Portal:New South Wales/Intro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New South Wales (abbreviated NSW) is Australia's most populous state and is located in the south-east of the country, to the north of Victoria and south of Queensland. The capital of New South Wales is Sydney, the most populous city in Australia. With an area of 809,444 km², it is the fifth largest state in Australia.

New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand.

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. New South Wales contains two Federal enclaves: the Australian Capital Territory, and the Jervis Bay Territory. New South Wales' three major cities are Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, which all lie along the coast.