Western Australia (WA)

Western Australia (WA) is a state occupying the entire western third of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east. Western Australia is Australia's largest state with a total land area of 2,529,875 square kilometres(976,790 sq mi, and the second-largest country subdivision in the world – however, a significant part of it is sparsely populated. The state has approximately 2.4 million inhabitants(around 11% of the national total),and 92% of the state's population lives in the south-west corner of the state.

Picture courtesy of  http://www.travel-australia-online.com

Western Australia Facts

- Western Australia is bigger than Europe and covers one third of the Australian continent, yet only two million Australians live here.

- Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world. The closest city, Adelaide in South Australia 2,200km away.

- Western Australia is approximately ten times the size of New Zealand.

- Its capital Perth is closer to Singapore and Jakarta than it is to Canberra(Australian Capital Territory). 

-With more than 270 operating mines, Western Australia is a leading supplier of many commodities including alumina, diamonds, iron ore and mineral sands, – monazite; ilmenite; rutile/synruite and zircon.

- The town of Kalgoorlie in WA is Australia's largest producer of gold.

- Agriculture is Western Australia’s second major export industry.

- Broome holds the largest pearl industry in the world.

- Western Australia has the best economy in the country.

- Western Australia has the greatest concentration of Aboriginal art in the world at the Burrup Peninsula, Dampier. There are more than 10,000 ancient rock engravings, some dating back 10,000 years.

- Perth has the largest inner city park in the world (Kings Park) and bigger than New York's Central Park.