Regions of Queensland
The Regions of Queensland refer to the geographic areas of the Australian state of Queensland. Due to its large size and decentralised population, the state is often divided into regions for statistical and administrative purposes. Each region varies somewhat in terms of its economy, population, climate, geography, flora and fauna. Cultural and official perceptions and definitions of the various regions differ somewhat depending on the government agency or popular group by which they are being applied.
Overview
Various Queensland state government departments adopt different definitions of regions for administrative purposes. The Queensland government Trade and Investment Queensland defines seven regions. These are (roughly from south to north):
- South East Queensland
- Darling Downs
- Wide Bay–Burnett
- Central Queensland
- Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday
- North Queensland
- Far North Queensland
Smaller regions may also exist within these defined regions, such as the Torres Strait Islands, Whitsunday Islands and South West Queensland.
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is commonly considered to be a single region. It contains two statistical regions listed above, Brisbane and Moreton. The region has a population of 3,500,000 people, or 72% of the state's population.[1] The area contains Brisbane, the state's capital city, as well as the Logan City, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley. The region is the major administrative and commercial centre and focus of tourism within Queensland.
The Brisbane region comprises the greater Brisbane metropolitan area, centred on the City of Brisbane and also including the Logan, Redland, Moreton Bay and Ipswich local government areas. The metropolitan area has a population of 2,360,241 (2016)[2] It is the state's main commercial and administrative centre and contains the state's largest domestic and international airport.
The Gold and Sunshine Coasts, located south and north of Brisbane respectively, are two of the Queensland's most popular tourist regions, containing many hotels and resorts. Each region has an airport which caters primarily to tourists. The remaining parts of the region are located inland, west of Brisbane, and are primarily rural.[3][1]
Darling Downs South West
The Darling Downs South West region is located about 160 kilometres (100 mi) west of
Wide Bay–Burnett
The Wide Bay–Burnett region is located north-east of the
Central Queensland
The Central Queensland region borders
Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday
The Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday region is centred on the coastal city of Mackay and extends some 300 km inland. It contains the Whitsunday Islands group and the coastal towns of Bowen, Proserpine, and Sarina. The coastal areas are densely covered in sugar cane farms, while the less densely populated inland areas have several mining communities.
North Queensland
The North Queensland region is a coastal region centred on the city of
.Far North Queensland
The Far North region is Queensland's largest region covering 22% of the state's area and includes
Other definitions
Other names for regions are in popular usage, for example by different government agencies and in various regional maps of Queensland. The state also contains smaller regions within those discussed above which are not necessarily used for statistical purposes, but which are distinct in terms of their geography, economy or demographic characteristics. Such regions in Queensland include:
- Tropical Queensland – the area of the state north of latitude 23.5 degrees South.
- Tropical North Queensland – an area of tropical Queensland that usually includes Far North Queensland, and sometimes also North Queensland.
- The Outback – refers generally to Australian arid inland regions.
- Whitsunday Islands – a group of islands in the Mackay region. A popular tourist destination, the name usually includes the coastal community of Airlie Beach, and sometimes also Proserpine.
- Torres Strait Islands – islands between the northern tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea
- Atherton Tableland – a fertile agricultural district in the Cairns hinterland, Far North Queensland.
- Granite Belt – an area of south-east Queensland centred on the town of Stanthorpe.
- Border Rivers– an area near the border of New South Wales and Queensland.
- Capricorn Coast – a section of the Central Queensland coastline near the Tropic of Capricorn.
- Maranoa – a district that is sometimes referred to as the Western Darling Downs, in South West Queensland.
- The Marlin Coast – a coastal area centred on Cairns.
- Mt Isa.
See also
- List of regions in Australia
References
- ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning (11 August 2017). "3218.0 – South East Queensland Regional Plan, Australia, 2017" (PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "2016 Census QuickStats: Greater Brisbane". Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (23 April 2009). "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2007-08 – Queensland". Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2008.