西澳大利亚(Western Australia)

澳大利亚西部的州，远离大陆东部地区主要文化中心。面积2,525,500平方公里，占大陆总面积的1/3。人口少於澳大利亚总人口的1/10。首府是伯斯。内陆区域有三个沙漠：大沙沙漠、吉布生沙漠和维多利亚大沙漠。仅帝汶海和印度洋沿岸有一些良好港口；着名的海湾有约瑟夫.波拿巴湾和埃克斯茅斯湾。澳大利亚原住民在西澳大利亚约有40,000年之久。1616年荷兰航海家首次来到澳大利亚西海岸，後来英国探险家丹皮尔於1688～1689年来此。詹姆斯.斯特凌船长於1829～1830带来首批定居者，建立澳大利亚第一个非流放犯的殖民区。1886年发现了金矿，导致地区经济革新，并推动了自治运动。1901年西澳大利亚成为当时新组建的澳大利亚联邦的一个州。该州最初发展缓慢，但近数十年来受到农业和矿业的刺激，经济得以发展。人口约1,726,095（1996）。

English version：

Western Australia

State (pop., 1996: 1,726,000), western Australia. Covering an area of 975,100 sq mi (2,525,500 sq km), it constitutes one-third of the continent, but has less than one-tenth of Australia's population; its capital is Perth. The extensive interior region has three deserts: Great Sandy, Gibson, and Great Victoria. The coast along the Timor Sea and Indian Ocean has only a few good harbors; notable inlets are Joseph Bonaparte and Exmouth gulfs. Australian Aborigines have occupied Western Australia for about 40,000 years. The western coast was first visited in 1616 by the Dutch; it was later explored by Englishman William Dampier in 1688 and 1699. In 1829 Capt. James Stirling led the first group of settlers there to establish Australia's first nonconvict colony. The discovery of gold in 1886 prompted a movement for constitutional autonomy, which was granted in 1890. In 1900 it was the last state to ratify the newly constituted Commonwealth of Australia. Initially it suffered from slow growth, but in recent decades its economy, fueled by agriculture and mining, has been expanding.

参考文章

• 西澳大利亚的鲨鱼湾建筑与名胜
• 澳大利亚联邦西澳大利亚州的历史沿革专项地理
• 西澳大利亚寒流为什么是大洋环流中最弱的一支寒流？地理知识