What are the main cities in Queensland?
The main cities in Queensland are Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns and Toowoomba. Unusually, Queensland's population is spread along a long coastline.
The Gold Coast, south of Brisbane, is Australia's largest non-capital city, known for surf beaches and theme parks. The Sunshine Coast, to the north, offers quieter beaches and hinterland towns.
Further north, Townsville is the largest city in tropical Queensland and a major defence and port centre opposite Magnetic Island. Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Inland, Toowoomba sits on the edge of the Great Dividing Range above the Darling Downs.
A decentralised state
Other cities such as Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Gladstone support sugar, beef, mining and port industries. Queensland is the most decentralised mainland state, with fewer people living in its capital than in most other states.
Cairns, Townsville and Mackay also act as hubs for tourists heading to the reef and islands, giving northern Queensland a strong visitor economy.
Did You Know?
Rockhampton sits almost exactly on the Tropic of Capricorn, marked by a roadside spire.