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STS081-749-014 Flinders Island, Tasmania, Australia January 1997
Flinders Island (approximately 40 miles long - 64 km and 29 miles - 47 km wide) is the largest island in the Furneaux Group. The islands extend northward from the northeast end of Tasmania into the Bass Strait. Except for the east coast, at least half of the island is made up of low mountains, primarily granite ridgelines and peaks. Strzelecki National Park, located at the southwest end of the island (dark, vegetated area), has the highest point on the island (Mt. Strzelecki is 2480 feet - 756 meters above sea level). The dark swath of land that borders the sandy beaches along the east coast shows a series of fresh and saline lagoons and swamps (varying colors and shapes) with old beach ridges further inland. The island's major sources of revenue are generated by agriculture (beef and dairy cattle as well as sheep ranching), fishing, and a growing tourist industry. The lighter-colored areas show where the agricultural lands are distributed throughout the island. Darker landscapes are indicative of mountainous features and naturally vegetated terrain.
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