The western part of the Australian continent is occupied by the state of Western Australia (WA).integrity of text-source?][Reference required] The Northern Territory to the northeast, South Australia to the southeast, the Indian Ocean to the west and north, and the Southern Ocean to the south all encircle it. Western Australia is the largest state in Australia and the second-largest subdivision of any country on Earth, only surpassed by the Sakha Republic in eastern Russia, with a total land area of 2,527,013 square kilometers (975,685 sq mi).