Tasmania is an island located in the south – east part of the continent, separated from the main continent by the Bass Strait. It is fondly called as Tassie & abbreviated as TAS. The island state of Australia lies 240 kilometres from the mainland and comprises of smaller surrounding islands as well. The state has several reserves, national parks and world heritage sites, together occupying 37% of the land surface. Due to its natural unspoilt environment, Tasmania is promoted as a ‘Natural state.’ Hobart is the capital as well as the largest city of the state. Nearly half of the population is concentrated in the Greater Hobart area. The city comprises of the local government areas of City of Glenorchy, City of Hobart and City of Clarence. Other key populated areas include Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.
The island is bordered by the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Tasmania is the most mountainous state in the country, with several rounded smooth mountain ranges. The Central Highlands area boasts of several mountains, covering a large part of the central western region. The majority of the state is covered by thick forest cover. The remaining temperate rain forests in the Southern hemisphere can be found in the Southwest National Park and neighbouring areasin South Tasmania. The source of many rivers can be traced to the Central Highlands region, which flow out to the coastal areas. These rivers have been dammed to provide for Tasmania’s hydroelectric needs.
Tasmania experiences cool, temperate weather. There are four seasons, which can be easily identified in the state – summer, autumn, winter and spring. The winter season is quite cold and wet. Tasmania also experiences snowfall in the higher mountainous regions. The east coast experiences warmer temperatures and is often nicknamed the ‘sun coast’ owing to the sunny climate.
Tasmania’s economy has been erratic, attributed to several reasons including, a lack of federal infrastructure highway, lack of open immigration initiatives, lack of a gold rush, decline in the wool and mineral economies, lack of population, apart from others. The industries prominent in the state at different periods of time include mining of zinc, copper, tin and iron; forestry; agriculture; and tourism. At different points of time, the people have moved away from Tassie in search of better employment opportunities.
TAS witnessed a surge in generating energy from water, termed as hydro-Industrialisation during the 1940s and 1950s. There are many food exporting sectors centred on seafood such as abalone, atlantic salmon, and crayfish. The land is not conducive for growing agricultural crops in the state. Hence, other industries have witnessed growth over the years. As majority of the state is covered by thick forest cover, forestry is a major industry.
In the 1990’s TAS saw a decline in the manufacturing sector, which forced several residents to travel to mainland Australia for better employment opportunities. In the late 1990s however, businesses improved. Several national companies have established call centres in the state. This is largely due to the easy availability of cheap broad-band fibre-optic connections. In the years, 2000 to 2010 however, the economy has experienced more improvement. Reduction in air fares and increasing number of ferries throughout Australia has proved to benefit the state. Tasmania is fast developing as a tourist destination.