New South Wales

Background: Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the 1990's, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980's. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.



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Areas in New South Wales: Adaminaby | Albury | Armidale | Ballina | Barrington Tops | Bateau Bay | Batemans Bay | Bathurst | Bega Valley | Bellambi | Bellingen | Belmont | Berridale | Bingara | Blue Mountains | Broken Hill | Budgewoi | Bulahdelah | Bundanoon | Byron Bay | Camden | Campbelltown | Candelo | Caringbah | Casino | Castle Hill | Caves Beach | Central Coast | Coffs Harbour | Collaroy | Concord | Cowan | Crescent Head | Cronulla | Deniliquin | Dubbo | Dungog | Eden | Elanora Heights | Engadine | Fairfield | Forbes | Forster | Gerringong | Gosford | Goulburn | Grafton | Griffith | Grose Vale | Gundagai | Hawkesbury City | Hawks Nest | Horsley | Hunter Valley | Jenolan Caves | Jerrabomberra | Jervis Bay | Jindabyne | Kangaroo Valley | Katoomba | Kearns | Kiama | Laurieton | Lennox Head | Lismore | Lord Howe Island | Macarthur | Macksville | Maitland | Manly | Mathoura | Merimbula | Moss Vale | Mungo Brush | Murrumbateman | Murwillumbah | Narara | Narellan Vale | Narooma | Nelson Bay | Newcastle | Niagara Park | Nightcap National Park | Nimbin | Orange | Palm Beach | Parkes | Port Macquarie | Port Stephens | Portland | Richmond | Rockley | Sawtell | Seaforth | Shellharbour | Snowy Mountains | Somersby | South Coast | South West Rocks | Sydney | Tamworth | Taree | Tenterfield | Terrigal | The Entrance | Tilba Tilba | Tooleybuc | Tumut | Tweed Heads | Tyagarah | Valla Beach | Vincentia | Wagga Wagga | Wollongong | Woy Woy | Yamba | Yass | Yass Valley Shire