Tas·ma·ni·a (t z-m  n - , -mny) An island state of southeast Australia consisting of the island of Tasmania along with several smaller islands and separated from the mainland by Bass Strait. Abel Tasman explored the island in 1642, naming it Van Diemen's Land. It was renamed in his honor in 1853. Tasmania joined Australia in 1901. Tas·ma ni·an adj. & n. |
Tasmania [tæzˈmeɪnɪə]
n
(Placename) an island in the S Pacific, south of mainland Australia: forms, with offshore islands, the smallest state of Australia; discovered by the Dutch explorer Tasman in 1642; used as a penal colony by the British (1803-53); mostly forested and mountainous. Capital: Hobart. Pop.: 470 260 (1999 est.). Area: 68 332 sq. km (26 383 sq. miles) Former name (1642-1855) Van Diemen's Land
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Tasmania - an Australian state on the island of TasmaniaAustralia, Commonwealth of Australia - a nation occupying the whole of the Australian continent; Aboriginal tribes are thought to have migrated from southeastern Asia 20,000 years ago; first Europeans were British convicts sent there as a penal colony Hobart - a port and state capital of Tasmania |
| 2. | Tasmania - an island off the southeastern coast of Australia Australia - the smallest continent; between the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean |
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