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New South Wales

For the historical region of Canada, see New Britain (Canada).
"NSW" redirects here. For other uses, see NSW (disambiguation).

New South Wales
State
Flag of New South Wales
Flag
Official seal of New South Wales
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
  • The First State
  • The Premier State
Motto: 
Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Latin)
(English: Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine)
Location of New South Wales in Australia
Coordinates: 32°S 147°E / 32°S 147°E / -32; 147
CountryAustralia
Before federationColony of New South Wales
Establishment26 January 1788
Responsible government6 June 1856
Federation1 January 1901
Capital
and largest city
Sydney
33°52′04″S 151°12′36″E / 33.86778°S 151.21000°E / -33.86778; 151.21000
Administration128 local government areas
Demonym(s)New South Welshmen
Government
• Monarch
Charles III
• Governor
Margaret Beazley
• Premier
Chris Minns (ALP)
LegislatureParliament of New South Wales
• Upper house
Legislative Council
• Lower house
Legislative Assembly
JudiciarySupreme Court of New South Wales
Parliament of Australia
• Senate
12 senators (of 76)
• House of Representatives
47 seats (of 151)
Area
• Land
801,150[1] km2 (309,330 sq mi)
Highest elevation
(Mount Kosciuszko)
2,228 m (7,310 ft)
Population
• Estimate
Increase 8,414,000[2] (1st)
• Density
10.15/km2 (26.3/sq mi) (3rd)
GSP2020 estimate
• Total
Increase AU$624.9 billion[3] (1st)
• Per capita
Increase AU$76,876 (4th)
HDI (2022)Increase 0.946[4]
very high · 3rd
Time zone
 • Summer (DST)
Postal abbreviation
NSW
ISO 3166 codeAU-NSW
Symbols
BirdKookaburra
(Dacelo gigas)
FishBlue groper
(Achoerodus viridis)
FlowerWaratah
(Telopea speciosissima)[5]
MammalPlatypus
(Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Colour(s)Sky blue
(Pantone 291)[6]
FossilMandageria fairfaxi
MineralBlack opal
Websitensw.gov.au

New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory are enclaves within the state. New South Wales' state capital is Sydney, which is also Australia's most populous city.[7] In December 2023, the population of New South Wales was over 8.3 million,[2] making it Australia's most populous state. Almost two-thirds of the state's population, 5.3 million, live in the Greater Sydney area.[7]

The Colony of New South Wales was founded as a British penal colony in 1788. It originally comprised more than half of the Australian mainland with its western boundary set at 129th meridian east in 1825. The colony then also included the island territories of Van Diemen's Land, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century, most of the colony's area was detached to form separate British colonies that eventually became the various states and territories of Australia. The Swan River Colony (later called the Colony of Western Australia) was never administered as part of New South Wales.

Lord Howe Island remains part of New South Wales, while Norfolk Island became a federal territory, as have the areas now known as the Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory.

  1. ^ "Area of Australia - States and Territories". Geoscience Australia. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b "National, state and territory population, September 2023 | Australian Bureau of Statistics". 13 June 2024.
  3. ^ "5220.0 – Australian National Accounts: State Accounts, 2019–20". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Floral Emblem of New South Wales". www.anbg.gov.auhi. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  6. ^ "New South Wales". Parliament@Work. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Regional population". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.

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