New South Wales is Australia’s largest state in population, with a coastline of 8,293 miles and the highest point being Mount Kosciusko. It was the site of the first British settlement in Australia and is home to Sydney, the country’s largest city. The state plays a vital role in Australia’s economy, producing a large proportion of its livestock, grains, and minerals. It is also known for its vineyards and financial center.
New South Wales is one of Australia’s six states and two territories, along with Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. It is bordered by South Australia to the west, Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the east. It completely surrounds the Australian Capital Territory, which is the only landlocked division of the country.
While it is the fifth largest in size, at 309,130 square miles (800,642 sq km), or 10% of the land area in Australia, it is the largest in population, with a 2006 population of 6,817,200. New South Wales has 8,293 miles of coastline (2,228 km) and is completely in the temperate zone.
The highest point in both New South Wales and Australia is Mount Kosciusko at 7,310 feet (1,986 m). Additionally, this state is home to a large section of the Great Dividing Range, which is the main watershed of Eastern Australia and is also called the Great Divide, Eastern Highlands or Eastern Cordillera. The section near the border with Victoria, called the Australian Alps, is the location of Mount Kosciusko.
New South Wales is nicknamed the First State, as it was, in fact, the site of the first British settlement in Australia. Its name originally designated the entire Eastern Territory, including all land currently in the state, as well as what is now Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. The state emblems are as follows:
State floral emblem: Waratah
State bird: Kookaburra
State animal: Platypus
State fish: Eastern Blue Groper
State badge – a lion on a St. George’s cross, surrounded by four 8-pointed stars.
The state coat of arms features a lion and a kangaroo, the state badge in the center a fleece, a flame and a rising sun with the motto Orta recens quam pura nites, which means “Recently Risen, how bright you are”.
Originally populated by British convicts and jailers, New South Wales is now home to a population of international origin, although the Aboriginal people who inhabited the area prior to British colonization were severely reduced in number. Sydney, the capital, is Australia’s largest city.
New South Wales plays a vital role in Australia’s economy, producing a large proportion of the country’s cattle, sheep, pigs and grains, and most of its silver, lead and zinc. Coal and copper mining also play a role, and nearly half of Australia’s timber comes from the state. Vineyards producing high quality wine are found here, and while its production has declined, it has gained strength as a financial centre.
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