Sydney

Sydney is the <a href="/facts/Capital_city/aRTzKRH0">capital city</a> of the <a href="/facts/States_and_territories_of_Australia/kUd6AV5c">state</a> of <a href="/facts/New_South_Wales/aW7eJXSS">New South Wales</a> and the <a href="/facts/List_of_cities_in_Australia_by_population/VIA3PwXr">most populous city in Australia</a>. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds <a href="/facts/Sydney_Harbour/uFgAR2ne">Sydney Harbour</a> and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the <a href="/facts/Pacific_Ocean/bdxgXRVM">Pacific Ocean</a> in the east to the <a href="/facts/Blue_Mountains_(New_South_Wales)/Sl2j4T7o">Blue Mountains</a> in the west, and about 80 km (50 mi) from <a href="/facts/Ku-ring-gai_Chase_National_Park/YPoF7cTH">Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park</a> and the <a href="/facts/Hawkesbury_River/p0WeWA3s">Hawkesbury River</a> in the north and north-west, to the <a href="/facts/Royal_National_Park/pavIle76">Royal National Park</a> and <a href="/facts/Macarthur%2c_New_South_Wales/l7QgNCjq">Macarthur</a> in the south and south-west. Greater Sydney consists of 658 suburbs, spread across 33 local government areas. Residents of the city are colloquially known as "Sydneysiders". The estimated population in June 2024 was 5,557,233, which is about 66% of the state's population. The city's nicknames include the Emerald City and the Harbour City.
There is evidence that <a href="/facts/Aboriginal_Australians/DNAQ5z5m">Aboriginal Australians</a> inhabited the <a href="/facts/Greater_Sydney/8TegRcwB">Greater Sydney</a> region at least 30,000 years ago, and <a href="/facts/Sydney_rock_engravings/JEuQ4pFy">their engravings</a> and cultural sites are common. The traditional custodians of the land on which modern Sydney stands are the clans of the <a href="/facts/Darug/QTQrRqyH">Darug</a>, <a href="/facts/Dharawal/xLdzQWLr">Dharawal</a> and <a href="/facts/Eora/ckk1sX6t">Eora</a>. During his <a href="/facts/First_voyage_of_James_Cook/BznW7oSK">first Pacific voyage</a> in 1770, <a href="/facts/James_Cook/wy3cXCXp">James Cook</a> charted the eastern coast of Australia, making landfall at <a href="/facts/Botany_Bay/GvLtegp4">Botany Bay</a>. In 1788, the <a href="/facts/First_Fleet/wDLRcs5U">First Fleet</a> of <a href="/facts/Convicts_in_Australia/qy6gdGrw">convicts</a>, led by <a href="/facts/Arthur_Phillip/oHkgNrmJ">Arthur Phillip</a>, founded Sydney as a British <a href="/facts/Penal_colony/63twBQ8y">penal colony</a>, the first European settlement in Australia. After <a href="/facts/World_War_II_in_Australia/Byhx0162">World War II</a>, Sydney experienced mass migration and by 2021 over 40 per cent of the population was born overseas. Foreign countries of birth with the greatest representation are mainland China, India, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Despite being one of the most expensive cities in the world, Sydney frequently ranks in the top ten <a href="/facts/World%2527s_most_liveable_cities/WIa6Jmjh">most liveable cities</a>. It is classified as an <a href="/facts/Globalization_and_World_Cities_Research_Network/xdxbC98a">Alpha+ city</a> by the <a href="/facts/Globalization_and_World_Cities_Research_Network/xdxbC98a">Globalization and World Cities Research Network</a>, indicating its influence in the region and throughout the world. Ranked eleventh in the world for economic opportunity, Sydney has an advanced market economy with strengths in education, finance, manufacturing and <a href="/facts/Tourism_in_Sydney/WABlhLqh">tourism</a>. The <a href="/facts/University_of_Sydney/AzENnAra">University of Sydney</a> and the <a href="/facts/University_of_New_South_Wales/h64vknzj">University of New South Wales</a> are ranked 18th and 19th in the world respectively.
Sydney has hosted major international sporting events such as the <a href="/facts/2000_Summer_Olympics/XY21rhCP">2000 Summer Olympics</a>, the <a href="/facts/2003_Rugby_World_Cup_final/SA1IvcWR">2003 Rugby World Cup Final</a>, and the <a href="/facts/2023_FIFA_Women%2527s_World_Cup_final/bsPMdNos">2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Final</a>. The city is among the top fifteen most-visited, with millions of tourists coming each year to see the city's landmarks. The city has over 1,000,000 ha (2,500,000 acres) of <a href="/facts/Parks_in_Sydney/pQSCxCwl">nature reserves and parks</a>, and its <a href="/facts/Ecology_of_Sydney/DtI1SJ45">notable natural features</a> include <a href="/facts/Port_Jackson/uFgAR2ne">Sydney Harbour</a> and <a href="/facts/Royal_National_Park/pavIle76">Royal National Park</a>. The <a href="/facts/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge/PxTH8pzl">Sydney Harbour Bridge</a> and the World Heritage-listed <a href="/facts/Sydney_Opera_House/K378spe2">Sydney Opera House</a> are major tourist attractions. <a href="/facts/Central_railway_station%2c_Sydney/rd9WMdgJ">Central Station</a> is the hub of Sydney's suburban train, metro and light rail networks and longer-distance services. The main passenger airport serving the city is <a href="/facts/Sydney_Airport/12lunmwq">Kingsford Smith Airport</a>, one of the world's oldest continually operating airports.

Sydney open-in-new

Sydney