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TASMANIA. Tasmania. Tasmania is an Australian island and state The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands . . Geography.
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Tasmania • Tasmania is an Australian island and state • The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands.
Geography • The island is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and separated from mainland Australia by Bass Strait • As the island has been volcanically inactive in recent geological times, Tasmania has many rounded smooth mountain ranges, making it the most mountainous state in Australia
Geography • Much of Tasmania is still densely forested, with the Southwest National Park and neighbouring areas holding some of the last temperate rain forests in the Southern Hemisphere
Rivers • Tasmania has a great number of rivers, with almost all dammed at some point to provide enough hydroelectricity for the entire state's needs.
Flora • Tasmania has extremely diverse vegetation, from the heavily grazed grassland of the dry Midlands to the tall evergreen eucalypt forest, alpine heathlands and large areas of cool temperate rainforests and moorlands in the rest of the state.
Flora • Tasmania is also home to some of the tallest and oldest trees of the world. While individual Huon pines are believed to be more than 2,000 years old
Fauna • Tasmanian Tiger • The island of Tasmania was home to the Thylacine, a marsupial which resembled a wild dog. Known colloquially as the Tasmanian Tiger for the distinctive striping across its back, it became extinct in mainland Australia much earlier because of competition by the dingo, introduced in prehistoric times
Physical history • It is believed that the island was joined to the mainland of Australia until the end of the last glacial period approximately 10,000 years ago. • Tasmania has the world's largest areas of dolerite, with many distinctive mountains and cliffs formed from this rock type
Tasmania is promoted as the natural state and the "island of inspiration" owing to its large and relatively unspoiled natural environment. Almost 37% of Tasmania lies in reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites
Indigenous people • Tasmania was first inhabited by the Tasmanian Aborigines. Evidence indicates their presence in the region, later to become an island, at at least 35000 years ago.[12] Rising sea levels cut Tasmania off from mainland Australia about 10,000 years ago.
Government • Tasmania has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Australian Constitution regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth and prescribes which powers each level of government enjoys.
Culture • Cuisine • Tasmania now has a wide range of restaurants. Scattered across Tasmania are many vineyards
Events • In order to foster tourism, the state government encourages or supports several different annual events in and around the island. The best known of these would be the Sydney to HobartYacht Race, starting on Boxing Day in Sydney and usually arriving at Constitution Dock in Hobart around three to four days later, during the Taste of Tasmania, an annual food and wine festival.
Event • Other events include the road rallyTarga Tasmania which attracts world-class rally drivers and is staged all over the state, over five days