Queensland is a state of Australia that occupies the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. The state is Australia's second largest by area, following Western Australia, and the country's third most populous after New South Wales and Victoria.
The area was first occupied by Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, who arrived between 40,000 and 65,000 years ago, according to various dating methods. Later, Queensland was made a British Crown Colony that was separated from New South Wales on 6 June 1859, a date now celebrated state-wide as Queensland Day.
The area that currently forms the state capital, Brisbane, was originally the Moreton Bay penal colony, intended as a place for recidivist convicts who had offended while serving out their sentences in New South Wales. The state later encouraged free settlement, and today Queensland's economy is dominated by the agricultural, tourist and natural resource sectors.
The state's population is concentrated in South East Queensland, which includes Brisbane, Logan City, Ipswich, Toowoomba, and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Other major regional centres include Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg and Mount Isa.
Queensland is often nicknamed the Sunshine State. Executive power rests with the Premier. Queensland is currently governed by Anna Bligh of the Australian Labor Party, and is the state's and the nation's first popularly elected female premier.
In the south, there are three sections that comprise its border: the watershed from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River; the river section involving the Dumaresq, the MacIntyre and the Barwon; and 29°S latitude (including some minor historical encroachments below the 29th parallel) over to the South Australian border.
The state capital is Brisbane, located on the coast 100 kilometres (60 mi) by road north of the New South Wales border. The state is divided into several officially recognised regions. Other smaller geographical regions of note include the Atherton Tablelands, the Granite Belt, and the Channel Country in the far south-west.
Queensland has many places of natural beauty, including: the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast having some of the state's most popular beaches; the Bunya Mountains and the Great Dividing Range with numerous lookouts, waterfalls and picnic areas; Carnarvon Gorge; Whitsunday Islands and Hinchinbrook Island.
The state contains six World Heritage listed preservation areas: Australian Fossil Mammal Sites at Riversleigh in the Gulf Country, Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, Fraser Island, Great Barrier Reef, Lamington National Park and the Wet Tropics of Queensland.
There are five predominate climatic zones in Queensland, based on temperature and humidity:
However, most of the Queensland populace experience two weather seasons: a "winter" period of rather warm temperatures and minimal rainfall and a sultry summer period of hot, sticky temperatures and higher levels of rainfall.
The annual mean statistics for some Queensland centres is shown below:
!Min. Temp | !Max. Temp | !No. Clear days | !Rainfall | |||
Brisbane | align=center> | | | 113.1 | < | ||
Mackay, Queensland | Mackay | align=center> | | | 123.0 | < | |
Cairns | align=center> | | | 89.7 | < | ||
Townsville | align=center> | | | 120.9 |
The highest maximum temperature observed in the state is 49.5 °C (121 °F) at Birdsville on 24 December 1972 (The temperature of 53.1 °C (128 °F) at Cloncurry on 16 January 1889 is not considered reliable; the figure quoted from Birdsville is the next highest, so that record is considered as being official).
The lowest minimum temperature is −10.6 °C (13 °F) at Stanthorpe on 23 June 1961 and at The Hermitage on 12 July 1965.
(above).]]
A smaller proportion of Queensland's population lives in the capital city than any other mainland state. As of June 2004 the capital city represented 45.7% of the population; for the whole country, capital cities represented 63.8% of the total population.
YEAR | ! Urban | ! Rural | ! TOTAL |
1861 | 15,348 | 14,711 | |
1864 | 30,954| | 30,513 | 61,467 |
1868 | 40,306| | 59,595 | 99,901 |
1871 | 51,425| | 68,679 | 120,104 |
1876 | 95,775| | 77,508 | 173,283 |
1881 | 112,323| | 101,202 | 213,525 |
1886 | 116,056| | 206,797 | 322,853 |
1891 | 168,884| | 224,834 | 393,718 |
1901 | 204,871| | 293,258 | 498,129 |
1911 | n.a.| | n.a. | 605,813 |
1921 | 393,666| | 359,014 | 755,972 |
1933 | 498,892| | 444,589 | 947,534 |
1947 | 660,958| | 443,570 | 1,106,415 |
1954 | 962,400| | 352,888 | 1,318,259 |
1961 | 1,158,446| | 358,394 | 1,518,828 |
1966 | 1,282,332| | 398,297 | 1,682,688 |
1971 | 1,448,024| | 375,376 | 1,827,065 |
1976 | 1,633,141| | 401,754 | 2,037,194 |
1981 | 1,816,382| | 476,264 | 2,295,123 |
1986 | 2,041,542| | 542,944 | 2,587,315 |
1991 | 2,359,510| | 616,907 | 2,977,810 |
1996 | 2,721,115| | 647,735 | 3,368,850 |
2001 | 3,050,553| | 602,697 | 3,655,139 |
2006 | 3,456,104| | 588,945 | 4,046,875 |
Queensland's economy has enjoyed a boom in the tourism and mining industries over the past 20 years. A sizeable influx of interstate and overseas migrants, large amounts of federal government investment, increased mining of vast mineral deposits and an expanding aerospace sector have contributed to the state's economic growth. The 2008–09 saw the expansion slow to just 0.8% the state's worst performance in 18 years.
