WESTERN RESERVE

desert, but ce. three-fourths of surface suitable for grazing. Agriculture is po ible on c. 60,000 sq. m., chief crops being wheat, oats, and barley; fruit is cultivated; horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs raised; minerals include gold (chief source of wealth), coal, lead, silver, copper, tin. There are large forests, with much valuable timber, karri and jarrah in s.w. being two of most valuable hard woods known. Chief exports are gold, timber, hides, wheat, flour, wool, pearls. Railway mileage, 3,491. Education is free and obligatory. Cap. Perth. The executive is vested in a governor nominated by Brit. crown and a isted by eight ministers of state; legislature consists of a council of 30 members and a embly of 50 members, elected respectively for six and three years. Swan River Settle ment was first colonized by British (1829); W. Australia obtained responsible government (1890); two years later the discovery of gold at Coolgardie led to a great influx of pop.; in 1901 the colony became one of the states of the Australian Commonwealth. Area, See map AUSTRAL ASIA,