Australian Capital Territory
Federal territory of southeastern Austrlia, an enclave
in the state of New South Wales; it includes Jervis Bay Territory (the
site of Canberra's port on the coast) for administrative purposes
Area:
2,400 sq km/926 sq mi (Jervis Bay 73 sq km/28 sq mi)
Cities:
Canberra
Features:
Parliament House (1988), Lake Burley Griffin, High Court of Australia,
Australian War Memorial, Australian National Gallery, the National Library,
Australian National Botanic Gardens, Black Mountain
Industries:
Government administration and defence employs almost half of the population
of Australian Capital Territory; retail, property, and business services
are also important
Population:
(1996) 297,000
History:
Site of capital chosen in 1908; territory ceded to the Commonwealth
of Australia by New
South Wales in 1911; Jervis Bay area, on the New South Wales southern
coast, ceded in 1915 to provide site for the port of Canberra; seat
of Australian Government moved from Melbourne to Canberra in 1927.
The construction of the old Parliament House began in 1923, and it
was completed in 1927. In 1962 the United States was given permission
to build a space-tracking station at Tidbinbilla, near Canberra.
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