Learn about Tasmania's geography, climate, history and cultural development.

Learn all about Tasmania on the Discover Tasmania website.

These facts provide a quick overview of Tasmania.

• Tasmania is an island about the size of Ireland (68,300 square kms)
• It has a cool-temperate maritime climate with mean annual rainfall of about 650mm
• It is a state of Australia
• It is English-speaking
• It is situated 240 kms off the south-eastern corner of mainland Australia
• Tasmania is about 2000 kms from Antarctica
• Tasmania is about 2-hours flying time from Sydney and 1-hours flying time from Melbourne
• It takes a little over 2-hours to drive from Launceston to Hobart.
• About a third of the State is reserved in National Parks.
• Much of Tasmania's wilderness has been given World Heritage status
• Tasmania was a part of the ancient supercontinent of Gondawana and still holds remnant habitats for rare plants and animals from this time
• Tasmania's coastline, including its islands, is 3,300 kms
• The Tasmanian population is about 472,000
• Tasmania has four major population centres- Hobart (capital), Launceston, Devonport, Burnie. Hobart has a population of 190,000, Launceston has 98,000, Devonport 26,000 and Burnie has 20,000
• Tasmania is the least urbanised of all the Australian states with a significant proportion of the population residing outside of the major centres
• Tasmania has teaching hospitals at Hobart, Launceston and Burnie
• Major airports are at Hobart, Launceston and Devonport with daily scheduled services to mainland capitals
• The Spirit of Tasmania Ferry Service operates daily between Devonport and Melbourne on the mainland (about 10 hours one-way)
• The major industries are tourism, forestry, mining, agriculture, fishing, aquaculture (fish-farming), and viticulture (wine production)
• Tasmania's major exports include- minerals, seafood, beef, milk products, vegetables, pharmaceutical products, wool, fruit and nuts, timber, paper products, animal feeds and chocolate.