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Western Australia
AREA: 2,526,786 sq. km.,
POPULATION: 1,474,000 (1996)
CAPITAL: Perth (1,200,000)
The majority of Western Australians live in the capital, Perth, in the south western corner of the state
at Lat. 31° 57' south and Long. 115° 51' east. Straddling the Swan River and situated on the golden beaches of the Indian Ocean, Perth is a spacious, modern and
easy-going city and claims to be the world's most remote capital city, Adelaide is 2,200 kilometres east.
Early world exploration saw Dirk Hartog land on its coastline in 1616.
Western Australia was settled at Perth in 1829 and the early settlers faced harsh times. Floods and droughts were common
and it was not until the 1850's when convict labour was introduced to the colony that an infrastructure of bridges and roads
began to develop in earnest.
Off the coast of Perth is Rottnest Island, a 2,000 hectare island accessed by plane or ferry from Perth or Fremantle.
The international airport in Perth is a popular entry point for visitors to Australia and the state is a good starting point for
your Australian holiday.
The state emblem is a Black Swan and its floral emblem is the Kangaroo Paw.
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