South Australia

South Australia

State flag (In detail)

Coat of Arms (In detail)

Capital

Adelaide

Governor

HE Marjorie Jackson-Nelson

Premier

Mike Rann

Area

— Land 

— Marine 

— Total

 983 482 km²

 60 032 km² 
 

1 043 514 km² 

Population (2002)
 

Density

1 522 500
 

1.55/km²              

Time zone  

UTC+9:30 (except during daylight saving time– UTC+10:30)

Highest point

Mt Woodroffe (1 435 m)

ISO 3166-2 code:

AU-SA

South Australia was established as a commercial venture by the South Australia Company through the sale of land to free settlers. This differed from other Australian states, which were either established as penal colonies or made use of convict labour. Colonisation of South Australia was largely driven by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who developed a 'theory of colonisation' and George Fife Angas, the largest landowner in the new colony.

The terrain consists largely of arid and semi-arid rangelands, with several low mountain ranges in which the most important mountains are the Mt Lofty-Flinders Ranges system which extends north about 800 kilometres from Cape Jervis to the northern end of Lake Torrens and salt lakes. Its principal industries and export are wheat, wine and wool. More than half the nations wines are produced here.

South Australia has boundaries with every other contiguous Australian state and territory except the Australian Capital Territory. Western Australia lies (unsurprisingly) to its west; the Northern Territory - which was originally the Northern Territory of South Australia - lies (equally unsurprisingly) to its north. Its north eastern corner cuts a wedge into Queensland, while New South Wales and Victoria also lie to its east.

Its south coast is flanked by the Southern Ocean. South Australia's mean temperature range is 29°C in January and 15°C July. Daily temperatures in parts of the state in January can be up to 45°C.

The flag of South Australia was adopted on January 13, 1904; it is a British Blue Ensign faced with the state badge. The badge is described as a piping shrike with wings outstretched on a yellow disc. There is actually no such bird as a piping shrike, it is often called a White-backed Magpie but is more likely the Magpie-lark. The state badge is believed to have been designed by Robert Craig of the Adelaide School of Arts.

South Australia is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen of Australia as the head of state. Its bicameral parliament is made up of a House of Assembly and a Legislative Council. The current Premier of South Australia is Mike Rann, a member of the Australian Labor Party.

Local Government Areas of South Australia