It is the largest state of Australia with a population of about 2.3 million people. A significant portion of the population lives in the south-west region.
Economy of Western Australia
The economy of Western Australia is dependent on agriculture, mining and tourism.
Mining
There are abundant natural resources in WA and as a result a variety of different industries have been developed for the extraction of these resources. It is the third-biggest producer of iron ore in the world and W.A also extracts bauxite, which is used to produce aluminium. Almost a fifth of the total world production of aluminium comes from this state. Diamonds are also mined in the far north and coal is mined and used for the production of electricity. There are also iron ore and bauxite processing facilities.
Agriculture
Agriculture is an important sector producing wheat, peas, barley and wool. The production and export of wheat contributes $1.7 billion to the state’s economy There is also a demand for live cattle export.
Trade
The main exports of West Australia are iron ore, wheat, nickel, gold, live cattle, aluminium, diamonds, petrochemicals, ammonia, wool and liquefied natural gas.
Oil refinery
The largest oil refinery in Western Australia is located in Kwinana and produces petrol and diesel which are used locally.
Tourism
The importance of tourism has increased rapidly in the past few years. A large number of tourists visit W.A from Asia and Europe with funds generated by tourism being used in many different development projects.
Fishing
There is a stable fishing industry producing prawns, crayfish (lobster), crabs and many varieties of fish.
Transportation
The railway is a common means of transport. The railway system was introduced in Western Australia in the 19th century through the combined efforts of the government and different private companies. Iron ore trains on private lines also operate in the state. South of Perth a private railway is used for the transport of timber from Lockville to Yoganup.
- Suburban network of Perth
In Perth the largest public transport infrastructure project ever in Western Australia - the $1.66 billion New MetroRail project - has doubled the city’s metropolitan rail network.
Four individual heavy rail lines operate privately in the state to carry iron ore and connect mines with several major ports. A plan was introduced in 2010 for the enhancement of the railway network which would link all the mines.
Sport in Western Australia
A large number of international as well as national sports events and teams are based in Western Australia.
The main football code within W.A is the Australian Football League in which different local and interstate football teams compete. The local representatives are the Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles with the latter winning multiple premierships since 1994.
Baseball is also played and is very popular. The Perth Heat team competes in the Australian Baseball League.
There are men’s and women’s teams playing in local and national competitions.
Different local and national cricket matches are played, generally during the summer months with the state representative team being the Western Warriors.
Other sports played include hockey, netball, rugby and soccer.
Arts
Western Australia is the home of many thriving arts and music communities. Several world-renowned and popular musicians and artists were born in the state, which is well-known for its arts and music programs. Many famous TV and film industry personalities have also come from here including Rolf Harris and Heath Ledger. Western Australia hosts several well-regarded arts and music awards and many concerts and stage performances are held each year.
The Western Australian Academy Of Performing Arts has been in operation for almost 30 years. It helps arts and music students in determining their future opportunities and to help them realise their ambitions. There are other institutions as well that train and nurture the state’s artists and musicians.
