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July 30, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Tasmania

Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located south of the mainland across Bass Strait.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located south of the mainland across Bass Strait. Its capital and largest city is Hobart.

What it is

Tasmania is Australia's smallest state by both area (68,401 km²) and population (573,479 as of June 2023). The state includes the main island of Tasmania plus several smaller islands, including Bruny, King, Flinders and Macquarie islands. It was formerly known as Van Diemen's Land and joined the Australian Federation in 1901.

Key details

Tasmania has a cool temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Its landscape features mountains, forests, lakes and rugged coastlines. Large parts of the state are protected as national parks, reserves and World Heritage areas. The state is known for endemic wildlife, including the Tasmanian devil, and many species found nowhere else in the world.

People and economy

Most residents live in the south-east and north of the state. Major economic activities include tourism, mining, livestock farming and services. Hobart serves as the capital and largest city.

In short

  • Tasmania is Australia's smallest state by area and population.
  • The state is known for its wilderness, temperate climate and distinctive wildlife.
  • Hobart is the capital and largest city.
  • Tasmania was formerly called Van Diemen's Land.

Quick questions

What is Tasmania?
Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located south of the mainland across Bass Strait.
What is the capital of Tasmania?
Hobart is the capital and largest city of Tasmania.
What was Tasmania called before?
Tasmania was formerly known as Van Diemen's Land.

Sources

  1. Encyclopaedia Britannicahttps://www.britannica.com/place/Tasmania
    Supports: Location, island-state status, islands included, capital city
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannicahttps://www.britannica.com/summary/Tasmania
    Supports: Area, historical naming, colonial history, Federation date, economic activities, World Heritage area
  3. Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmania
    Supports: Population estimate and status as Australia's smallest and least populous state