Worlds Biggest Cities http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk Facts and figures about the world's biggest cities Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:06:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 en Rio - Worlds Biggest Cities http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/brazil/rio-worlds-biggest-cities.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/brazil/rio-worlds-biggest-cities.html#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:12:00 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=325 - Rio

Rio de Janeiro (”River of January”, pronounced [ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu] in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English), is the second largest of Brazil, behind São Paulo. The is of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It was the of Brazil for almost two centuries, from 1763 to 1822 while it was a Portuguese colony and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. It was the of the from 1808 to 1821. Commonly known as just Rio, the is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa, or “The Marvelous ”.

Rio de Janeiro is famous for its natural settings, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, and hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana and Ipanema, paved with decorated black and cream swirl pattern mosaics known locally as “pedra portuguesa”. Some of the most famous local landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer (’Cristo Redentor’) atop Corcovado mountain, which has recently been named one of the ; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world’s .

The also boasts the two world’s largest forests inside an urban . The first is the forest in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, or White Stone State Park. The second, almost connected to the first, is the famous Floresta da Tijuca, or “Tijuca Forest”.[1] The Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport connects Rio de Janeiro with many Brazilian cities and also operates several international flights.

Despite its charm and beauty, Rio is reputed to be one of the most in the world [2][3][4] and motivated movies such as Bus 174, of God and Tropa de Elite portraying severe social issues. Violent crime is concentrated in the slum areas known as favelas, which are located largely on the periphery of the .
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Rio de Janeiro is located at 22 degrees, 54 minutes south latitude, 43 degrees 14 minutes west longitude. The of the of Rio de Janeiro is about 6,136,652,[5] occupying an of 1,182.3 square kilometres (456.5 sq mi).[6]

The of the larger metropolitan is estimated at 11-12 million. It was Brazil’s until 1960, when Brasília took its place. Residents of the are known as Cariocas. The ’s current mayor (2006) is Cesar Maia. The official song of Rio is “Cidade Maravilhosa” (translated as “Marvelous ”).

[edit] Climate

Rio has a .[7] The temperature occasionally reaches over 40°C (104°F) in inland areas of the , and extreme maximum temperatures above 30°C (86°F) can happen every month.[citation needed] In the main tourist areas (south side, where the beaches are located), the temperature is moderated by the cool sea-breezes from the ocean.

The average annual minimum temperature is 20°C (68°F), the average annual maximum temperature is 26°C (79°F) and the average annual temperature is 23°C (73.5°F). The average yearly precipitation is 1,086 mm.[citation needed] The minimum temperature recorded was 4.8°C (40°F) in July 1928, but temperatures below 10°C (50°F) are rare in most of today, the absolute maximum reached 43.2°C (110°F) in January 1984.[8]

[edit] Cityscape
Panoramic view of Praia de Botafogo (Botafogo Beach) with Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) and Morro da Urca in the background.
Panoramic view of Praia de Botafogo (Botafogo Beach) with Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) and Morro da Urca in the background.

[edit] History
Carioca Aqueduct, built in the first half of the 18th century.

Guanabara Bay was reached by Portuguese explorers in an expedition led by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos on January 20, 1502; hence Rio de Janeiro, “January River.” There is a legend that the mariners named the place thus because they thought the mouth of the bay was actually the mouth of a river, but no experienced sailor would make that mistake. At the time, river was the general word for any large body of water.

An unofficial European presence in the began not long after. In 1519 when Ferdinand Magellan resupplied his ships in the bay, French smugglers were already using the bay as a post for smuggling brazilwood. When French naval officer Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon arrived in 1555 with a fleet of two ships and 600 soldiers and colonists, he founded the first permanent in the .[citation needed] The colony was referred to as “France Antarctique”. The colonists consisted of mainly French Huguenots and Swiss Calvinists. Villegaignon left in 1557 after disputes with some of the colonists.[citation needed]

The was founded on March 1, 1565, by Portuguese knight Estácio de Sá, who called it São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (St Sebastian of the January River),[9] in honour of Saint Sebastian (day of death traditionally on January 20). For centuries, the settlement was commonly called São Sebastião – or even ‘Saint Sebastian’ – instead of the currently popular second half of its name. The was founded as a base from which to invade the French settlement. They succeeded in 1567 and the French were expelled. Later, São Sebastião was frequently attacked by pirates and privateers, especially by then enemies of Portugal, such as the Netherlands and France.
Paço Imperial, 18th century palace that served as seat for the colonial , King John IV of Portugal and the two Emperors of Brazil.

