Regions of Queensland
The regions of Queensland are officially certain geographical areas in the Australian state of Queensland. Because of its large area and decentralized distributed population Queensland is divided into regions for statistical and administrative purposes. Each region has a different economics, population, geography, flora and fauna and a different climate. The respective government agencies and populations differ in their cultural and official perceptions and definition.
- 7.1 Fitzroy
- 7.2 Mackay
Overview
Various ministries define their administrative tasks in the regions differently. The Office, established by the government of Economic and Statistical Research distinguishes eleven regions. These are located from south to north as follows:
- Brisbane
- Moreton
- Darling Downs
- South West Queensland
- Central West
- Wide Bay - Burnett
- Fitzroy
- Mackay
- Northern
- Northwest
- Far North
The above division also uses the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Sometimes several interconnected by these regions and one district, for example, Mackay and Fitzroy together form Central Queensland and Brisbane and Moreton South East Queensland. Smaller regions also exist in the defined regions, such as the Torres Strait Islands or the Whitsunday Islands.
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is generally considered as a single region. The region includes Brisbane and Moreton statistical regions than two. It has a population of 2,847,029 people, or 66.3 % of the population of Queensland. The area includes Brisbane, the capital of the state, as well as the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley. This region is the main administrative and economic center of Queensland and is the focus of tourism.
Brisbane
The Brisbane region includes the city of Brisbane, which is centered around the city of Brisbane and includes the local regions of the administrations of Logan, Redland, Moreton Bay and Ipswich. The metropolitan area had a 2008 population of 1,945,639, representing 45% of the population of the state. It is the economic and administrative center and includes the largest international and domestic airport of Queensland.
Moreton
The Moretonregion used mostly for statistical purposes only and is not otherwise in common use. The area is popular regarded as part of South East Queensland and does not include the metropolitan area of Brisbane, including the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and the sub- region of West Moreton, consisting of the government areas Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset.
The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast region lying to the south and the north of Brisbane, both of which are the most popular tourist regions of Queensland and in which there are many hotels and resorts. Each region has its airport, which is mainly frequented by tourists. The other parts of the region are located in the inland, west of Bribane and are mainly rural.
This region has a population of 901 390 people, representing 21.0% of Queensland's population.
Darling Downs
The Darling Downs region is located about 160 kilometers west of Brisbane and is composed of the fertile farming area west of the Great Dividing Range. It is located south of the border of New South Wales and is centered around Toowoomba. The region covers an area of 90,246 km ² and includes the local government area of Toowoomba, Goondiwindi, Southern Downs and Western Downs. In 2008, the region had a population of 231 599 people.
South West
South West Queensland is on the border of New South Wales and South Australia, and is sparsely populated. It includes the local government area of Maranoa, Balonne, Bulloo, Murweh, Paroo and Quilpie. The most important cities in the region are Roma, Mitchell, St George, Cunnamulla, Charleville, Surat and Thargomindah. In the region there are livestock farming, cotton cultivation and occurrence of natural gas and opals. 2008, the region had a population of 26,150 people and an area of 319,883 km ².
Central West
The Central West region is bordered by South Australia and the Northern Territory. It consists of the government areas Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall - Tambo, Boulia, Diamantina, Longreach and Winton. Although the region consists of the vast area of 374,743 km ², it only has a population of 12,256 people. Within the area are the so-called Channel Country.
Wide Bay - Burnett
The Region of Wide Bay Burnett - is north of the Darling Downs and north of the Sunshine Coast and covers an area of 52,377 km ². It consists of the government areas of Bundaberg Region, Fraser Coast Region, Gympie Region, North Burnett Region and South Burnett region. Main centers are Bundaberg, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Kingaroy and Maryborough. In the region there are numerous sugar cane mills and a significant tourism industry, which includes the Fraser Iceland, a popular tourist destination and the world's largest sand island. In 2008, the region counted a population of 276 752 people.
Central Queensland
Fitzroy
The Fitzroy region has its main centers of Rockhampton and Gladstone, in coastal areas and popular holiday resorts, such as Agnes Water and 1770 and the areas in the hinterland to the west. The region's economy is dominated by the coal mining and livestock farming. A significant aluminum smelter is located in Gladstone. The region has a population of 187 916 people and covers an area of 122,971.5 km ².
Mackay
The Mackayregion region is centered around Mackay and extends 300 km inland. It includes the islands of the Whitsunday Islands and the coastal towns of Proserpine, Bowen and Sarina. The coastal areas are densely covered by sugar cane plantations, while the less densely populated country has numerous mining settlement.
North Queensland
The North Queensland is a coastal region, which is centered around Townsville. Townsville is the main port of the region, serving the export of the mines of Mount Isa and cattle exports to the coast and the inland. The region contains a number of loading stations for sugar at Lucinda in the north of the region. There are there but also the domestic cities such as Charters Towers and the coastal towns of Ayr, Home Hill and Ingham.
Northwest
The region is also known as the Gulf Country, the Northwest Region is located along the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The area is mostly arid or savannah. The most important cities in the region are Mount Isa with a population around 25,000 people. More populous centers are Burketown, Cloncurry, Doomadgee, Kowanyama, Mornington Iceland and Normanton.
The region has 35 779 people, or less than 1 % of the population of the state. 28.1% are Aboriginal. The region's economy is dominated by the zinc, copper, silver and lead mines at Mount Isa. Another important sector is the livestock industry. The region covers an area of 308,098 km ².
Far North
The Far Northern region covers most of Cape York Peninsula and stretches to the Torres Strait at the northern most part of the state.
The largest population and the administrative center of the region is located in Cairns. Other important centers are Cooktown, Atherton Tableland, Weipa and the Torres Strait Islands. The region consists of many Aboriginal settlements and farmers. 2003 was one of the region 231 494 people, of whom 117 531 live in Cairns.
Major economic activities of the region are tourism, animal husbandry, agriculture and sugar cane cultivation of tropical fruits, mineral sands mining and bauxite mining.
More definitions
Other names are in popular use, for example, by other government agencies and various location maps of the regions of Queensland. In the state there are smaller regions that are not used for statistical purposes, but they are distinct in their region as terms for their geography, economy, or demographic characteristics. Other regions in Queensland are:
- Tropical Queensland, the area begins at 23.5 latitude north.
- Tropical North Queensland is located in the northern part of the State at Mackay.
- Outback is generally referred to the arid inland of Queensland.
- Whitsunday Islands is a group of islands in the Mackayregion, a popular tourist destination. The region includes the coastal community of Airlie Beach and Proserpine is sometimes called.
- Torres Strait Islands is located between the northern tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea
- Atherton Tableland, a fertile agricultural district in Far North Queensland, inland from Cairns.
- Granite Belt, a region in southeast Queensland, centered around the town of Stanthorpe.
- Capricorn Coast, a section of the coastline of Central Queensland.
- Maranoa, a district that is sometimes called Western Darling Downs, but a part of South West Queensland.