 30 million foxes on mainland Australia, having been introduced by European settlers. An "expert" ( is someone widely recognized as a reliable source of technique or Skill whose faculty for judging or deciding rightly justly A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small Since the Renaissance, Europe has had a dominating influence in culture economics and social movements in the world A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there often to colonize the area ^[12] The member of the Upper house,the Legislative Council member for Windermere Ivan Dean MLC has been publicly critical of the fox evidence used to obtain funding for a taxpayer funded Fox Eradication Branch of the Tasmanian D. P. I. W. Ivan Dean MLC was the Tasmanian Police Commander that led the Police investigation into the alleged importation and release of foxes into Tasmania. The investigation did not uncover any evidence of illegal importation. ^[13] Ivan Dean MLC raised the Tasmanian Fox issue in the Tasmanian Parliament on the 17th April 2007 ^[14]

Places in Tasmania

See also: Geography of Tasmania

A small island just off the shore of Bruny Island, South East of Tasmania

Honeymoon Bay, Freycinet National Park, East Coast of Tasmania

See also: List of Australian islands, lakes, bridges, highways, rivers, mountains and regions. The geography of Tasmania is rugged and varied Tasmania is an island of Temperate climate, so similar in some ways to pre-industrial England Bruny Island ( is an island off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, from which it is separated by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Boundary Islet is an islet about 60000 square metres in size in the Hogan Group of islands and islets at latitude 39°12' S south of the Wilson's Promontory, the southernmost Bruny Island ( is an island off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, from which it is separated by the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Cape Barren Island is located off the north east coast of Tasmania, Australia, and is one of the islands of the Furneaux Group in Bass Strait Flinders Island is an island in the Bass Strait, located 20 km from Cape Portland being the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia King Island is one of the islands that make up the state of Tasmania, Australia. The Maatsuyker Islands Group is a group of Islands and rocks located 5 Schouten Island is a 34 km2 island in eastern Tasmania, Australia. Maria Island is a mountainous island off the east coast of Tasmania. Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between Australia and Antarctica. The Great Lake is a half man made Lake located in the central north region of Tasmania, Australia, its original size was much smaller it is dammed for Lake Gordon is the name of a Lake created by the Gordon River Dam on the upper reaches of the Gordon River in south west Tasmania. Lake Pedder was a former natural Lake, located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia, and is now the name used to refer to the much larger Lake St Clair is a Lake in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania, Australia. Lake Burbury Tasmania ( is a man made lake created by the Crotty Dam made by Hydro Tasmania inundating the upper King River valley that lies east Lake Margaret ( is the name of a Lake high up on the north side of Mount Sedgwick,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania The Bowen Bridge is a four Lane Bridge crossing the Derwent River. The Batman Bridge is a modern bridge crossing the Tamar River in northern Tasmania. The Bridgewater Bridge and Causeway spans the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia between Bridgewater and Granton. Ross Bridge is an historic bridge in the town of Ross in central Tasmania, Australia. The Richmond Bridge is a heritage listed arch bridge located on the B31 ("Convict Trail" in Richmond, 25 kilometres (15 The Sorell Causeway is a Causeway that stretches from the western side of Midway Point across Orielton Lagoon to Sorell. The Tasman Bridge is a five-lane Bridge crossing the Derwent River, near the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania. Bellerive is a suburb of the City of Clarence, part of the greater Hobart area Tasmania, Australia. Howrah is a suburb of the City of Clarence, part of the greater Hobart area Tasmania, Australia. Ocean Beach is a long stretch of beach running north of Macquarie Heads and Hells Gates on the West Coast of Tasmania. Sisters Beach is a small town located in the Waratah-Wynyard municipality of Tasmania within fifteen minutes of Wynyard, in Tasmania's North West The Arthur Highway (A9 is a Tasmanian highway which runs from Sorell in the near south to Port Arthur in the far south-east The Bass Highway is a Highway in Tasmania, Australia. It is a part of the National Highway, designated as National Highway 1 The Brooker Highway is a Highway in Tasmania, Australia. The highway is the major arterial route through Hobart's northern suburbs and Hobart's The East Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It covers the eastern edge of the Tamar River, from Launceston to the lighthouse The Esk Highway (route number A4) is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. The Lake Highway, or A5, is a main highway and A-road in Tasmania. The Lyell Highway (Route A10) is a highway in Tasmania running from Hobart to Queenstown. The Midland Highway (also known as the Midlands Highway) is the main highway in Tasmania, Australia. The Murchison Highway