About Tasmania

Tasmania, the smallest of Australia's six states, is an island lying off the south-east corner of the Australian mainland. Roughly triangular in shape, it is surrounded by smaller islands, the most important ones being Flinders, King and Bruny. The state is separated from the Australian mainland by Bass Strait, and the remaining coastline is bounded by the Southern Ocean on the south and west and the Tasman Sea on the east. Hobart, Tasmania's capital city, is in the south of the state, extending over both sides of the River Derwent. Founded in 1804, it is the second oldest city in Australia. Today Hobart functions as the main administrative and commercial centre of the state.

Tasmania's population is divided almost equally between the north and south. The population pattern has resulted from geographical, historical and commercial factors which have led to the development of a number of relatively large centres on the island's north coast. These serve as centres for the agricultural and industrial activities typical of the region and include Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.