Tasmania

Tasmania is an island and a state of Australia. Its area is 24,450 sq. miles with population over 400,000. The capital is Hobart. Other cities are Devonport, Burnie and Ulverston. The chief port of Tasmania is Launceston.

Tasmania is 268 miles off the southeast coast, between the Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea. It is a small state but very beautiful. Many Australians have vacation there. Children attend school until they are 16. There are 286 state schools and 260 private. Abel Tasman (1603-59) was a Dutch navigator who led the expedition which discovered Tasmania and NZ in 1642. European settlers killed most of the aborigines. Those who remained were taken to Flinders Island for protection.

Tasmania was a separate British colony in 1825 - 1910. Tasmania is mountainous and largely forested. The seeds that produced California's first eucalyptus trees came from Tasmania. The highest point is Mount Ossa, 1,617 m. The chief rivers are the Derment, Mersey, Arthur, Gordon and Tamar. Temperature in January is +16°C and +10°C in July. The native animals include a small bearlike beast Tasmanian devil and Tasmanian wolf. The exports of Tasmania include metals, newsprint, timber, fruit, wool, cereals, dairy products. State University was opened in 1890.

South australia

South Australia is a state in south central Australia. Its area is 380,070 sq. miles with population over million. The capital of South Australia is Adelaide.

M. Flinders made first exploration in 1802. Whaling stations were established. The state's highest Peak is Woodroffie, 1,440m. South Australia is the driest of all states, but it does have the Murray River, which flows 2,589 km. Year temperature is 21°C. The river brings greenness and life to the state's southeast corner.

In the early days of Australian history, the Murray River was South Australia's main road. The river carried people and goods from the coast up into the country. Some towns on the Murray still keep the old riverboats, and visitors can ride on them. South Australia is low lying an arid except in the south. It is an agricultural region of wheat, barley, fruit (mainly in irrigated areas along the Murray), sheep and some cattle. The state produces 106,000 tons of wool annually. The state's tuna industry centres around port Lincoln. South Australia has rich mineral resources of copper, iron, ore, pyrites, gypsum, salt and coral. Industries of the state include metallurgy, textiles, chemicals, food processing, and engineering.

Northern territory

Northern Territory is an administrative area of northern central Australia. Its territory is 523,620 sq. miles with population about 175,000 including 19,000 aborigines. Tribal conditions still exist among some of the aborigines. The capital of Northern Territory is Darwin. The explorer John Stewart first entered the NT in 1860. In 1978 NT was granted self-government. The northern area has grassing regions, the south is sandy. The flat coastal plain is tropical; the interior tablelands are semiarid. Large areas are desert, particularly in the west. The rivers include the Victoria, Daly, Roper and South Alligator. The temperature in January is +27°C and +25°C in July. Main occupation of the population is cattle ranching. NT has 1 million cattle, 36,000 horses and 9,000 sheep. There are experimental schemes to grow rice, fodder crops and fruit. NT is rich in gold, copper, uranium, tungsten, mica, and manganese, as well some silver. Pearling is an important industry. “A Flying Doctor” operation uses radio and aircraft service to help the sick.