Whitsunday Islands

Whitsunday Islands

Geography
Location	Queensland, Australia
Coordinates	20°18′S 148°56′E / 20.300°S 148.933°E / -20.300; 148.933
Total islands	74
Major islands	Hamilton Island
Area	282.82 km2 (109.20 sq mi)
Administration
Australia
State	Queensland
Largest settlement	Hamilton Island (pop. 1350)
Demographics
Population	1,570 (2014)
Pop. density	5.551/km2 (14.377/sq mi)

The Whitsunday Islands are 74 continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, 900 kilometres (560 miles) north of Brisbane.^[1] The northernmost of the islands are off the coast by the town of Bowen, while the southernmost islands are off the coast by Proserpine. The island group is centred on Whitsunday Island, while the commercial centre is Hamilton Island. The traditional owners of the area are the Ngaro people and the Gia people, whose Juru people has the only legally recognised native title in the Whitsunday Region.^[2]

The islands are within the locality of Whitsundays and the local government Whitsunday Region.^[3] In 2009, as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Whitsunday Islands became one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for their role as a natural attraction.^[4]