In Australia, the term eastern states refers to the states adjoining the east coast of Australia. These are the mainland states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory, while not states, are also included. The term usually includes the island state of Tasmania. On some occasions, the state of South Australia is included in this grouping. Similar terms include East Coast and 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. It also includes the Gold Coast, Queensland and Newcastle, New South Wales as the two largest non-capital cities in the country. 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.
From north to south: