Canberra

Canberra is the capital of Australia. Canberra was chosen as the capital in 1908. It is the largest inland city of the nation. The name 'Canberra' has been derived from the name of the local Ngabri people, which in Ngunnawal language mean, "meeting place". Though the World Wars and the Great Depression hindered the development of the city, it flourished after World War II. The European settlement began in Canberra in 1820s and it grew steadily in the 19th century. In 1913, the city was officially named by Lady Denman, the wife of the then Governor-General Lord Denman. In 1927, the federal government moved to the city. 1950s saw the development of the north and south of the city. As the national capital, it is the seat of the government of Australia and it is also home to Parliament House and the High Court. Being a well-planned city, Canberra has the highest mean weekly disposable income than any other capital city in the country.

Places of Attraction: The city has a number of monuments that are often attracted by the tourists. Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia and the National Museum of Australia are the main national monuments of the city. Telstra Tower, which is 195m above the mountain summit, is the major landmark of the city that catches the sight of those entering Canberra. Australian National Botanic Gardens on Black Mountain, the National Zoo, Australian National Park and Aquarium on Scrivener Dam, the National Dinosaur Museum and Questacon - the National Science and Technology Center are the other attractions in the city. Besides this, tourists from far and wide reach here during the spring season to view the gorgeous annual Floriade spring flower display held in September. The city also has many theaters and festivals that draw in plenty of tourists.

COUNTRY	Australia
LOCATION	Lies at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory. It is situated 300 km southwest of Sydney and 650 km northeast of Melbourne.
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES	Latitude 35°18' S, Longitude 149°08' E
AREA	805.6 square km
POPULATION	323,645 (in 2001)