Queensland is a state of Australia, in the northeast of the country. The capital city is Brisbane. It is the only Australian state with a unicameral legislature, known as the Queensland Parliament or the Legislative Assembly. A bicameral system existed until 1922 when the Legislative Council of Queensland was abolished.
Geography
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Borders
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North The northernmost part of the state is the triangular Cape York Peninsula which points toward New Guinea. The western side of the peninsula is washed by the Gulf of Carpentaria, while its eastern side borders the Coral Sea which is an arm of the Pacific Ocean.
- East The Eastern border is the Pacific Ocean
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West To the west, Queensland is bordered by the Northern Territory, at the 138 deg. E. longitude, and to the south west by the north eastern corner of South Australia.
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South by New South Wales. This border has three sections:
- The watershed from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River
- The river section involving the Dumaresq, the Macintyre and the Barwon
- The 29th deg. S. latitude, over to the South Australian border.
- The State capital Brisbane, is located on the coast 100km by road north of the New South Wales border.
- The largest city by area in the world, Mount Isa, is located in Queensland. The city area is in excess of 40 000 kmē.
- Other regions of note include:
- The state contains five World Heritage listed preservation areas.
Demographics
Population
Queensland's population is less centralized than the rest of the country. At 30 June 2001 the capital city represented 45.5% of the population; for the whole country, capital cities represented 63.8% of the total population.
As at 30 June 2003 the State's population was 3,796,800 and Brisbane's 1,733,200
Religion
Christian: 77% (Anglican: 24.6%, Catholic: 26.2%, Lutheran: 2.2%, Uniting Church: 10.8%, Other: 13.4%), Non-Christian: 0.9% (Buddhism: 0.2%, Hinduism: 0.1%, Other: 0.6%), No Religion: 14.9%, Not Stated: 6.9% (2002 census)
Economy
In 2001, Queensland has a Gross Domestic Product of A$115.53 billion, which per capita, equals A$31,000. Based on exchange rates (2003) this equals US$20,400, making Queensland the third-poorest state in Australia after Tasmania and South Australia.
Primary Industries:
- Bananas, Pineapples, wide variety of other tropical and temperate fruit and vegetables
- Cattle raising
- Cotton
- Mining - Bauxite; Coal; Copper
- Sugar Cane
- Wool
Secondary Industries
- Mostly further processing of primary produce
- Bauxite (Weipa) to Alumina (Gladstone)
- Copper Refining
- Sugar Cane to Sugar Refining
Tertiary Industries
Government
Main article: Government of Queensland
Queen Elizabeth II is represented as head of state by the locally appointed Governor, Ms Quentin Bryce, AC. The elected head of government is the Labor Premier, the Hon Peter Beattie who appoints an Executive Council from the members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly of 89 members (MLAs). The Queensland State Parliament has been unicameral since 1922, when the Queensland Legislative Council was abolished.
In 2001 the state adopted a new codified constitution, repealing most of the assorted acts that had previously made up the constitution. The new constitution took effect on 6 June 2002, the anniversary of the formation of the independent colony of Queensland by the signing of Letters Patent by Queen Victoria in 1859.
Day to day law enforcement is the responsibility of the Queensland Police Service but the Australian Federal Police also have jurisdiction in federal matters.
History
Colleges and universities
See also
Towns and settlements
External links
