States and territories of Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids States and territories of Australia
Location	Australia
Number	Six states, three internal territories, and seven external territories
Populations	Smallest state: Tasmania 541,071 Largest state: New South Wales 8,166,369 Smallest territories: Ashmore and Cartier Islands 0 (uninhabited) Heard Islands 0 (uninhabited) Largest territory: Australian Capital Territory 431,215
Areas	Smallest state: Tasmania 90,758 km2 (35,042 sq mi) Largest state: Western Australia 2,642,753 km2 (1,020,373 sq mi) Smallest territory: Cocos (Keeling) Islands 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) Largest territories: Northern Territory 1,419,630 km2 (548,120 sq mi) Australian Antarctic Territory 5,896,500 km2 (2,276,700 sq mi)
Subdivisions	Local Government Areas and Unincorporated Areas

Australia is a big country, and to manage it, the land is divided into different parts called states and territories. These are like big regions with their own governments. They form the second level of government in Australia.

The first level is the federal government, which looks after the whole country. The third level is local councils, which manage smaller areas like towns and suburbs.

States are special because they are mostly self-governing. They have their own rules, laws, and police. They also have their own leaders and courts. This means they can make many decisions about what happens in their region.

Territories are also managed by their own governments, but they are more connected to the federal government. The federal government has more power over territories and can even change their laws.

Australia's States and Territories

Australia has six states and ten territories. The six states are:

• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

There are three internal territories that are part of the Australian mainland:

• Australian Capital Territory (where the capital city, Canberra, is located)
• Northern Territory
• Jervis Bay Territory

There are also seven external territories, which are islands far away from the mainland:

• Ashmore and Cartier Islands
• Christmas Island
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Coral Sea Islands
• Heard Island and McDonald Islands
• Norfolk Island
• Australian Antarctic Territory (a part of Antarctica claimed by Australia)

Every state and the main internal territories (Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory) have their own government, law-making body (called a legislature), and court system. The other external territories are mostly managed directly by the federal government.

State and territory governments can make laws for their citizens. However, these laws must follow the rules in the Australian Constitution. The highest court in Australia, the High Court of Australia, can review any state or territory law.

How States and Territories Came to Be

A map showing how Australia's states were formed over time.

The states of Australia started as separate British colonies. Before 1901, Australia was not one country. It was a collection of colonies, each ruled by Britain.

For example, the Colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and was much larger than the New South Wales we know today. Over time, other colonies were created from parts of New South Wales:

• Colony of Tasmania (1825)
• Colony of Western Australia (1829)
• Province of South Australia (1836)
• Victoria Colony (1851)
• Colony of Queensland (1859)

In 1901, these six colonies joined together to form the Commonwealth of Australia. They became the first states of the new country.

The laws for states are protected by the Australian Constitution. This means the federal government can only make laws for states if the Constitution allows it. However, for territories, the Australian Parliament has more direct control and can make laws for them.

Governors and Chief Ministers

Each state in Australia has a Governor. The Governor is appointed by the Queen of Australia (or King). They act on the advice of the state's Premier. The Northern Territory has an Administrator, who is appointed by the Governor-General. The Australian Capital Territory does not have a Governor or Administrator.

Most states have two houses of parliament for making laws. One is called the Legislative Assembly (or House of Assembly), and the other is the Legislative Council. Queensland only has one house, the Legislative Assembly. The self-governing territories (ACT and Northern Territory) also have only one house, called the Legislative Assembly.

The main leader of each state government is called the Premier. The Premier is usually the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in the state parliament. For the self-governing territories, the leader is called the Chief Minister.

States and Territories of Australia: Quick Facts

Map of Australia's States and Territories

This map shows all the states and territories of Australia.

States and Territories of Australia

Flag	State/territory name	Abbrev	Type	Capital (or largest settlement)	Population	Area (km²)
	Ashmore and Cartier Islands		External	(Offshore anchorage)	0	199
	Australian Antarctic Territory	AAT	External	Davis Station	1,000	5,896,500
	Australian Capital Territory	ACT	Territory	Canberra	395,200	2,358
	Christmas Island		External	Flying Fish Cove	2,072	135
	Cocos (Keeling) Islands		External	West Island	596	14
	Coral Sea Islands		External	(Willis Island)	4	10
	Heard Island and McDonald Islands	HIMI	External	(Atlas Cove)	0	372
	Jervis Bay Territory	JBT	Territory	(Jervis Bay Village)	377	70
	New South Wales	NSW	State	Sydney	7,704,300	800,642
	Norfolk Island		External	Kingston	2,302	35
	Northern Territory	NT	Territory	Darwin	244,000	1,349,129
	Queensland	Qld	State	Brisbane	4,827,000	1,730,648
	South Australia	SA	State	Adelaide	1,706,500	983,482
	Tasmania	Tas	State	Hobart	518,500	68,401
	Victoria	Vic	State	Melbourne	6,039,100	227,416
	Western Australia	WA	State	Perth	2,613,700	2,529,875

Leaders of States and Territories

Here are the current leaders for each state and self-governing territory: