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New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east.
- 26 January 1788
- Colony of New South Wales
- 6 June 1856
- Australia
Discover the attractions of New South Wales, from the iconic Sydney and the Blue Mountains to the natural wonders of the Hunter Valley and the Sapphire Coast. Find out how to plan your trip, where to stay, what to eat and what to do in this east coast state.
Explore the diverse and stunning destinations of New South Wales, Australia, from Sydney to the outback, from the coast to the mountains. Find inspiration, events, road trips, accommodation and more on the official tourism website.
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New South Wales, state of southeastern Australia, occupying both coastal mountains and interior tablelands. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the states of Victoria to the south, South Australia to the west, and Queensland to the north. New South Wales also includes Lord Howe Island, 360 miles (580 km) east of the continent. The state capital is Sydney, the country’s largest city.
The site of the first British settlement in Australia in 1788, New South Wales is today the most populous and, after Victoria, the most industrialized state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Originally the name New South Wales was applied to all territory east of longitude 135° E. The colonies of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland were successively carved out of its territory in the 19th century. The Australian Capital Territory at Canberra was ceded to the Commonwealth government in 1911, and the Jervis Bay enclave on the Pacific coast was similarly ceded in 1915 to provide a port for Canberra.
Although it is by no means the largest Australian state in area, New South Wales has the largest economy among them and, in its demographic, political, and economic variety, constitutes a microcosm of Australia as a whole. It reflects the problems of a semiperipheral country adjusting to changes in the world economy. Its formerly robust manufacturing base adjusted to competition from cheaper and better products from overseas, with heavier industries being replaced by the production of elaborately transformed goods. The state’s rural industries similarly faced world oversupply and declining prices for once-staple pastoral and agricultural exports—such as wool, wheat, dairy, and meat—and sought to develop more diverse crops and specialized markets, often with considerable success. Unemployment levels run relatively high, often above the national average and marked by considerable regional variations. The expansion of the property, financial, and business sectors accounts for much employment growth from the 1990s onward, and fluctuations in those areas similarly have an impact on the economic trends of the state overall. Rapidly expanding international tourism stimulated extensive development in services, although it has heightened vulnerability to global economic downturns, and the impact of large numbers of tourist arrivals placed strains on facilities and the environment.
Since the turn of the 21st century, the population of New South Wales has grown more slowly relative to most other Australian states, reflecting the dynamics of economic growth across the country. While most of the state’s population lives in the cities—and the great majority in Sydney—a pattern of new settlement is evident in regional centres, most often on the coast. Such settlement is driven by the greater presence of amenities in those areas, although it is also associated with concern about the degradation of the land resources of the state.
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A narrow coastal strip of fertile river valleys, plains, and granite outcrops is bounded to the north by a series of plateaus stretching from the New England Range, to the west by steep gorges and ascents leading up to the tableland, to the south and west by the central and southern tablelands, and to the south by the Monaro plateau. To the west of Monaro lie the Snowy Mountains, including the Kosciuszko massif, which rises to 7,310 feet (2,228 metres) in Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. The general elevation of the tableland is 2,500 feet (760 metres), high enough to provide severe winters and snow. Except in the south, the descent to the inland slopes is gentle, providing a zone of undulating land intersected by rivers that have their origins in the tablelands. In the west are the semiarid plains, composed of colluvial material, with bedrock exposed in some areas, as in the Barrier Ranges. The far northwest of the state includes dune fields, and there is much sandy mallee country in the south that is very marginal for agricultural activity.
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The coastal rivers carry vast quantities of water to the ocean, supplied by the coastal region’s relatively high but variable rainfall. The rivers’ economic value lies in the fertile alluvial plains they have created. Unusual for Australia, the coast consists mainly of beaches of sand deposited by these rivers, such as the Hunter, Clarence, and Shoalhaven.
The major rivers of the interior flow generally west from the Great Dividing Range. These include the Namoi, Gwydir, Macquarie, Lachlan, and Murrumbidgee rivers, which, after crossing some 500 miles (800 km) of slopes and plains, join the Murray and the Darling rivers—which then meet at the town of Wentworth in the western part of the state. As the Murray, this river flows to the Southern Ocean in South Australia. The Murray is also fed by winter rain from the tablelands and is augmented in spring by snowmelt. The Darling rises in Queensland and is fed by summer monsoonal rains, thus having a different regime, and it exhibits dramatic variation in flow rate. Much water is lost by evaporation, but irrigation inland is made possible by these rivers. Between about one-half and four-fifths of the average annual flow in west-flowing rivers is captured by dams and weirs.
Explore the diverse attractions of New South Wales, from national parks and beaches to wine regions and heritage sites. Find events, activities, camping spots and more on the official tourism website.
New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's first and most populous state. Its capital, Sydney is the country's oldest, largest and most cosmopolitan city, centred on its spectacular harbour. The state's coastal areas offer endless sandy beaches next to sleepy coastal communities.
May 21, 2011 · Explore Australia's most populous state, home to Sydney, Bondi Beach, the Blue Mountains and more. Find attractions, articles, guidebooks and tips for your New South Wales holiday.