Between 1992 and 2002, the growth in the Gross State Product of Queensland outperformed that of all the other states and territories. In that period Queensland's GSP grew 5.0% each year, while growth in Australia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose on average 3.9% each year. Queensland's contribution to the Australian GDP increased by 10.4% in that period, one of only three states to do so.
In 2003 Brisbane had the lowest cost of living of all Australia's capital cities. In late 2005 Brisbane was the third most expensive capital for housing after Sydney and Canberra and just ahead of Melbourne by $15,000.
Primary industries include: bananas, pineapples, peanuts, a wide variety of other tropical and temperate fruit and vegetables, grain crops, wineries, cattle raising, cotton, sugar cane, wool and a mining industry including bauxite, coal, silver, lead, zinc, gold, and copper. Secondary industries are mostly further processing of the above-mentioned primary produce. For example, bauxite is shipped by sea from Weipa and converted to alumina at Gladstone. There is also copper refining and the refining of sugar cane to sugar at a number of mills along the eastern coastline. Major tertiary industries are the retail trade and tourism.
The main tourist destinations of Queensland include, Brisbane, Far North Queensland including Cairns, Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest, Gold Coast, the Great Barrier Reef, Hervey Bay and nearby Fraser Island, North Queensland including Townsville and Magnetic Island, North Stradbroke Island and South Stradbroke Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Whitsundays known for Airlie Beach, Whitehaven Beach, Hamilton Island and Daydream Island.
is a major Tourist city.]] The Gold Coast of Queensland is also sometimes referred to as "Australia's Theme Park Capital", with five major amusement parks. These are Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World, Wet 'n' Wild and WhiteWater World.
There are also wildlife parks in Queensland, including: :Gold Coast ::* Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary at Currumbin ::* David Fleay Wildlife Park at Burleigh Heads :Sunshine Coast ::* UnderWater World at Mooloolaba ::* Australia Zoo near Beerwah/Glass House Mountains, home of Steve Irwin until his death in 2006. :Brisbane ::* Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary at Fig Tree Pocket ::* Brisbane Forest Park at The Gap :North of Brisbane ::* Alma Park Zoo at Dakabin ::* Kumbartcho Wildlife Sanctuary (originally Bunya Park Wildlife Sanctuary)
skyline seen from the south]] Accommodation in Queensland caters for nearly 22% of the total expenditure, followed by restaurants/meals (15%), airfares (11%), fuel (11%) and shopping/gifts (11%).
Principal rail services are provided by Queensland Rail and Pacific National, predominantly along the coamajor ports including the Port of Brisbane and subsidiary ports at Gladstone and Townsville.
Jet Vehicle services are Provided by Greenhouse Energy, Queensland Transport, Department of Main Roads, Defence Force Reserve of Queensland, Brisbane Jet Taxi and Australian Jetlines, Predominatly along the Airports, including the Brisbane Airport, Gold Coast Airport and Cairns Airport.
Brisbane Airport is the main international and domestic gateway serving the state. Gold Coast Airport, Cairns International Airport and Townsville Airport are the next most prominent airports, all with scheduled international flights. Other regional airports, with scheduled domestic flights, include Great Barrier Reef Airport, Hervey Bay Airport, Mackay Airport, Mount Isa Airport, Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport, Rockhampton Airport, and Sunshine Coast Airport.
South East Queensland is governed by an integrated public transport system, TransLink, which provides bus, rail and ferry services. Regional bus andlong-distance rail services are also provided throughout the State. Local bus services are also available in most regional centres.
Executive authority is vested in the Governor, who represents and is appointed by Elizabeth II on the advice of the Premier. The current governor is Ms. Penelope Wensley, AO. The head of government is the Premier, who is appointed by the Governor but must have the support of the Legislative Assembly. The current Premier is Anna Bligh, of the Australian Labor Party. Other ministers, forming the Executive Council, are appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Assembly on the Premier's recommendation.
The Queensland Parliament or the Legislative Assembly, is unicameral. It is the only Australian state with a unicameral legislature. A bicameral system existed until 1922, when the Legislative Council was abolished by the Labor members' "suicide squad," so called because they were appointed for the purpose of voting to abolish their own offices. The Parliament is housed in the 19th century Parliament House and 20th century Parliamentary Annexe in Brisbane.
The judicial system of Queensland consists of the Supreme Court and the District Court, established by the Queensland Constitution, and various other courts and tribunals established by ordinary Acts of the Queensland Parliament.
In 2001 Queensland adopted a new codified constitution, repealing most of the assorted Acts of Parliament that had previously made up the constitution. The new constitution took effect on 6 June 2002, the anniversary of the formation of the colony of Queensland by the signing of Letters Patent by Queen Victoria in 1859.
Each area has a council which is responsible for providing a range of public services and utilities, and derives its income from both rates and charges on resident ratepayers, and grants and subsidies from the State and Commonwealth governments.
Swimming is also a popular sport in Queensland, with a majority of Australian team members and international medalists hailing from the state. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Queensland swimmers won all six of Australia's gold medals, all swimmers on Australia's three female (finals) relays teams were from Queensland, two of which won gold.
Major professional teams include:
Events include:
Lists:
Category:Former British colonies Category:States and territories of Australia Category:States and territories established in 1859
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