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Sydney is the largest city
in Australia and Oceania, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a
metropolitan area population of approximately 4.5 million and an area of
approximately 12,000 square kilometres (4,633 sq mi). Its inhabitants are called
Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City". It is one of the
most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major
destination for immigrants to Australia.
The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in
1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleet. The city is
built on hills surrounding Sydney Harbour – an inlet of the Tasman Sea on
Australia's south-east coast. It is home to the iconic Sydney Opera House, the
Harbour Bridge and its beaches. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national
parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets.
The city is home to many prominent parks, such as Hyde Park, Royal Botanical
Gardens and national parks. This is a major factor, along with Sydney Harbour,
that has led to the city’s reputation as one of the most beautiful in the world.
Sydney is considered an alpha+ world city, as listed by the Loughborough
University group's 2008 inventory, is ranked 16th among global cities by Foreign
Policy's 2008 Global Cities Index and is an international centre for commerce,
arts, fashion, culture, entertainment, education and tourism. According to the
Mercer cost of living survey, Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city, and the
66th most expensive in the world. Sydney also ranks among the top 10 most
livable cities in the world according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting and
The Economist.
Sydney has been ranked 14th within the top 50 global financial cities as
surveyed by the Mastercard Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index (2007), and 1st
within Australia. Sydney has hosted major international sporting events,
including the 1938 British Empire Games, 2000 Summer Olympics, the final match
of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, as well as the 2008 World Youth Day. The main
airport serving Sydney is Sydney Airport.
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