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Updated: 31 August 2005
Area of Australia, States, and Territories
Land Areas of States and Territories
Australia is the world's sixth largest country, after Russia, Canada, China, USA, and Brazil. In addition to the mainland, Australia is surrounded by many thousands of small fringing islands and numerous larger ones, which amount to an area half the size of Tasmania.
| STATE/TERRITORY |
% |
(square kilometres) |
| MAINLAND AREA |
ISLAND AREA |
TOTAL AREA |
| Western Australia |
33.0 |
2 526 786 |
3 089 |
2 529 875 |
| Queensland |
22.5 |
1 723 936 |
6 712 |
1 730 648 |
| Northern Territory |
17.5 |
1 335 742 |
13 387 |
1 349 129 |
| South Australia |
12.7 |
978 810 |
4 672 |
983 482 |
| New South Wales |
10.4 |
800 628 |
14 |
800 642 |
| Victoria |
3.0 |
227 010 |
406 |
227 416 |
| Tasmania |
0.9 |
64 519 |
3 882 |
68 401 |
| Australian Capital Territory |
< 1 |
2 358 |
- |
2 358 |
| Jervis Bay Territory |
< 1 |
72 |
1 |
73 |
| AUSTRALIA
| -
| 7 659 861
| 32 163
| 7 692 024
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Source: GEODATA
100K Coastline database, 1993. Note: these new calculations
supersede those appearing in the Australian Yearbook (but are not
yet official).
Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory
The Canberra - Yass district was chosen as the site of the new national capital in 1908. An area covering 2358 square kilometres
was ceded to the Commonwealth in 1911, forming the Australian Capital Territory. It was considered that the capital should have
its own port and, consequently, the Jervis Bay Territory was formed in 1915, when this land was surrendered to the Commonwealth by New
South Wales.
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Marine Areas of States and Territories
The marine areas of States and Territories are referred to as coastal waters. This is a belt of water between the territorial sea baseline (usually the low water line along the coast) of the States/Northern Territory, and a line three nautical miles (5.5 kms) seaward of the baseline.
| STATE/TERRITORY |
% |
AREA (square kilometers) |
| Queensland |
29.7 |
121 994 |
| Western Australia |
28.2 |
115 740 |
| Northern Territory |
17.5 |
71 839 |
| South Australia |
14.6 |
60 032 |
| Tasmania |
5.4 |
22 357 |
| Victoria |
2.5 |
10 213 |
| New South Wales |
2.1 |
8 802 |
| AUSTRALIA |
- |
410 977 |
Notes:
- GEODATA
100K Coastline and AMBIS
data used.
- Albers projection used to calculate areas.
- The adjacent areas of each of the States and of the Northern Territory as determined under the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act
1967 used to split into State and Territory jurisdiction.
- Figures include water areas around offshore islands where appropriate. Queensland figure includes water area around Torres
Strait Islands and reef islands but not Coral Sea Islands.
Source: Maritime Boundaries Program, Geoscience Australia. 12 January 2001.
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