Sydney the metropolitan city

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population around 4.12 million. It is the state capital of New South Wales and is the site of the first European colony in Australia. The city is Australia`s largest financial centre.

Sydney is located on Australia`s south-east coast. The city is built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, leading to the city`s nickname, “the Harbour City”.

This city is a major international tourist destination famous for its beaches and twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers, and inlets.

Sydney also has many shopping centres and retail outlets throughout the city. The Queen Victoria Building on George Street also contains many shops. Many of the large regional centres around the metropolitan area also contain large shopping complexes.

Sydney has several museums. The biggest are the Australian Museum (natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Sydney`s Central Business District (CBD) extends southwards for about 3 kilometers (1.25 mil) from Sydney Cove. It is the point of the first European settlement in the area at the southern end of the bridge known as “The Rocks”. It is densely concentrated with skyscrapers and other buildings including historic sandstone buildings such as the Sydney Town Hall and Queen Victoria Building are combined by several parks such as Wynnyard and Hyde Park.