South Australia (SA) is a state in the central southern region of Australia. The southeastern coastal portion, a well-watered, fertile region with a Mediterranean climate (mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers) is where most of the state's population lives. The rest of South Australia consists of arid or semi-arid rangelands (areas grazed by livestock) with several low mountain ranges, such as the Flinders Ranges. Lake Eyre and Lake Torrens only rarely contain water. The Great Victoria Desert stretches off to the west, while in the southwest lies the sparsely inhabited Nullarbor Plain, a flat limestone plateau dotted with sinkholes and containing long caves. It meets the Great Australian Bight in a line of cliffs.

Economy

The principal industries and exports of South Australia are wheat, wine and wool. More than half of Australia's wines are produced in the South Australian wine regions, including Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale.
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The Olympic Dam mine near Roxby Downs in northern South Australia has the largest deposits of uranium in the world. It has more than a third of the world's low-cost recoverable reserves. The mine is also the world's fourth-largest remaining copper deposit, and the world's fifth largest gold deposit.

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia. Named in honour of Queen Adelaide, consort to King William IV, the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely-settled British province in Australia. The first governor proclaimed the beginning of colonial government in South Australia on 28th December 1836 near The Old Gum Tree in what is now the suburb of Glenelg North. Colonel William Light, Adelaide's planner, chose a location for the new city close to the River Torrens, in an area originally inhabited by the Kaurna people and known to them as Tarndanyangga ("place of the red kangaroo"). Noted for its emphasis on religious freedom, civil liberties and progressive politics, Adelaide became known as the "City of Churches".
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Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta pintingga ("Island of the Dead"), lies just off South Australia's coast. It was once home to Aboriginal Australians, sometimes called the Kartan people. Nearly half the island has never been cleared of vegetation. It remains a sanctuary for a number of species, including the Kangaroo Island kangaroo, Kangaroo Island dunnart, southern brown bandicoot, tammar wallaby, common brushtail possum, short-beaked echidna and glossy black cockatoo. Little penguins, once common on the island, are now rare.

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In January 2020, Kangaroo Island was badly affected by bushfires (wildfires), which raged across half the island. A number of wildlife species, already endangered, were feared extinct as a result of the fires.

Facts about South Australia

Nicknames The Festival State, the Wine State

Area 983,482 sq km (379,725 sq miles) Rank 4th

Highest point Mount Woodroffe 1435 m (4708 ft)

Population 1,769,319 Rank 5th

Capital Adelaide pop. 1,333,927 (metropolitan area)

Other major towns Mount Gambier (pop. 29,505), Victor Harbor-Goolwa (26,334), Whyalla (21,976)

State mammal Southern hairy-nosed wombat

State bird Piping shrike (Australian magpie)

State fish Leafy seadragon

State flower Sturt's desert pea

State mineral Bornite