Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in
Australia. It is on Australia's south-east coast, on the Tasman Sea. In June
2010 the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million
people. Inhabitants of Sydney are called
Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.
The site of the first British
colony in Australia, Sydney was established at Sydney Cove as a penal colony. The
city is built on hills surrounding
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Port Jackson which is commonly
known as Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbour
Bridge feature prominently. The hinterland of the metropolitan area is
surrounded by national parks, and the coastal regions feature many bays,
rivers, inlets and beaches including the famous Bondi Beach and Manly Beach.
Within the city are many notable parks, including Hyde Park and the Royal
Botanic Gardens.
Sydney is a high ranking world
city and has hosted multiple major international sporting events, including the
1938 British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) and the 2000
Summer Olympics.
Sydney has a temperate climate
with warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall is spread throughout the year. The
weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures
are recorded in the inland western suburbs.
History
The traditional
indigenous inhabitants of Sydney Cove are the Cadigal people, whose land once
stretched from south of Port Jackson to Petersham. While estimates of the population numbers
before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 remain contentious, approximately
4,000–8,000 Aboriginal people lived in the Sydney region before contact with
British settlers. The British called the indigenous people the
"Eora", because being asked where they came from, these people would
answer: "Eora", meaning "here", or "from this
place" in their language.
Interesting facts about Sydney
·
The Harbour Bridge is known
by the locals as "The Coat Hanger" due to its distinct shape.
·
It was the site of the 1st
European colony in 1788 when convict- bearing ships of the first fleet came from
England to set up the colony of New South Wales.
·
English, Arabic, Cantonese,
Mandarin, Greek and Vietnamese are the main languages spoken in Sydney.
·
It is home to Opera
Australia, the 3rd busiest opera company in the world.
·
1 in 8 people are over 65
years old in Sydney.
·
31.7 percent of the
population of Sydney were born overseas compared to 22.2 percent of the overall
Australian population.
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