New South Wales
State of southeast Australia, including the dependency of Lord Howe
Island ; bounded by Queensland on the north, the Tasman Sea on
the east, Victoria on the south, and South Australia on the west
Area:
801,600 sq km/309,418 sq mi
Capital:
Sydney
Towns and Cities:
Newcastle, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Broken Hill, Goulburn, Bathurst,
Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Albury, Tamworth
Physical:
Great Dividing Range (including Blue Mountains) and part of the Australian
Alps (including Snowy Mountains and Mount Kosciusko); rivers Murray,
Darling, and Murrumbidgee; Riverina district, irrigated by the
Murray-Darling- Murrumbidgee river system; Hunter Valley wine-producing
area; Snowy River Scheme
Features:
Radio telescope at Parkes; Siding Spring Mountain 859 m/ 2,817 ft,
northwest of Sydney, with telescopes that can observe the central
sector of the Galaxy; Hume Reservoir; Canberra forms an enclave
within the state
Products:
Cereals, fruit, wine, sugar, tobacco, dairy products, meat, wool, gold,
silver, copper, zinc, lead, coal, iron and steel, machinery, electrical
appliances, cars, furniture, textiles and textile goods, hides
and leather, tobacco, chemicals, paint, oil, paper, hydroelectric
power from the Snowy River, mineral sands, glassware, timber,
poultry, opals, fish and other seafood
Population:
(1996) 6,038,700 (about 54% in Sydney)
History:
Visited by Captain James Cook in 1770; convict settlement 1788-1850;
opened to free settlement by 1819; achieved self- government in
1855; became a state of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
Physical
New South Wales has a coastline of over 1,125 km/700 mi. The Great
Dividing Range runs parallel to the east coast, bisecting the
state from north to south. The section on the southern boundary,
the Australian Alps, contains Australia's highest peak, Mount
Kosciusko (2,230 m/ 7,316 ft). The principal rivers are the Murray,
Murrumbidgee, and Darling. Other rivers are the Lachlan, Macquarie-Bogan,
Richmond, Clarence, Macleay, Manning, Hunter, Hawkesbury, and
Shoalhaven. The numerous streams that rise on the western side
of the watershed within the state all drain into the Murray system.
In the northeast corner of the state there are areas of dense
forest (particularly eucalyptus trees).
Climate
The climate is generally mild, although very high temperatures are
found in the northwest and extreme cold on the southern tablelands
in winter. Snow is found most of the year on peaks of the Australian
Alps. The annual rainfall varies greatly, but in general diminishes
towards the northwest. More than one-third of New South Wales
receives less than 355 mm/14 in of rain a year. The coastal areas
have the highest rainfall, about 1,905 mm/75 in the northeast.
Sydney has an annual rainfall of 1,220 mm/48 in, a summer mean
temperature of 23ºC/73ºF, and a winter mean temperature of 12ºC/54º
F.
Tourism
New South Wales attracted over 2 million overseas tourists in 1997,
and the number of tourists visiting the state is increasing rapidly.
The city of Sydney is an important tourist destination, with its
harbour, waterways, beaches, and attractions such as Sydney Harbour
Bridge and the Opera House. The Blue Mountains area is nearby
with its heritage sites, interesting rock formations, and national
parks. The Hunter Valley region, well known for the quality of
its wines, is also nearby. The Snowy Mountains in the south of
New South Wales includes Mount Kosciusko National Park. In northern
New South Wales Dorrigo National Park is also a popular destination.
Beaches suitable for swimming, surfing, fishing, whale watching,
and yachting, extend along the state's coastline.
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