Highest mountains of Tasmania

The Australian island state of Tasmania has a diverse range of geography but a prominent feature is the mountains of the island. Overall Tasmania is comparatively low-lying with the highest point at 1614 metres (5500 feet). Tasmania has ten peaks over the height of 1500 metres (4921 feet), however with 30 peaks higher than 1200 metres it is one of the most mountainous islands in the world, and Tasmania is Australia's most mountainous state, with no truly flat terrain. The majority of the mountain peaks of Tasmania are located in the Western half of the state, starting at the coast in the South West and extending inland to the north, or in the Central Highlands.

Tasmania's mountains were part of an ancient range of volcanic peaks from the period of Gondwana, and are the source of a large portion of Tasmania's wealth in the form of mining. Although the eastern half of the state is generally lower and flatter, there are still sizeable peaks located there.Fact|date=November 2007.

As late as the mid 1950's adequate surveying of the mountains had not been competed - with the height of 19 peaks described as "about" in the list in Walch's Tasmanian Almanac of the over 115 peaks mentioned [ "Walch's Tasmanian Almanac" for 1956 - pp.416-417 ] The lack of sufficient surveying at that time also had the order of the top 10 peaks had 1. Mount Ossa - 2. Legges Tor - 3. Barn Bluff - 4. Mount Pelion West - 5. Cradle Mountain - 6. Stack's Bluff - 7. Mount Gould - 8. Mount Rufus - 9. Eldon Peak - 10. Mount Olympus [ op.cit. ]

The mountains in Tasmania over 1200 metres (3936 feet) are:

References

ee also

* Tasmap and links for indication of the mapping of these mountains

Further reading

* Caine, Nel. (1983) "The mountains of northeastern Tasmania: a study of alpine geomorphology" Rotterdam: Balkema; Salem, NH, USA. ISBN 906191289X.
* Wilkinson, Bill. (1994) "The Abels: Tasmania’s mountains over 1100 m high" Launceston, Tas.: Regal Publications ISBN 0949457671.

External links

* [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/bb8db737e2af84b8ca2571780015701e/876720A0621CD8E5CA25710E00756155?opendocument# Top 10 peaks]
* [http://www.freewebs.com/tasmanianmountains/Tasmanian%20Mountains.pdf Peak-Bagger's Guide to Tasmanian Mountains]