Queensland is one of the six states that, together with the two continental territories and the six insular ones, make up the Commonwealth of Australia. Its capital and most populated city is Brisbane. It is located in the northeast of the country, bounded on the north and west by the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the east by the Coral Sea, on the south by New South Wales, on the southwest by South Australia and on the west by the Northern Territory. With 1 730 648 km² it is the second largest state or territory, behind Western Australia. It is the only Australian state with a unicameral legislative system, called the Queensland Parliament.
The area was occupied for the first time by the indigenous Australians and the Torres Strait Islanders, who arrived between 40,000-65,000 years ago, according to various dating methods. As early as the Modern Age, Queensland became the Crown's colony. British, separating from New South Wales on June 6,1859, a date that is now celebrated throughout the state as Queensland Day. The area that currently occupies the state capital, Brisbane, was originally the Moreton Bay penal colony. Subsequently, the State promoted free settlement, and Queensland's current economy is dominated by tourism, agriculture and natural resource sectors. The state's population is concentrated in Southeast Queensland, which includes: Brisbane, Logan City, Redland City, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Other important regional centers are Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Ingham and Mount Isa.
Queensland is often called by the nickname Sun State, since it enjoys a warm climate and a good part of the state is in the tropics.