The exact place of Rio’s foundation is at the foot of Pão-de-Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). Later, the whole was moved within a palisade on top of a hill, imitating the medieval European defense strategy of fortified castles – the place has since then been called Morro do Castelo (Castle Hill). Thus, the developed from the current center (Downtown, see below) southwards and then westwards (with large parts built over reclaimed land); an urban movement which continues today.[citation needed]

In the late 16th century, the Portuguese crown began treating the village as a strategic location for the Atlantic transit of ships between Brazil, the African colonies and Europe.[citation needed] Fortresses were built and an alliance was formed with nearby native tribes to defend the settlement. Invaders – Rio’s neighbor, Niterói, for instance, was founded by Araribóia, a Tamoio Indian chief, for defensive purposes. Sugar cane was the first industry in the . First native, and later African, slaves were used for manual labor. Eventually the industry dwindled as higher quality sugar cane from northern Brazil became more available.

Until early in the 18th century, the was threatened or invaded by several, mostly French pirates and buccaneers, such as Jean-François Duclerc and René Duguay-Trouin.[10] After 1720, when the Portuguese found gold and diamonds in the neighboring captaincy of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro became a much more useful port for exporting wealth than Salvador, Bahia, which is much farther to the north. In 1763, the colonial administration in Portuguese America was moved to Rio. The remained primarily a colonial until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and most of the associated Lisbon nobles, fleeing from Napoleon’s invasion of Portugal, moved to Rio de Janeiro. The kingdom’s was transferred to the , which, thus, became the only European outside of Europe. As there was no physical space or urban structure to accommodate hundreds of noblemen who arrived suddenly, many inhabitants were simply evicted from their homes.[citation needed]

When Prince Pedro I proclaimed the independence of Brazil in 1822, he decided to keep Rio de Janeiro as the of his new empire. Rio continued as the of Brazil after 1889, when the monarchy was replaced by a republic.
XV Square.

Until the early years of the 20th century, the was largely limited to the neighborhood now known as the historic Downtown business district (see below), on the mouth of Guanabara Bay. The ’s center of gravity began to shift south and west to the so-called Zona Sul (South Zone) in the early part of the 20th century, when the first tunnel was built under the mountains located between Botafogo and the neighborhood now known as Copacabana. That beach’s natural beauty, combined with the fame of the Copacabana Palace Hotel, the luxury hotel of the Americas in the 1930s, helped Rio to gain the reputation it still holds today as a beach party town (though, this reputation has been somewhat tarnished in recent years by favela violence resulting from the narcotics trade). Plans for moving the nation’s to the territorial had been occasionally discussed, and when Juscelino Kubitschek was elected president in 1955, it was partially on the strength of promises to build a new .[citation needed] Though many thought that it was just campaign rhetoric, Kubitschek managed to have Brasília built, at great cost, by 1960. On April 21 that year the of Brazil was officially moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília.

Between 1960 and 1975 Rio was a under the name State of Guanabara (after the bay it borders). However, for administrative and political reasons, a presidential decree known as “The Fusion” removed the ’s federative status and merged it with the state of Rio de Janeiro in 1975. Even today, some Cariocas advocate the return of municipal autonomy.[citation needed]

[edit] districts

The is commonly divided into the historic downtown (Centro); the tourist-friendly South Zone (Zona Sul), with its world-famous beaches; the residential (Zona Norte); and the West Zone (Zona Oeste), with the newer Barra da Tijuca district.

[edit] Downtown

( [show location on an interactive map] 22°54′19″S 43°10′38″W / -22.905392, -43.177128 (Downtown))
View of Rio de Janeiro downtown. The conical building is the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral, and the one on its right is the Petrobras headquarters.

