South Australia

Its people make up less than 10 percent of the Australian population, yet through its isolation and distinctive British origins as a planned settlement, a sense of local pride and identity have produced strong links with Melbourne and Sydney.

Land

The state can be divided into seven major regions on the basis of surface land formations. The four western regions are a stable shield of ancient Precambrian rocks including granite, the Great Victoria Desert, The Nullarbor Plain and the Southern Ocean at the head of the Great Australian Bight. In the south-central part of the state are gulfs and adjacent ranges and plains. The sixth region is the Murray Plains and the Southeast Plain which contain lime rich deposits. The final region is the deserts of the north and northeast, some which are 52 feet below sea level and have flooded only three times in the past century.

Flora an Fauna

Widespread clearing of vegetation for agriculture and the competition of domesticated livestock in the arid pastoral zone have depleted the fauna, especially mammals. South Australia has the sole surviving population of the formerly more widespread hairy-nosed wombat and more than 400 of the 700 species of Australian birds and more than 100 species of reptiles.

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Australian Capital Territory

Western Australia