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Victoria profile
(2016) 5,926,624
Total area1 (sq mi):
Total area1 (sq km):
Premier:
Daniel Andrews (Labor Party)
Date of admission:
State bird:
helmeted honeyeater
State flower:
Seats in federal House of Representatives:
Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT + 10)
(1) Mainland and island areas only; excludes coastal water.
Victoria is the second smallest of Australia's six states. Only the island state of Tasmania is smaller. But Victoria is the second largest state in population. Only New South Wales has more people. Victoria's capital is Melbourne.
Victoria lies in the southeastern corner of Australia. It shares borders with New South Wales on the north and South Australia on the west. The Pacific Ocean lies to the east. The Tasman Sea and the Antarctic Ocean lie to the south. Victoria's area is 87,806 square miles (227,416 square kilometers).
The Murray River runs along most of Victoria's border with New South Wales. Mountains rise in the northeast and in the center of the state. Mount Bogong, at 6,516 feet (1,986 metres), is the highest point. Flat plains lie north, west, and south of the mountains. Sandy deserts are found in the west.
Most of the people who live in Victoria can trace their roots to Great Britain. Some have other European or Asian roots. About one-quarter of Victoria's people were born outside Australia. A small number of Aboriginal peoples, or native Australians, also live in Victoria.
Melbourne is the largest city in Victoria and the second largest city in Australia. It has a population of more than 3 million. Melbourne is a port, an industrial city, and the cultural center of Victoria. It lies on the southern coast of the state.
Victoria has one of the strongest economies in Australia. Many people work in manufacturing. Factories produce machines, vehicles, clothing, and paper. Many other people of Victoria work in services—for example, banking, communications, and tourism.
The state's farmers grow wheat, broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, cauliflower, lettuce, and potatoes. Sheep and cattle ranchers produce wool and beef products. Victoria's mineral resources include coal, oil, and natural gas.
Aboriginal peoples have lived in what is now Victoria for at least 40,000 years ago. In 1770 the British explorer James Cook became the first European to visit the region. At that time between 15,000 and 20,000 Aboriginal people lived there.
In the 1830s Europeans started to settle in the area. The land was then a part of the British colony of New South Wales. The Europeans fought wars with the Aboriginal peoples. By 1850 only about 3,500 Aboriginal people were left in the region.
By 1850 Victoria had about 76,000 people, mainly farmers and sheep herders. Victoria became a separate colony of Great Britain in 1851. The discovery of gold in that year soon brought many more people. More than 200,000 came from Britain, and another 25,000 came from China.
In 1855 Victoria set up its own government. In 1901 Australia gained independence from Britain. Victoria then became a state of Australia. Population (2009 est.) 5,443,228.