Centro (Downtown in American English or in other English use) is the historic of the , as well as its financial . Sites of interest include the Paço Imperial, built during colonial times to serve as a residence for the Portuguese governors of Brazil; many historic churches, such as the Candelária Church, the colonial Cathedral and the modern-style Rio de Janeiro Cathedral. Around the Cinelândia square there are several landmarks of the Belle Époque of Rio, such as the Municipal Theatre and the National Library building. Among its several museums, the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the Museu Histórico Nacional (National Historical Museum) are the most important. Other important historical attractions in central Rio include its Passeio Público, an 18th-century public garden, as well as the imposing arches of the Arcos da Lapa, a Roman-style aqueduct built around 1750. A bondinho (tram) leaves from a center station, crosses the aqueduct (converted to a tram viaduct in 1896) and rambles through the hilly streets of the Santa Teresa neighbourhood nearby.

Downtown remains the heart of the ’s business community. Some of the largest companies in Brazil have their head offices here, including Petrobras and Vale (formerly Companhia Vale do Rio Doce), the two largest Brazilian corporations.

[edit] South Zone

( [show location on an interactive map] 22°58′27″S 43°11′58″W / -22.974199, -43.199444 (South Zone))
A view of the Copacabana Beach.

The South Zone of Rio de Janeiro (in Portuguese: “Zona Sul”) is composed of several districts, amongst which are São Conrado, Leblon, Ipanema, Arpoador, Copacabana and Leme, which compose Rio’s famous Atlantic beach coastline. Other districts in the South Zone are Glória, Flamengo, Botafogo and Urca, which border Guanabara Bay and Santa Teresa, Cosme Velho, Laranjeiras, Humaitá, Lagoa, Jardim Botânico and Gávea. It is the richest of the and the most famous overseas.

The neighbourhood of Copacabana beach hosts one of the world’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve parties (”Reveillon”), as more than two million revelers crowd onto the sands to watch the fireworks display. As of 2001, the fireworks have been launched from boats, to improve the safety of the event.[citation needed] To the north of Leme, and at the entrance to Guanabara Bay, is the district of Urca and the Sugarloaf Mountain (’Pão de Açúcar’), whose name describes the famous mountain rising out of the sea. The summit can be reached via a two-stage cable car trip from Praia Vermelha, with the intermediate stop on Morro da Urca. It offers views second only to Corcovado mountain.

One of the highest hills in the is the 842 metres (2,762 ft) high Pedra da Gávea (Crow’s nest Rock) near the botanical gardens. On the top of its summit is a huge rock formation (some, such as Erich von Däniken in his 1973 book, “In Search of Ancient Gods”, claim it to be a sculpture) resembling a sphinx-like, bearded head that is visible for many kilometers around.

Hang gliding is a popular activity on the nearby Pedra Bonita (Beautiful Rock). After a short flight, gliders land on the Praia do Pepino (Cucumber Beach) in São Conrado. Since 1961, the Tijuca Forest (”Floresta da Tijuca”), the largest -surrounded urban forest and the second largest urban forest in the world, has been a National Park. The largest urban forest in the world is the Floresta da Pedra Branca (White Rock Forest), which is also located in the of Rio de Janeiro.[11] The Catholic of Rio (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro or PUC-Rio) is located at the edge of the forest, in the Gávea district. The 1984 film Blame it on Rio was filmed nearby, with the rental house used by the story’s characters sitting at the edge of the forest on a mountain overlooking the famous beaches.

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]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/brazil/rio-worlds-biggest-cities.html/feed Delhi - Worlds Biggest Cities http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/delhi-worlds-biggest-cities.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/delhi-worlds-biggest-cities.html#comments Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:05:44 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=321 Delhi -

Delhi is the second largest metropolis of India, with a of 17 million,[4] and a federally-administered union territory officially known as the National Territory of Delhi (NCT).

Located on the banks of river Yamuna in northern India, suggest that Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least 6th century BC.[5] After the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, Delhi emerged as a major political, cultural and along the trade routes between northwest India and the Indo-Gangetic plains.[6][7] It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled in Delhi which served as the of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.[8][9]

After the Company gained control of much of India during the 18th and 19th centuries, Calcutta became the both under Company rule and under the British Raj, until George V announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new , New Delhi, was built during the 1920s.[10] When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its and seat of . As such, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal , including the .