runs from the West Coast of Tasmania to Burnie, and was not opened until 1964 The Tasman Highway (or A3) is a Highway in Tasmania, Australia. The West Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It covers the western edge of the Tamar River, from Launceston to the beach Arthur River is the name of both a river and a small Township on the northern part of the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. The Derwent is a River in Tasmania, Australia. It was named after the River Derwent Cumbria by British Commodore John Hayes For the Franklin River in British Columbia Canada see Franklin River (Vancouver Island. The Gordon River is one of the major rivers of Tasmania, Australia. Henty River Is a river in West Coast Tasmania Tasmania to the west of the West Coast Range. The Huon River is the fourth largest River in Tasmania, Australia. The King River is a river on the West Coast of Tasmania. Upper reaches It rises in the vicinity of the Eldon Range, passes through the The Meander River is a river located in the central north of the state of Tasmania, Australia. There is also a Mersey River in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The North Esk River is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the tributaries of the Tamar River together with the South Esk River. The Pieman River is a river on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. The Queen River is a river that flows through Queenstown Tasmania, to the west of the West Coast Range in particular Mount Lyell and Mount The South Esk River is the longest river in Tasmania. It starts in the mountains near Fingal flowing through Avoca, Evandale, Longford The Styx River is a river in the centre of southern Tasmania. Named for the River Tamar in Great Britain, the Tamar River in northern Tasmania is formed by the merging of the North Esk River and South Ben Lomond, 1570  m AHD (5151  feet) is a mountain in the north of Tasmania. Cradle Mountain is a distinctive mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Federation Peak is a prominent mountain (elevation 1224 metres located in the Southwest National Park of Tasmania, Australia. Mount Field is a Mountain in the Wellington Ranges northwest of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Frenchmans Cap is a prominent mountain in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Western Tasmania, Australia. The Great Western Tiers are a collection of small mountain bluffs in the northern part of the Tasmanian Central Highlands. Mount Wellington is a Mountain on whose Foothills is built much of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The West Coast Range ( of Tasmania is a group of mountains in the West Coast area of Tasmania in Australia that lies to the west of the The Huon Valley Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania. Central Highlands (Tasmania is a region in Tasmania where geographical and administrative boundaries closely coincide (For the Derwent Valley in Derbyshire England see River Derwent Derbyshire, Upper Derwent Valley and Derwent Valley Mills. The Midlands in Tasmania refers to the relatively flat dry agricultural area between Launceston and Hobart, so named because it covers most of the middle The South West Wilderness of Tasmania, Australia is a remote and inaccessible corner of the island state containing unspoilt scenery rugged peaks wild The Tamar Valley is a picturesque valley in Tasmania. It runs north-west from the northern city of Launceston to the coast either side of the Tamar River Tasman Peninsula is located around 75 km by road south-east of Hobart, at the south east corner of Tasmania, Australia. See also West Coast Council for the local government of the region Australia has 8222 islands within its maritime borders The largest islands are Tasmania 68332 km² Melville Island 5786 km² Kangaroo Island, 4416 Natural freshwater Lakes in Australia are rare due to the general absence of glacial and tectonic activity in Australia The list of bridges is a link page for any Bridges that are notable enough to have an article or that are likely to have an article in the future Freeways in Australia This is a list of Highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with its route number and location This is a list of Rivers of Australia. Rivers are ordered alphabetically by state Also see List of mountains Australia. This is a list of mountains in Australia. This is a list of regions in Australia that are not Australian states or territories.

See also

• Protected areas of Tasmania
• University of Tasmania
• List of schools in Tasmania
• Domestic partnership in Tasmania
• Tasmanian wine

References

Further reading

• Alexander, Alison (editor) (2005)The Companion to Tasmanian History Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart. The Companion to Tasmanian History was a book produced in 2005 by the Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies at the University of Tasmania, in conjunction with the ISBN 186295223X.
• Robson, L. L. (1983) A History of Tasmania. Volume I. Van Diemen's Land From the Earliest Times to 1855 Melbourne, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195543645.
• Robson, L. L. (1991) A History of Tasmania. Volume II. Colony and State From 1856 to the 1980s Melbourne, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195530314.

External links

• Where is Tasmania? web page
• Tasmania Online - the main State Government website
• Discover Tasmania - official tourism website
• NASA Satellite image of Tasmania
• Another detailed map