
Australia has six federated states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Of these, Tasmania is the only state that is separate from the Australian mainland. It is located 240 kilometres (150 miles) south of the mainland, separated by the Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th largest island in the world, and the surrounding 1000 islands.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the state | Tasmania |
| Area | 68,401 sq km (26,410 sq mi) |
| Population | 573,479 (as of June 2023) |
| Capital | Hobart |
| Major Population Centres | Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, Ulverstone |
| Ancestry | English, New Zealander, Mainland Chinese, Scottish, Dutch |
| Indigenous Population | 4.6% (23,572 people) |
| Status | Separate island state |
| Number of Islands | 334 islands or islets |
| Economy | Tourism, agriculture, aquaculture, education, healthcare |
| Historical Name | Van Diemen's Land |
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What You'll Learn

Tasmania is Australia's only island state
Tasmania was initially part of the Colony of New South Wales under British rule. However, in 1825, it became a separate colony named Van Diemen's Land. In 1855, the present Constitution of Tasmania was enacted, and the colony changed its name to Tasmania in 1856. Finally, in 1901, it became a state of Australia through the federation process.
The state capital and largest city of Tasmania is Hobart, with around 40% of the population living in the Greater Hobart area. Other major population centres include Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, and Ulverstone. The state is known for its natural beauty, with about 42% of its land area, including national parks and World Heritage Sites, protected as reserves. Tasmania has the second-smallest economy of Australia's states and territories, relying mainly on tourism, agriculture, aquaculture, education, and healthcare.
Tasmania has a rich history and was first inhabited by Aboriginal peoples, who today generally identify as Palawa or Pakana. The Aboriginal Tasmanians are believed to have become isolated from mainland Aboriginal groups around 11,700 years ago due to rising sea levels forming the Bass Strait. During the colonial era, approximately 80,000 convicts were sent to Van Diemen's Land before this practice ceased in 1853.
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Tasmania was a British colony
Tasmania, a large island off the southeast coast of mainland Australia, was a British colony from 1803 to 1901. The island was originally known as Van Diemen's Land, a name given by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in the 1640s. When Britain began settling eastern Australia in 1788, its claim extended to Van Diemen's Land, which became part of the colony of New South Wales.
The British colonisation of Tasmania took place between 1803 and 1830. In 1803, Lieutenant John Bowen led a group of 49 people to establish the first British settlement of Tasmania at Risdon Cove, naming it Hobart. In late 1803 to early 1804, the governor of New South Wales built military outposts along the River Derwent in southern Tasmania and on the Tamar River in the north to prevent French interests in the area. These outposts grew into small communities as new settlers and convicts arrived from Great Britain. The early colonies on Tasmania suffered from a lack of food, and sporadic skirmishes over land and women occurred between the settlers and the Aboriginal people.
By 1820, British authorities controlled around 15% of Tasmania, and the population of colonists had grown to 24,279 in 1830. The British acquired over 30% of Tasmanian land, and the entire area became known as the Settled Districts. The colonisation of Tasmania led to the near-extinction of the Aboriginal Tasmanians, with almost all of the 7,000 Indigenous Tasmanians dying during a period of colonisation lasting around 27 years. In 1825, Van Diemen's Land became a separate colony, the second of the Australian colonies.
In 1856, the name 'Tasmania' became official, and the island was granted self-government, ending its status as a British colony. Tasmania joined five other colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
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Tasmania's population is 570,000
Tasmania is a large island state off the southeast coast of mainland Australia. It is the only Australian state that is also an island. The population of Tasmania is 570,000, and the state covers 64,519 square kilometres.
Tasmania was settled by Europeans in 1803 as a penal settlement of the British Empire. At the time, the Aboriginal population is estimated to have been between 3,000 and 10,000, spread across nine nations. Within three decades, this number declined drastically due to violent conflict and the spread of infectious diseases. By 1830, one-third of Australia's non-Indigenous population lived in Tasmania, which was known as Van Diemen's Land at the time, and the island accounted for about half of all land under cultivation and exports.
Tasmania has a low total fertility rate of 1.64 as of June 30, 2021, which is below the conventional replacement level of 2.1. The state's population is ageing, with the average age of 42 being four years older than the national average. The population is expected to continue ageing, with a projected decrease in the number of people under 50 and an increase in the 70 to 84 age group.
Tasmania's Population Growth Strategy, released in 2015, set a target population of 650,000 by 2050. The state has already exceeded its 2030 target of 570,000 people, reaching a population of 571,517 in the June quarter of 2022. To achieve the 2050 target, an average population growth of approximately 0.45% per year is required, equating to a net annual increase of around 2,700 people.
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Macquarie Island is part of Tasmania
Australia has six federated states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. The island of Tasmania was established as a separate colony named Van Diemen's Land in 1825. It is a large island state off the southeast coast of mainland Australia.
Tasmania has 334 islands (or islets) within its state borders. Macquarie Island is one of these islands and has been governed as a part of Tasmania since 1880. It was made a constituent part of Tasmania on 17 June 1880 through Letters Patent for the Governor of Tasmania. Macquarie Island became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
The day-to-day management of Macquarie Island is the responsibility of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) has maintained a permanent base, the Macquarie Island Station, on the isthmus at the northern end of the island since 1948. The population of the base, constituting the island's only human inhabitants, usually varies from 20 to 40 people over the year.
Macquarie Island is a subantarctic island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. It is an exposed portion of the Macquarie Ridge and is located where the Australian Plate meets the Pacific Plate. The island is ecologically significant, as it is home to the entire royal penguin population during their annual nesting season.
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Tasmania is Australia's smallest state
Tasmania is a large island state off the southeast coast of mainland Australia. It is the only Australian state that is not located on the Australian mainland. Tasmania is Australia's smallest state by landmass and population. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 1,000 islands, with a total landmass of 68,401 square kilometres (26,410 square miles). As of June 2023, Tasmania had a population of 570,000 residents, making it the least populous state in Australia.
Tasmania was first inhabited by Aboriginal peoples, who today generally identify as Palawa or Pakana. It is believed that Aboriginal Tasmanians became isolated from mainland Aboriginal groups around 11,700 years ago when rising sea levels formed the Bass Strait, which now separates Tasmania from mainland Australia. Under British rule, the island was initially part of the Colony of New South Wales. However, in 1825, it became a separate colony under the name Van Diemen's Land. In 1855, the present Constitution of Tasmania was enacted, and the following year, the colony formally changed its name to Tasmania. In 1901, it became a state of Australia through the process of the federation of the country.
Tasmania has the second-smallest economy of the Australian states and territories, with its economy comprising principally tourism, agriculture, aquaculture, education, and healthcare. About 42% of its land area, including national parks and World Heritage Sites (21%), is protected in some form of reserve. Major population centres in Tasmania include Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, and Ulverstone. The state capital and largest city is Hobart, with around 40% of the population living in the Greater Hobart area. Tasmania is the most decentralised state in Australia, with the lowest proportion of its residents living within its capital city.
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Frequently asked questions
Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 kilometres south of the Australian mainland and is separated from it by the Bass Strait.
Tasmania is the largest island of Australia, with a landmass of 68,401 square kilometres. It is the 26th-largest island in the world and is Australia's smallest and least populous state, with 573,479 residents as of June 2023.
Major population centres in Tasmania include Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, and Ulverstone.










































