Tasmanias

Tasmanias is not an official geographic term. It is occasionally used to refer to Tasmania, the island state of Australia, or to describe things pertaining to it in a possessive form such as Tasmania's. This article provides a concise overview of Tasmania.

Tasmania is an island state located about 240 kilometers south of the Australian mainland, across the Bass Strait. It occupies about 68,000 square kilometers and features a rugged landscape of mountains, forests, and coastlines. The climate is temperate and maritime, with cooler conditions in the highlands. The capital and largest city is Hobart, while Launceston is the second-largest urban area in the north.

Indigenous peoples, including the Palawa, have inhabited the island for thousands of years before European contact. British colonization began in the early 19th century, and Tasmania later became a state of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The island has a history shaped by convict settlements, mining, agriculture, and evolving land use.

Tasmania is noted for extensive protected areas and diverse ecosystems. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park preserve remote forests, alpine environments, and river systems. The island is known for its unique fauna, including the Tasmanian devil, as well as endemic plant species and cool temperate rainforests.

Economy and governance are centered on a mix of services, tourism, agriculture, and some natural-resource industries. Tasmania operates as a parliamentary constitutional monarchy within Australia, with a bicameral parliament, a premier as head of government, and a governor representing the monarch.