Tasmania is an island state of Australia located about 240 km off the south coast of the Australian mainland. It is the 26th-largest island in the world and is surrounded by 334 other islands. The population on the island is about 519,100as of June 2016. This island is promoted as a natural state and protected areas cover about 42% of the land area. Tasmania was also the founding place of the first environmental party.
This island was occupied by indigenous people for 40,000 years before the British colonization. In 1803 this island was permanently settled by Europeans in 1803 as a penal settlement of the British colonies by the First French Empire. There is evidence to show the presence of Aborigines in Tasmania about 40,000 years ago. The rising sea levels are what had cut Tasmania off from the rest of the mainland.
Tasmania is located directly in the path of the “Roaring Forties” where the waves begin to grow. Tasmania has been volcanically inactive but it has many jagged peaks coming from the recent glaciation. Tasmania has a relatively temperate climate due to the rest of Australia. Tasmania’s main exports revolve around mining agriculture, forestry, and tourism.