General Facts

Official?Languages :English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80 percent of the population.

Area: 26,410 mi²

Currency: Australian dollar( AU$), Prices are rounded off to the nearest 5c (1c and 2c coins are not used in Australia).

Climate
Tasmania has four distinct seasons with the warmest months being December to March. The average maximum daily summer temperatures are between 17 and 23 degrees Celsius and winter daily temperatures sit between 3 and 11 degrees Celsius.

Rainfall varies dramatically across the island. Hobart, with an average of 626 millimetres is Australia's second-driest capital city (after Adelaide), while on the west coast an annual average of 2,400 mm ensures the rainforest thrives.

Regardless of where you travel in Tasmania you should be prepared for sudden, temporary deterioration in the weather, especially if bushwalking. Always carry additional warm clothing, including a waterproof outer layer.

Economy
Traditionally Tasmania's main industries have been: mining, including copper, zinc, tin, and iron; agriculture; forestry; and tourism. Significantly in the 1940s and 1950s there had been a notion of 'Hydro-Industrialization' embodied in the state by Hydro Tasmania. These all have had varying fortunes over the last century and more, involved in ebbs and flows of population moving in and away dependent upon the specific requirements of the dominant industries of the time.

The state has a large number of food exporting sectors, including but not limited to seafood (for example, Atlantic salmon, abalone, and crayfish).

A significant number of Tasmanians work for the government. Other major employers include the Federal Group, owner of several hotels and Tasmania's two casinos, and Gunns Limited, the state's largest forestry company.

Health

Facilities As per the rest of Australia, Tasmania has an excellent health-care system: a mixture of privately run medical clinics and hospitals alongside public hospitals funded by the Australian government. There are also excellent specialised public-health facilities for women and children in major centers.

Medications Painkillers, antihistamines for allergies and skincare products are widely available at chemists throughout Tasmania. You may find that medications available over the counter in some countries are only available in Australia by prescription. These include the oral contraceptive pill, some medications for asthma and all antibiotics.

Time Zone

Tasmania is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and 18 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST). Daylight Saving is observed from the first Sunday of October to the first Sunday of April the following year. Australian Eastern Standard Time UTC+10, Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time UTC+11.

Local laws & etiquette

Note that Tasmania is not Australia, and locals are fiercely proud of their history and separate identity. Despite its convict past, Tasmania is a very law-abiding place. Street crime is rare, but exercise the normal care you would at home. Tasmanians are even more relaxed than mainlanders so don’t expect too much formality. Everyone seems to have time for a chat.

Tasmania Government

Parliament consists of three parts: the Crown, the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly. These three acting together make State laws for Tasmania. It is the task of Parliament to provide a forum for the people’s elected representatives to debate the important issues of the day and make laws accordingly. The Governor also acts on behalf of the monarch to give the Royal Assent to Bills passed by the House of Assembly and Legislative Council.

Religion

Tasmania's religion statistics provide an indicator of cultural identity and ethnicity when observed in conjunction with other key variables. Religion data reveal the major concentrations of religions as well as revealing the proportion of people with no religious affiliation. There are a number of reasons for different religious compositions across areas including the country of birth and ethnic background of the population, the age of the population (belief in religion is generally stronger, the older the population) and changes in values and belief systems.

Getting Around

There are no train services in Tasmania so travellers rely on bus and coach and of course car-hire to get to and from our cities and regional centers.

.Coach tours offer a comfortable and relaxing way of seeing the state with many national coach touring companies offering traditional coach touring around Tasmania. They provide extensive year round multi-day itineraries for budget, deluxe and luxury travellers.

Statewide Bus service

Tassielink transit: 1300 300 520, Tasmania’s own redline coaches: 1300 360 00.

Driving

A current Australian (or international) driver’s licence is required. Speed limits are 50km/h in built up areas and 100km/h outside cities and towns, unless otherwise sign-posted. tasmania has a 0.5 alcohol limit for fully licenced drivers

Shopping

Normal retail hours are approximately Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm. Saturday 9am-53, Sunday 10am-4pm, however shop vary across business.

Banks

The majority of banks open between 9:30am and 4pm Monday to Thursday, closing 5pm Fridays.