South Australia (SA)

South Australia is located in the southern central region Australia. It is the fourth largest state in the country. It borders New South Wales and Victoria to the east, Western Australia to the west, Northern Territory to the north and Queensland to the north east.

Adelaide is the capital of the state and is home to approximately 75% of the state’s population.

South Australia is known as the Festival State.

Geography

South Australia is 983,482 square kilometres in size. The state is mostly covered by semi-arid or arid land (75%) with over 80% of the population living within Adelaide and a few selected major regions. The southern coast borders the Southern Ocean and is dominated by rugged cliffs and pristine beaches. The sparsely-inhabited Nullarbor Plain forms the western portion of thr state, fronting the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight.

Climate

South Australia has a Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and cool winters, with most rain falling between May and August. Heat is the major climatic extreme, with daily maximums around 38°C common in the Outback from October to April. Adelaide, the capital, can also get very hot in summer. Spring and autumn are generally the most pleasant times, with winter’s being a bit cold and wet.

Economy

Adelaide has a number of industries that play a vital role in contributing to the state’s economy. The major industry is the manufacturing industry which generates 15% of the Gross State Product (GSP). The manufacturing sector includes automotive and component manufacturing and defence technology.

In the past, South Australia’s economy has lagged behind the growth of the other states; however in recent years this has been improving. Residential and infrastructure development have increased dramatically since late 2005. This has led to an increase in population growth.

The South Australian wineries are another important industry which contribute greatly to the economy both through exports as well as an increase in tourism.  

Tourism

Tourism has become a great draw card for South Australia in recent years contributing $4.2billion to the economy for the year ending September 2007. 5.8million People visited South Australia from domestic and international locations. Major attractions in South Australia include the Barossa Valley, Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island. Major events which draw people from all around the world include the Classic Adelaide (regarded as the one of the world’s best open-road motoring events), the Feast Festival (Gay and Lesbian festival), the Tour Down Under (Bicycle road race) and others. 

Transport

Adelaide has a selection of public transport options including bus, rail, tram and the unique guided busway system, O-Bahn. The majority of people in Adelaide use buses as their preferred mode of transport followed by the train, O-Bahn and the tram.

The Adelaide public transport system provides 4,500km of bus routes, 11km of tram lines, 12km of O-Bahn track and 120km of train lines. They have 882 buses, 214 natural gas buses, 15 trams and 94 rail cars. 

Education

- Flinders University 
    o Bedford Park Campus
- University of Adelaide 
    o North Terrace Campus 
    o The Waite Campus 
    o Roseworthy Campus 
    o Thebarton Campus
- University of South Australia 
    o City West Campus 
    o City East Campus 
    o Magill Campus 
    o Mawson Lakes Campus 
    o Whyalla Campus