Why do most people in Western Australia live in the southwest?

Most of the population in Western Australia is concentrated in the southwest primarily due to the region's more favorable climate. While much of the state is subarid, the southwestern portion experiences a Mediterranean climate, which is more conducive to human settlement and agricultural activities compared to the tropical north or the vast, arid interior deserts.12

This "comfortable zone" is defined by an area stretching from north of Geraldton on the western coast to Esperance on the southern coast. The capital city, Perth, is located within this region on the Swan Coastal Plain, where it benefits from sea breezes—locally known as the "Fremantle Doctor"—that provide relief from high temperatures during the summer months.132

Historically, the initial European settlement at the Swan River was also influenced by early, albeit sometimes inaccurate, assessments of the region's fertility and climate, which helped establish the area as the state's primary population and economic hub.45