Portal:Queensland

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The Queensland Portal

Queensland (locally /ˈkwiːnzlænd/ KWEENZ-land, commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, the second-largest and third-most populous of the Australian states. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, southwest and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and the Pacific Ocean; to its north is the Torres Strait, separating the Australian mainland from Papua New Guinea, and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the north-west. With an area of 1,723,030 square kilometres (665,270 sq mi), Queensland is the world's sixth-largest subnational entity; it is larger than all but 16 countries. Due to its size, Queensland's geographical features and climates are diverse, including tropical rainforests, rivers, coral reefs, mountain ranges and sandy beaches in its tropical and sub-tropical coastal regions, as well as deserts and savanna in the semi-arid and desert climatic regions of its interior.

Queensland has a population of over 5.3 million, concentrated along the east coast, particularly in South East Queensland. The capital and largest city in the state is Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city. Ten of Australia's thirty largest cities are located in Queensland, the largest outside Brisbane being the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Ipswich, and Toowoomba. 28.9% of the state's population were immigrants. (Full article...)

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Selected Article

Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. The bay extends some 125 km from Caloundra in the north almost to Surfers Paradise in the south. The bay's southern navigation entrance is the Gold Coast Seaway and it is 35 km across at its widest point. It is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a chain of three sand islands - Moreton Island in the north, North Stradbroke Island, and South Stradbroke Island in the south. Tipplers Passage is the main channel on the western coast of South Stradbroke Island. The Gold Coast Seaway is at the southern extent of Moreton Bay, before the Gold Coast Broadwater.

It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are used by commercial operators who provide seafood to market. The Port of Brisbane coordinates large traffic along the shipping channel which crosses the northern section of the bay. The bay serves as a safe approach to the airport and reduces noise pollution over the city to the west of the runway. A number of barge, ferry and water-taxi services also travel over the bay. Moreton Bay has been the site of conflict between indigenous Australians and early European settlers. It contains environmentally significant habitats and large areas of sandbanks. Many parts of the mainland foreshore and southern islands are settled.

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Image 1The Mossman River, flowing through the Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland (from Queensland)
Image 2Blackbirded South Sea Islanders on a Sugarcane plantation in Queensland. (from Queensland)
Image 3Returned World War II soldiers march in Queen Street, Brisbane, 1944 (from Queensland)
Image 4Skyline of the Brisbane central business district. Brisbane is a global city and the state's largest economic hub. (from Queensland)
Image 5Lake McKensie, K'gari (Fraser Island) (from Queensland)
Image 6Parliament House, seat of the Queensland Parliament (from Queensland)
Image 7Gold mine at Ravenswood in North Queensland. Mining is one of the state's major industries (from Queensland)
Image 8The Ekka (the Royal Queensland Exhibition) is held each August at the Brisbane Showgrounds. (from Queensland)
Image 9Hill Inlet at the Whitsunday Islands. (from Queensland)
Image 10Captain James Cook claims the east coast of Australia for the Kingdom of Great Britain at Possession Island in 1770 (from Queensland)
Image 11Brisbane, capital and most populous city of Queensland (from Queensland)
Image 12Commonly designated regions of Queensland, with Central Queensland divided into Mackay and Fitzroy subregions (from Queensland)
Image 13Parade of troops in Brisbane, prior to departure for the Boer War in South Africa (from Queensland)
Image 14Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland's third largest city and a major tourist destination (from Queensland)
Image 15The Great Barrier Reef, which extends along most of Queensland's Coral Sea coastline (from Queensland)
Image 16Cargo ships at the Port of Gladstone, Queensland's largest commodity seaport (from Queensland)
Image 17Passenger train at Oxley railway station on the Ipswich/Rosewood line within the Queensland Rail City network (from Queensland)
Image 18The Great Court at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Queensland's oldest university (from Queensland)
Image 19Fighting between Burke and Wills's supply party and Aboriginal Australians at Bulla in 1861 (from Queensland)
Image 20Cricket game at The Gabba, a 42,000-seat round stadium in Brisbane (from Queensland)
Image 21The Gold Coast, Queensland's second-largest city and a major tourist destination (from Queensland)
Image 22Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, headquarters of the Supreme Court of Queensland and District Court of Queensland (from Queensland)
Image 23Government House, seat of the Governor (from Queensland)
Image 24Aftermath of the 1861 Cullin-La-Ringo massacre in which 19 settlers were killed by Aboriginal people, the deadliest attack on settlers in the frontier wars (from Queensland)
Image 25Köppen climate types in Queensland (from Queensland)
Image 26Kanaka workers in a sugar cane plantation, late 19th century (from Queensland)
Image 27The McPherson Range at Lamington National Park in South East Queensland (from Queensland)

Selected business

(Pictured left: A Billabong brand hat)

Billabong International is a clothing company traded on the Australian Securities Exchange since 11 August 2000. Billabong was founded in 1973 by Gordon and Rena Merchant. The name came from the same word billabong, which is a stagnant body of water attached to a waterway.

As well as the Billabong brand-name, the company sells surfwear and accessories under the Palmers Surf, Honolua Surf, Swell.com, Von Zipper, Kustom (footwear), Nixon, Xcel Wetsuits and Tigerlily brands, and also Element skate clothing and hardware. The brands are available at various surf and skateboard stores locations. (Full article...)

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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Lachlan Murdoch was forced to resign as a director of Prime Media Group because the company owned a radio station on Queensland's Sunshine Coast?
... that despite being described in 1840, the chestnut-backed buttonquail was only confirmed in Queensland in 2020?

More did You Know?

...that the Gas Stripping Tower (pictured) in West End, Brisbane is only one its kind in Australia?
...that the 2014 G-20 Brisbane summit security arrangements included the largest police operation in Australia's history?
...that the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital in Queensland?
...that Cape Melville has been described as a "lost world" where several animal species have existed in an isolated section of rainforest for millions of years?