Tasmania (Palawa Kani: lutruwita) is a large island off the southern coast of mainland Australia. It is a state of Australia. Its capital and the largest city is Hobart. The island was joined to the mainland until the end of the most recent ice age about 10,000 years ago.
Tasmania has wonderful natural history, and is the most forested part of Australia. It has the country's largest areas of temperate rainforest. One of its many unique trees is the Leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida). This is a common tree in wet forests, and there are four related species on the mainland.
Tasmania is a state of Australia. Unlike the other states, it is an island. The Bass Strait separates it from the Australian mainland.
Australian aboriginals are the native people of Tasmania. Abel Janszoon Tasman landed on the island in 1642. He called it "Van Diemen's Land". It was later called Tasmania. Much later, people came from Europe, mostly from the British Empire, to live on the island.
Tasmania is the smallest state in Australia. It also has the smallest population. The total population of Tasmania is just over 500,000 (September 2014).
Tasmania has some of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. They range from old country towns to up to date cities.
Some popular tourist places are:
