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Australia covers a stretch of about 7,682,300 sq km and is the 6 th largest country of the world in terms of area covered. This large continent country is officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia and consists of 6 provinces or states- • New South Wales • Queensland • South Australia • Tasmania • Victoria and • Western Australia Founded in 1788, the province of New South Wales covers a total area of 809,444 sq km. New South Wales is located to the south east of Australia, north of Victoria. Sydney is the capital city of this province. New South Wales has an estimated population of 6,817,100 as per the 2006 census. Other important cities of New South Wales are Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Hill, Cessnock, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Gosford, Goulburn, Grafton, Griffith, Lismore, Lithgow, Maitland, Newcastle, Orange, Tamworth, Taree, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong City. It is Australia's most populated province. Also known as the Sunshine State, Queensland is located to the north east of mainland Australia and covers a total area of 1,852,642 sq km. Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland. The province has a population of 4 million as on 9 th Dec 2005. Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone City, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Maryborough, Mount Isa, Rockhampton City Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba City and Townsville are the main cities of Queensland besides Brisbane. Located in south central Australia, South Australia covers 1,043,514 sq km and has Adelaide as its capital city. Housing a population of about 1,540,200, South Australia's major cities are Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln and Whyalla and are cultural hubs and ethnic growth centers of South Australia. Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania, the island province of Australia, which is separated from the mainland by the Bass Strait. Housing a populace of 484,700 and covering an area of 68,332 square kilometers, Tasmania prides itself in its scenic beauty and exotic flora and fauna. Also known as the Holiday Isle, Tasmania boasts of many natural parks and reserves. Burnie, Devonport and Launceston are other major cities in Tasmania. The province to the south eastern tip of Australia is known as Victoria and stretches over an area of 237,629 sq km. “The Place To Be” as it is called is home to a population of about 5,037,700 and the main cities are Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton and Warrnambool and Melbourne, the capital city. Western Australia lies to the west of the Australian continent. With its capital at Perth, Western Australia covers an area of about 2,645,615 sq km. This sandy province has a population of 2,050,900 and the major cities are Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Mandurah and Rockingham.
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