Eastern states of Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Eastern states of Australia refers to the states adjoining the east coast of Australia. These are the mainland states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and the island state of Tasmania. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory, while not states, are also included.

The term may or may not include the island state of Tasmania. On some occasions the state of South Australia is included in this grouping.

Tourist literature frequently refers to East Coast Australia, and the Eastern Coast in referring to the eastern states. It is also often referred to as the Eastern Seaboard.

Regardless of which definition is used, the eastern states include the vast majority — more than 80% — of the Australian population and the three largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. In terms of climate, the area is dominated by a humid subtropical zone, with some tropical and oceanic climate zones.

Politicians and newspapers from Western Australia frequently use the term(s) to emphasise the 'them and us' attitude with respect to the Western state's isolation from the rest of the country.