Western Australia

Australia's largest state covering the westernmost third of the mainland, bordering South Australia and the Northern Territory.

The state capital is the magnificent city of Perth (population 1.5 million) on the south-western coastline, in whose metropolitan area a majority of the state's residents reside. Other centers include Kalgoorlie, Broome, Bunbury and Albany but they are really only medium-sized towns. The south-west coastal area is relatively temperate and forested, while the rest of the state is arid and lightly inhabited, becoming steadily warmer on its northern and north-western coastline.

Western Australia's economy is supported primarily by various mining industries, as well as some agriculture (notably large-scale beef farming) and forestry in the south-west. It is interesting to note that, even though the state encompasses only 10 per cent of the Australian population, it contributes around 25% of the country's wealth.