<p><span>The Australian Capital Territory houses Canberra, Australia&rsquo;s capital, built between Sydney and Melbourne in the early 20th century. The federal district&rsquo;s forest, farmland and nature reserves earn Canberra its nickname, the "Bush Capital.&rdquo; The city's focal point is Lake Burley Griffin, filled with sailboats and kayaks. On opposite shores are the grand Australian War Memorial and the massive, strikingly modern Parliament House.</span></p>

Australian Capital Territory

<h3 id="capital" tabindex="0">Capital</h3>
<p>Sydney is the capital of New South Wales (NSW). The city of Sydney is located on the eastern coast of NSW.</p>
<h3 id="population" tabindex="0">Population</h3>
<p>NSW has the highest population of any state in Australia, with 7.95 million residents as of March 2018.</p>
<p>Roughly 64.5% of the state's population live in Greater Sydney.</p>
<p>NSW has the fastest growing population in Australia growing by roughly 106,100 people annually. Greater Sydney and Newcastle have the highest population densities in the state, with 391 and 423 people per square kilometre.</p>
<h3 id="culture" tabindex="0">Culture</h3>
<p>More than 275 different languages are spoken and 144 religions are practised in NSW. Almost a third of NSW residents were born overseas, while 37% had both parents born overseas. NSW's top five fastest-growing migrant groups are from Asia.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Aboriginal people in NSW</h3>
<p>New South Wales has Australia&rsquo;s largest population of Aboriginal Australians.</p>
<p><a data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="9a65002e-2803-4de3-a782-8a9ecbaa9e70" href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/topics/aboriginal-culture-and-heritage" title="Aboriginal culture and heritage">Find out more about Aboriginal culture and heritage</a></p>
<h3 id="geography-of-nsw" tabindex="0">Geography of NSW</h3>
<p>The state of NSW is divided by natural features into four distinct geographical sections.</p>
<h4>The Coast</h4>
<p>A thin coastal strip stretching along 1460 km from the subtropical Northern Rivers region near Queensland, through the mid-north Coast, Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra and Shoalhaven down to the cooler far south coast.</p>
<h4>The Mountains</h4>
<p>The Great Dividing Range, which includes the Snowy Mountains, the Northern, Central and Southern Tablelands, the Southern Highlands, and the South West Slopes. Although these mountains aren't steep, many peaks rise above 1000 metres high, and they are one of the oldest mountain chains on earth.</p>
<h4>The Central Plains</h4>
<p>The cultivated central plains spread 500 km from east to west and are the agricultural powerhouse of the NSW economy due to the rich, fertile soil and adequate water supply.</p>
<h4>The Western Plains</h4>
<p>The arid Western Plains cover more than two thirds of the state, though they are sparsely populated compared to the coastal regions. The land is fertile but has low levels of rainfall and inadequate river systems.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations" class="is-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more about visiting and exploring NSW regions</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.resourcesandgeoscience.nsw.gov.au/miners-and-explorers/geoscience-information" class="is-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more about the geology and geotrails of NSW</a></p>
<h3 id="councils-in-nsw" tabindex="0">Councils in NSW</h3>
<p>There are many local government councils within NSW. Each local council&nbsp;provides a range of services to you every day, such as roads and footpaths, rubbish collection services, libraries and community centres, water and sewer, community services and events, planning and infrastructure, and recreation facilities.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public/local-government-directory/" class="is-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more about local government councils</a></p>
<h3 id="economy" tabindex="0">Economy</h3>
<p>At more than half-a-trillion dollars, NSW is Australia&rsquo;s largest state economy. The state has a diversified, service driven economy.</p>
<p>The industries that are the largest contributors to the economy are:</p>
<p>a. business services (which includes financial services, real estate services and information media and telecommunications)<br />b. construction<br />c. manufacturing<br />d. health<br />e. education.</p>
<p>The largest areas of employment are:</p>
<p><br />a. health<br />b. retail trade and professional services<br />c.scientific and technical services.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/nsw-economy/about-nsw-economy" class="is-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more about the NSW economy</a></p>
<h4>Credit rating</h4>
<p>NSW has been assessed to have the highest possible credit rating, AAA, by both Moody&rsquo;s and Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s. NSW is one of only two states with a triple-A credit rating. This rating was given because of the state&rsquo;s strong, stable economy and financial management.</p>
<p>NSW has a strong institutional framework and a diverse economy, and is focused on investing in areas where it is most needed in order to strengthen our economy further.</p>
<p>Visit<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/nsw-economy/about-nsw-economy/triple-credit-rating" class="is-external" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NSW Treasury</a><span>&nbsp;</span>to find out more about the Triple-A credit rating and what it means for the state's economy.</p>

New South Wales

<p><span>The Northern Territory (aka NT) is a vast federal territory in Australia famed for its Outback desert landscapes. In the arid Red Centre lie the iconic sandstone monolith Uluru (Ayers Rock), the red-rock domes of Kata Tjuta and the sculpted cliffs of Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. Remote Alice Springs, the gateway town to the Red Centre desert, offers Aboriginal art galleries</span></p>

Northern Territory

<p><span>Queensland is an Australian state covering the continent&rsquo;s northeast, with a coastline stretching nearly 7,000km. Its offshore Great Barrier Reef, the world&rsquo;s largest coral reef system, hosts thousands of marine species. The city of Cairns is a gateway to the reef and tropical Daintree Rainforest. The capital, Brisbane, is flanked by the surfing beaches of the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.</span></p>

Queensland

<p><span>South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres, it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, and fifth largest by population.</span></p>

South Australia

<p><span>Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 km to the south of the Australian mainland, separated by Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands.</span></p>

Tasmania

<p><span>Victoria is a state in southeast Australia. It encompasses mountains, national parks, wineries and surfing beaches. Melbourne, the state capital, has a warren of 19th-century &lsquo;laneways&rsquo;, and a central arts precinct. The Great Ocean Road follows the coast west to Port Campbell National Park, where the Twelve Apostles are limestone stacks on the edge of the ocean.</span><span><span class="eHaQD">&nbsp;</span></span></p>

Victoria

<p><span>Western Australia, covering the entire western third of the country, is made up mostly of the arid Outback. Its population is concentrated in its fertile southwest corner, home to the Margaret River wine region and the riverside capital, Perth. In the far north, the Kimberley region is home to ancient Aboriginal rock art, the Bungle Bungle sandstone domes and Broome, with Cable Beach camels and a pearling industry.</span></p>

States in Australia

There are 8 states in Australia