Owing to the immigration of people from across the country, Delhi has grown to be a cosmopolitan . Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its , has transformed the .[11] Today, Delhi is a major cultural, political, and center of India.

The etymology of “Delhi” is uncertain. The most common view is that it is an eponym of Dhillu or Dilu, a king of the Mauryan dynasty[12] who built the in 50 BC and named it after himself.[13][14] The Hindi/Prakrit word dhili (”loose”) was used by the Tuar Rajputs to refer to the because the Iron Pillar built by Raja Dhava had a weak foundation and was replaced.[15] The coins in circulation in the under the Rajputs were called dehliwal.[16] Some other historians believe that the name is derived from Dilli, a corruption of dehleez or dehali—Hindi for ‘threshold’—and symbolic of as a gateway to the Indo-Gangetic Plains.[17] Another theory suggests that the ’s original name was Dhillika.[18]

[edit] History

Main article: History of Delhi

At 72.5 m (238 ft), the Qutub Minar is the world’s tallest free standing minaret.
At 72.5 m (238 ft), the Qutub Minar is the world’s tallest free standing minaret.[19]
Built in 1560, the Humayun’s Tomb is the first example of Mughal’s tomb complexes
Built in 1560, the Humayun’s Tomb is the first example of Mughal’s tomb complexes[20]

Human habitation was probably present in and around Delhi during the second millennium BC and before, as evidenced by archeological relics.[21] The is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, legendary of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata.[13] Settlements grew from the time of the Mauryan Empire (c. 300 BC).[21] Remains of seven major cities have been discovered in Delhi. The Tomara dynasty founded the of Lal Kot in 736 AD. The Chauhan Rajputs of Ajmer conquered Lal Kot in 1180 AD and renamed it Qila Rai Pithora. The Chauhan king Prithviraj III was defeated in 1192 by the Afghan Muhammad Ghori.[13] In 1206, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty established the Delhi Sultanate. Qutb-ud-din started the construction the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-al-Islam (might of Islam), the earliest extant mosque in India.[13][22] After the fall of the Slave dynasty, a succession of Turkic and Central Asian dynasties, the Khilji dynasty, the Tughluq dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty and the Lodhi dynasty held power in the late medieval period, and built a sequence of forts and townships that are part of the seven cities of Delhi.[23] In 1398, Timur Lenk invaded India on the pretext that the Muslim sultans of Delhi were too much tolerant to their Hindu subjects. Timur entered Delhi and the was sacked, destroyed, and left in ruins.[24] Delhi was a major center of Sufism during the Sultanate period.[25] In 1526, Zahiruddin Babur defeated the last Lodhi sultan in the First Battle of Panipat and founded the Mughal Empire that ruled from Delhi, Agra and Lahore.[13]

The Mughal Empire ruled northern India for more than three centuries, with a five-year hiatus during Sher Shah Suri’s reign in the mid-16th century.[26] Mughal emperor Akbar shifted the from Agra to Delhi. Shah Jahan built the seventh of Delhi that bears his name (Shahjahanabad), and is more commonly known as the Old or Old Delhi. The old served as the of the Mughal Empire since 1638. Nader Shah defeated the Mughal army at the huge Battle of Karnal in February, 1739. After this victory, Nader captured and sacked Delhi, carrying away many treasures, including the Peacock Throne.[27] In 1761, Delhi was raided by Ahmed Shah Abdali after the Third battle of Panipat. At the Battle of Delhi on 11 1803, General Lake’s British forces defeated the Marathas.
Built in 1639 by Shah Jahan, the Red Fort is the site from which the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on Independence Day
Built in 1639 by Shah Jahan, the Red Fort is the site from which the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on Independence Day

Delhi came under direct British control after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[13] Shortly after the Rebellion, Calcutta was declared the of British India and Delhi was made a district province of the Punjab. In 1911, Delhi was declared the of British India and a new political and administrative was designed by a team of British architects led by Edwin Lutyens to house the buildings. New Delhi, also known as Lutyens’ Delhi, was officially declared as the seat of the of India and the of the republic after independence on 15 August 1947. During the partition of India thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees from West Punjab and Sindh fled to Delhi while many muslim residents of the migrated to Pakistan. In 1984, three thousand Sikhs were killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Migration to Delhi from the rest of India continues, contributing more to the rise of Delhi’s than the birth , which is declining.[28]

The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Territory of Delhi.[29] The Act gave Delhi its own legislative , though with limited powers.[29] In December 2001, the building in New Delhi was attacked by armed Kashmiri militants resulting in the death of six security personnel.[30] India suspected Pakistan’s hand in the attacks resulting in a major diplomatic crisis between the two countries.[31] Delhi again witnessed terrorist attacks in October 2005 and 2008 resulting in the deaths of 62[32] and 30[33] civilians respectively.

