Facts about Sydney Australia

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This page reveals some interesting facts about Sydney Australia.

This includes statistics on Sydney's population, characteristics of the land area and information about Sydney's landmarks and human settlement.

I also provide links to pages about Sydney's weather and time, history, culture and information about the Australian currency.

Demographic Facts about Sydney Australia

Sydney is the biggest and most populous city in Australia. With 4.5 million people being accounted for in the 2009 census, Sydney holds just under 20% of the total population of Australia.^[1]

It is the most populated city in the Oceania region, and the 73rd most populous city worldwide.^[2]

Sydney's inhabitants are very diverse. Most people have ancestry originating from beyond Australian borders.

Countries that have contributed to Sydney's multicultural population include (shown as percentage of Sydney's total population),^[3]

United Kingdom - 4.3% China - 3.5% New Zealand - 2.0% Vietnam - 1.5%

Lebanon - 1.3% The Philippines - 1.3% Italy - 1.1%

Indigenous Australians account for 2% of Sydney’s population.^[4]

Sydney's Land and Government Areas

Sydney covers a large area of rural and urban regions.

Sydney's urban region is broken up into thirty eight municipalities or local government areas. The land area is approximately equal to 1687 km².^[5][6]

The rural regions surrounding the city are governed by five shires; City of Blue Mountains, City of Gosford, City of Hawkesbury, Wollondilly Shire and Wyong Shire.^[7]

The total land area of both the rural and urban regions of Sydney is equal to approximately 12000 km².^[8]

The size of the suburb City of Sydney is 25 km². The City of Sydney includes the Central Business District (CBD) and the inner suburbs that surround the CBD.^[9]

Facts about Sydney Australia
Landmarks

The local nickname for the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the 'Coat Hanger'.

The Bridge opened in 1932 and is still the largest steel arch bridge in the world measuring 1,149 metres in length and 134 metres from sea level to the top of the arch.^[10]

Sydney Harbour is a part of the Port Jackson waterway.

Port Jackson flows out into the Tasman Sea through North Head and South Head. The Port contains Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour and North Harbour. The total length of Port Jackson is 19 km while the total area is 55 km².^[11]

Sydney Airport is the busiest Australian airport handling over 29.1 million passengers a year. An average of 77000 passengers pass through the three Sydney Airport terminals each day.^[12]

Sydney's tallest building is Sydney Tower rising 309 metres. The second tallest is Chifley Tower which stands 244 metres tall.^[13]

Human Settlement in the Sydney Region

Aboriginal Settlement

Scientists using radio carbon dating have found evidence of Indigenous Australian presence in the Sydney region for at least 30,000 years.^[14]

The traditional land owners of Sydney are the Eora people. They were the first Indigenous Australians to encounter European explorers and settlers on the east coast of Australia.

European Settlement

The Sydney region was first discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770, during his first voyage into the Pacific region.

Sydney was established as a British colony in 1788 when the First Fleet sailed into Port Jackson and anchored in Farm Cove.

Other Pages about Sydney and Australia

• Click here to learn about Sydney history, both Aboriginal and white settlement
• Click here to find out about Sydney culture, which I can assure you is more than just beaches and barbecues
• Click here to find out the current time in Sydney
• Click here to discover what Sydney's weather is doing right now
• Click here to learn about Australian currency, and how best to access your funds in Sydney

References

1, 3, 4. Wikipedia. "Demographics of Sydney". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Sydney. Retrieved Apr 11, 2011.

2. World Atlas. "Largest Cities of the World". http://www.worldatlas.com/citypops.htm. Retrieved Apr 11, 2011.

5, 7. Wikipedia. "Local government areas of NSW". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Government_Areas_of_New_South_Wales#Sydney_Surrounds. Retrieved Apr 11, 2011.

6, 8, 9, 14. Wikipedia. "Sydney". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney. Retrieved Sept 23, 2009.

10. Sydney Harbour Bridge Info. "Sydney Harbour Bridge Info". http://www.sydneyharbourbridge.info. Retrieved Apr 12, 2011.

11. Wikipedia. "Port Jackson". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Jackson. Retrieved Apr 12, 2011.

12. "Fact Sheet - Fast Facts". PDF. http://www.sydneyairport.com. Retrieved Apr 12, 2011.

13. Wikipedia. "List of tallest buildings in Sydney. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Sydney. Retrieved Apr 12, 2011.

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