What is the Difference Between Australian States and Territories?

The main difference between Australian states and territories lies in their governing powers and the division of responsibilities. Here are the key differences:

States: Australia has six states, which were separate entities even before the country's federal government was created. Each state has its own state government and constitution, which lists the powers of that state's parliament, including the ability to make laws. The states are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania.
Territories: Australia has two federal territories, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Unlike states, territories do not have their own constitutions, and the Australian Parliament has the power to make laws for them under Section 122 of the Australian Constitution. The ACT is home to the nation's capital, Canberra.
Administration: States have their own governments, whereas territories are under the control of the federal government. Most of the territories are directly administered by the Commonwealth government.
External Territories: In addition to the internal territories, Australia also administers six external territories: Norfolk Island, Coral Sea Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and Heard Island and McDonald Islands. Australia also claims a portion of Antarctica called the Australian Antarctic Territory.

In summary, Australian states have their own constitutions and governments, whereas territories are under the control of the federal government and do not have their own constitutions.

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What is the Difference Between Australian States and Territories?

Comparative Table: Australian States vs Territories

The main difference between Australian states and territories lies in their governing powers. States have their own state governments, whereas territories are under the control of the federal government. Here is a table summarizing the differences between Australian states and territories:

Feature	States	Territories
Governing Power	States have their own state governments.	Territories are under the control of the federal government.
Legal Autonomy	States have legislative powers to create laws for themselves, protected by the Australian constitution.	Territories rely on the federal government to create and approve laws.
Number of States	There are six Australian states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.	There are two Australian territories: the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory.
Capital Cities	Each state has its own capital city, such as Sydney for New South Wales and Brisbane for Queensland.	The ACT's capital city is Canberra, and the Northern Territory's capital city is Darwin.
Administration	States have their own constitutions and are successors to historical British colonies.	Territories do not have constitutional status as states.

The Australian states and territories have distinct characteristics, histories, and attractions that make each corner of Australia unique.

Guilherme Mazui

Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.