New South Wales
New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's most diverse State, home to
the country's largest and most cosmopolitan city, Sydney. It
is located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria
and south of Queensland. It was founded in 1788 and
originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as
Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
There are five World Heritage sites to explore including the
famous Sydney Opera House. The State has a string of
accessible, sparkling beaches stretching from north to south, a
vast, colourful outback, Australia's highest mountain Mt.
Kosciuszko, offering every type of snow sport, and meandering
waterways.
Weather and Climate
NSW lies in the temperate zone so generally the climate is free
from extreme hot and cold temperatures - the annual average being
between 12°C and 21°C, with a rainfall average of 1,138mm.
Population
The estimated population of New South Wales at the end of June
2007 was 6.89 million people.
History
In 1770 Captain James Cook sailed into what is now called Botany
Bay. Cook later claimed a section of Australia's East Coast for
Great Britain under the name of New South Wales. The colony became
a state in 1901 after Australia was officially declared a
nation.
The original inhabitants of NSW, the Aboriginal peoples, have
lived in the area for more than 45,000 years and many reminders of
this period still exists today. In Sydney and the surrounding
regions alone there are more than 2,000 Aboriginal rock engraving
sites and many of Sydney's suburbs have Aboriginal names such as
Woolloomooloo, Parramatta and Yagoona.
Sydney
As the latgest city in Australia, Sydney boasts a population of
4.12 million people. Sydney is the state capital of New South
Wales, and is the site of the first European colony in Australia,
established in 1788. A resident of the city is referred to as
a Sydneysider.
Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast and is built
around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour. Sydney is
a major international tourist destination notable for its beaches
and twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains
many bays, rivers and inlets.
Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world
which reflects its role as a major destination for immigrants to
Australia. According to the Mercer cost of living survey,
Sydney is Australia's most expensive city, and the 21st most
expensive in the world.
Source: Wikipedia. New South Wales, About Australia