New south wales

New Sooth Wales (N.S.W.) is the oldest state in S.E. Australia. Its area is 309,433 sq. miles with population about 6 million, 56,000 aborigines. More population lives in NSW than in another state. The capital of NSW is Sydney. Captain Cook discovered the area in 1770. In 1788 Captain Phillip landed with a group of convicts and soldiers. They founded the first white settlement in Australia.

A narrow coastal plain borders the Great Dividing Range. The highest peak is Mount Kosciusko, 2,228-m. Vast central plains stretch to the Murray River basin. The Blue Mountains are covered with forests of blue-coloured eucalyptus trees. The air above the forest contains millions of microscopic drops of eucalyptus oil. NSW has a mild climate, +10°C in July and +34°C in January. NSW is an agricultural region of sheep, beef and dairy cattle, wheat and other cereals, potatoes, timber, citrus fruit, bananas. NSW has rich resources of coal, silver, lead, zinc, some titanium, sulphur, copper, gold and hydroelectric power. The main industries of NSW are agricultural processing, metal refining and products, iron and steel, chemicals, clothing, paper and printing.