Lindisfarne, TAS - Postcode - 7015 - Post Codes & Zip Codes List

Tasmania, Australia Description

Tasmania, formerly known as Van Diemen's Land, is an Australian island state. It is located approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) south of the state of Victoria, separated by the relatively shallow Bass Strait. Tasmania is structurally an extension of the Great Dividing Range to the south. Tasmania is made up of a main island called Tasmania; Bruny Island, which is nestled close to the main island's southeastern coast; King and Flinders islands in Bass Strait; numerous smaller islands off the main island's coast; and subantarctic Macquarie Island, located approximately 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) to the southeast. The main island is roughly heart-shaped, with a maximum length and width of approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers), and its latitude and climate are comparable to those of northern California and northwest Spain. Tasmania is Australia's smallest state, covering an area slightly larger than Sri Lanka. Hobart is the capital of Tasmania.

The state is named after Dutch navigator-explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who discovered the island for the first time in 1642. Until 1856, the island was known as Van Diemen's Land, after Anthony van Diemen, the governor of the Dutch East Indies who commissioned Tasman's exploration voyage. Tasmania is home to some of the country's most spectacular mountain, lake, and coastal scenery, and a large portion of its land is protected in national parks and reserves. Additionally, the state generates a sizable portion of Australia's hydroelectric power and is endowed with an abundance of natural resources. Nonetheless, Tasmania has remained one of Australia's poorest states, with a steadily declining population share. While Tasmania's isolation distinguishes much of its political, economic, and social life, proximity to Melbourne and air travel make it less isolated and more cosmopolitan than is frequently assumed in other Australian states.

Geographical Description of Tasmania

Tasmania is, for the most part, a mountainous island. In the west, where Mount Ossa, the island's highest peak, rises to 5,305 feet (1,617 metres), the landscape is characterized by several parallel northwest-southeast ridges and valleys. To the east is a series of plateaus of varying elevations; the highest point is Ben Lomond, which rises to 5,161 feet (1,573 metres) at Legges Tor. However, the Central Plateau dominates Tasmanian geography, bounded on the north and east by a 2,000-foot (610-metre) fault scarp and gently sloping southeastward from 3,500 to 2,000 feet (1,070 to 610 metres). The majority of the east is composed of a low, dissected plateau with an average elevation of about 1,200 feet (370 metres). The far northwest, the lower South Esk River valley, and the northeast have extensive plains. Bass Strait islands are outliers in comparison to the northern coastal platforms. Fossil-bearing cliffs on Tasmania's northern coast and on Maria Island off the eastern coast indicate areas that were once submerged. Postglacial submergence in the southeast, on the other hand, has created one of the finest examples of a drowned coastline.

Tasmania, which is located in the midlatitude westerly wind belt and is dominated by southern maritime air masses, generally has a moist, temperate climate, with mild to warm summers, mild winters in most settled areas, and rain throughout the year. The southwest, on the other hand, has a lot of rugged weather, and the southeast can suffer from drought. The collision of tropical air masses—in summer from the continent, and in spring and autumn from the eastern Tasmanian coast—and the mountainous surface results in a greater variety of climates than in other parts of Australia. Precipitation on an annual basis, seasonal moisture deficiency, and temperatures vary widely and irregularly across the state. Annual precipitation averages more than 100 inches (2,500 mm) in the western ranges and less than 20 inches (510 mm) in some places; it exceeds 30 inches (760 mm) in all locations along the north coast. Winter is the season with the highest incidence in the north and west, while spring is the season with the lowest incidence in the south and east. Summer precipitation can vary significantly from year to year, particularly in the drier east. Mean January temperatures are higher in the north and east than elsewhere, reaching 64 °F (18 °C) at Launceston; mean July temperatures range between 46 and 49 °F (8 and 9 °C) at all coastal stations, with temperatures rapidly decreasing with elevation.

Tasmania has historically had a higher birth rate than the majority of other states. In general, birth rates have been lower in cities than in smaller towns and rural areas. Death rates have remained relatively stable over time. Tasmania's infant mortality rates are roughly comparable to the national average.

Following World War II, Tasmania experienced in-migration from other states and overseas, but since about 1960, out-migration to the mainland has resumed, with young people entering the workforce accounting for the majority. This has been accompanied by a significant internal rural-to-urban migration, owing largely to the increasing scale of agriculture and its mechanization. Tasmania thus distinguishes itself from the mainland by having the lowest labor force participation rate and the slowest growth rate of any state. By 2000, a decline in the birth rate in the late twentieth century had brought Tasmania's population growth to a halt, though births increased slightly in the early twenty-first century.

Because more than two-fifths of the island—areas in the west and south—are too rugged and wet for agriculture, the population is largely concentrated in the northern and south-eastern regions, which are connected by the sparsely settled midlands to an isolated cluster of settlements on the west coast. Hobart and the surrounding area account for nearly two-fifths of Tasmania's population, while the remainder of the state's residents are distributed roughly evenly between greater Launceston and Burnie-Devonport. No other Australian state has had such a balanced population distribution between the capital city, other urban centers, and rural areas; Queensland is the closest comparable. After 1950, however, increased urbanization altered this pattern.

Economy of Tasmania

Tasmania is endowed with mineral, forest, and water resources, as well as tourist attractions. It has a diverse economy and relatively stable labor relations. Its economy, on the other hand, suffers significantly from the small scale of a large portion of its resource base, from restricted local markets, and from transportation difficulties to external markets. Numerous government agencies have attempted to stimulate manufacturing growth through financial and other assistance. Additionally, the state government is active in promoting tourism and commerce. Since the 1970s, the primary (agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining) and secondary (manufacturing and processing) sectors have seen a steady decline in employment, with the tertiary (services) sector emerging as the state's largest employer.