Sydney, Australia

Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is the largest city in Australia and one of the world's most beautiful cities. Sydney is also the oldest city in the country since it was founded as a British colony on January 26, 1788.

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 4,119,190 residents in the Sydney Statistical Division in 2006, with 3,641,422 of these residents living in Sydney's urban area. The 2006 census also revealed that the most common ancestries of Sydneysiders were Australian, English, Irish, Scottish and Chinese.

Although Sydney is famous for the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and its beaches, the city has other fascinating tourist attractions. The city is home to a number of museums, including the Contemporary Art Museum, the Australian Museum and the Maritime Museum, and parks and gardens such as the Botanic Gardens and Hyde Park.

Some of Australia's most prominent universities are found in Sydney, they include the University of Sydney, the Australian Catholic University, Macquarie University, University of New South Wales, the University Technology, Sydney and the University of Western Sydney.

Sydney plays an important role in the Australian economy since it provides approximately 25 percent of the country's total GDP. Several large corporations are based in the city, including Caltex Australia, Westpac and Woolworths.