Tasmania

Tasmania, smallest Australian state (26,383 sq mi/68,332 sq km). The 150-mi (253.5-km) Bass Strait separates Tasmania from the southeastern mainland. It includes King, Flinders, and Macquarie islands, as well as the main island. Tasmania's forests contain two unique marsupials, the Tasma-nian devil and the thylacine. Chief cities are Hobart (the capital), Launceston, Burnie, and Devonport. Important industries are livestock (dairying, wool), horticulture, lumber and newsprint, mining, and mineral processing (zinc, copper, and lead).

See also: Australia.