Australian states territories

The Australian continent is made up of 6 states and about 10 territories. Two of the territories are on the mainland with the other 8 offshore. The six states are Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia.

Map Of Australia

The 2 mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) while the 8 offshore are the Norfolk Islands, Cocos (or Keeling) Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Islands, Coral Islands, Jervis Bay Islands, McDonald Islands, Herd Island and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The difference between the states and territories is in the approach to administration and governance. States have their own constitutions and parliaments and are governed by a premier elected by the residents. Under section 51 of the Australian constitution, state parliaments are allowed to pass laws as long as they do not conflict with national laws. Unlike the states, the territories are governed by national law.

However, three territories are somewhat exempt – the ACT, the Northern Territory (NT) and the Norfolk islands. The rationale is that the population size of the ACT and NT allow for them to be treated in the same capacity as states. The Norfolk Islands on the other hand were granted by Australia’s central government a partial right of self governance.

The mainland Australia is divided into:

6 states:	and 2 territories:
New South Wales	The Australian Capital Territory
Victoria	The Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania

Map of Australia

Territories governed by Commonwealth law

Seven territories are governed only by Commonwealth law, usually through a Commonwealth-appointed Administrator. They are:

Ashmore and Cartier Islands	Find on map	Wikipedia
Australian Antarctic Territory	More info	Wikipedia
Christmas Island	Find on map	Wikipedia
Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Find on map	Wikipedia
Coral Sea Islands	Find on map	Wikipedia
Jervis Bay Territory	Find on map	Wikipedia
Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands	Find on map	Wikipedia

Difference between states and territories

Australia’s six states represent the six British colonies that joined together to create the Commonwealth of Australia. In forming the Commonwealth, the states approved a Constitution that gave the new Commonwealth government the right to pass laws on certain subjects, and allowed the states to retain all other law-making rights. States therefore have a constitutional right to convene a state parliament and pass certain laws.

Any land within Australia’s national border that is not claimed by one of the states is called a territory. Territories do not have the right to convene their own government or pass laws as the states do. Under the Constitution, the Commonwealth makes the laws for the territories.

The confusion between state and territory arises because the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are often treated like states. These two territories, along with Norfolk Island, are self-governing territories. In these three cases, the Commonwealth passed a law allowing each territory to convene a parliament and make their own laws in a similar manner to the states. Unlike the states, whose powers are defined through the Constitution, the powers of these territories are defined in the Commonwealth law which grants them the right of self-government. This also means that the Commonwealth can alter or revoke these powers at will.

Here is a brief look at the 6 states:

• Queensland (abbreviated QLD) – This state is in the North Eastern part of the country and has its administrative capital at Brisbane. With an area of approximately 1,724,000 km2 the climate of Queensland ranges from tropical to temperate which gives rise to a diverse bio-sphere of flora and fauna.

• New South Wales (abbreviated NSW) – NSW is the most populous state in the country with Sydney as its capital. The state’s strategic location and history have contributed to its becoming Australia’s most economically influential region. It also has two of Australia’s most recognizable landmarks in the form of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. NSW covers has an area of about 800,000 km2

• South Australia (abbreviated SA) – South Australia is in the South-Central part of the country and has its administrative capital at Adelaide. This state is known for its historic architecture which is the result of the immigration of Europeans in the 1830s. South Australia’s main industries include wine making, car assembly and steel production.

• Victoria (abbreviated VIC) – Victoria is the country’s smallest state but its high population density means it is the second most populous. Its area is 227, 000 km2 and its capital is Melbourne which is Australia’s second most populous city. Victoria owes its beginnings and early developments to the 19th century gold rush which saw the setting up of businesses and financial institutions in the area. Victoria like NSW has deep culturally diversity thanks to immigration.

• Tasmania (abbreviated TAS) – Australia’s sole island state is about 240 km from the mainland. It is comprised of both the main Tasmania island and a number of smaller surrounding islands. Tasmania’s capital is Hobart and the state is one of Australia’s popular tourist destinations. Tasmania also has substantial mining, fishery, forestry and farming industries.

• Western Australia (abbreviated WA) – At about 2.5 million square kilometers square, Western Australia is the country’s largest state occupying about a third of the total land mass. Recently, Western Australia has become the state with the fastest growing economy thanks to the discovery of vast mineral deposits such as aluminum, iron ore, diamond and gold deposits.