New South Wales

New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's most populous and oldest state, located in the south-east, north of Victoria and south of Queensland. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania (1825), Victoria (1851), Queensland (1859), and South Australia (which at that time included what is now the Northern Territory). In 1901 these colonies plus Western Australia voted to form an independent nation called the "Commonwealth of Australia".

Geography

Its four main cities from north to south are Newcastle, Gosford, Sydney, and Wollongong which all lie along the coast. Towns include Albury, Broken Hill, Dubbo, Tamworth, Armidale, Lismore, Nowra, Griffith, Leeton, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn and Coffs Harbour.

Related Topics:
Newcastle - Gosford - Sydney - Wollongong - Albury - Broken Hill - Dubbo - Tamworth - Armidale - Lismore - Nowra - Griffith - Leeton - Wagga Wagga - Goulburn - Coffs Harbour

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The state is bordered on the north by Queensland, on the west by South Australia, and on the south by Victoria. Its coast faces the Tasman Sea.

Related Topics:
Queensland - South Australia - Victoria - Tasman Sea

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New South Wales contains two Federal enclaves: the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and the Jervis Bay Territory.

Related Topics:
Enclave - Australian Capital Territory - Jervis Bay Territory

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New South Wales can be divided physically into four sections:

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• A thin coastal strip, with climates warming from cool temperate on the far south coast to subtropical near the Queensland border, including the regions south of Sydney such as the Illawarra , the Shoalhaven near Nowra, Newcastle and the Central Coast and the North Coast, North of The Hunter, as well as others.
• The mountainous areas of the Great Dividing Range and the high country surrounding them. Whilst not particularly steep, many peaks rise above 1000 m, with the highest Mount Kosciuszko at 2229 m (7308 ft). This includes the Southern Highlands, Central Tablelands and the New England regions.
• The agricultural plains that fill a significant portion of the state's area, with a much sparser population than the coast, includes The Riverina area around Wagga Wagga.
• The dry arid plains in the far north-west of the state, which is unsuitable for settlements of any notable size.