Lightning strikes near India Gate, New Delhi. Delhi receives much of its during the monsoon season which lasts from July to August
Lightning strikes near India Gate, New Delhi. Delhi receives much of its during the monsoon season which lasts from July to August

The National Territory of Delhi is spread over an of 573 sq mi or 1,484 km², of which 783 km2 (302 sq mi) is designated rural, and 700 km2 (270 sq mi) urban. Delhi has a maximum length of 51.9 km (32 mi) and the maximum width of 48.48 km (30 mi). There are three local bodies (statutory towns) namely, Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( is 1,397.3 km2 (540 sq mi)), New Delhi Municipal Cometee (42.7 km2 (16 sq mi)) and Delhi Cantonment Board (43 km2 (17 sq mi)).[34]

Delhi is located at [show location on an interactive map] 28°37′N 77°14′E / 28.61, 77.23, and lies in northern India. It borders the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh on East and Haryana on West, North and South. Delhi lies almost entirely in the Gangetic plains. Two prominent features of the geography of Delhi are the Yamuna flood plain and the Delhi ridge. The low-lying Yamuna flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture. However, these plains are prone to recurrent floods. Reaching up to a height of 318 m (1043 ft),[35] the ridge forms the most dominating feature in this . It originates from the Aravalli Range in the south and encircles the west, northeast and northwest parts of the . Yamuna, a sacred river in Hinduism, is the only major river flowing through Delhi. Most of the , including New Delhi, lies west of the river. East of the river is the urban of Shahdara. Delhi falls under seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to major earthquakes. [36]

Delhi has a semi-arid climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are long, from early April to October, with the monsoon season in between. Winter starts in October and peaks in January and is notorious for its heavy fog.[37] Extreme temperatures range from −0.6 °C (30.9 °F) to 47 °C (117 °F).[38] The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 14 °C to 33 °C (58 °F to 92 °F).[39] The average annual is approximately 714 mm (28.1 inches), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August.[13] The average date of the advent of monsoon winds in Delhi is 29 June.[40].

[edit] Civic administration

See also: Divisions of Delhi, Districts of Delhi, and List of towns in National Territory of Delhi

As of July 2007, the National Territory of Delhi comprises nine districts, 27 tehsils, 59 census towns, 165 villages and three statutory towns – the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD); the New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC); and the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB).[41]

The Delhi metropolitan lies within the National Territory of Delhi (NCT). The NCT has three local municipal corporations: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board. MCD is one of the largest municipal corporations in the world providing civic amenities to an estimated 13.78 million people.[42] The of India, New Delhi, falls under the administration of NDMC. The chairperson of the NDMC is appointed by the of India in consultation with the Chief Minister of Delhi.

Delhi has four major satellite cities which lie outside the National Territory of Delhi. These are Gurgaon and Faridabad (in Haryana), and NOIDA and Ghaziabad (in Uttar Pradesh). Delhi is divided into nine districts. Each district (division) is headed by a Deputy and has three subdivisions. A Subdivision Magistrate heads each subdivision. All Deputy Commissioners report to the Divisional . The District Administration of Delhi is the enforcing department for all kinds of State and Central policies and exercises supervisory powers over numerous other functionaries of the .

The Delhi High Court has jurisdiction over Delhi. Delhi also has lower courts; the Small Causes Court for civil cases, and the Sessions Court for criminal cases. The Delhi Police, headed by the Police , is one of the largest metropolitan police forces in the world.[43] Delhi is administratively divided into nine police-zones, which are further subdivided into 95 local police stations.[44]

[edit] and politics
The North Block, built in 1931 during the British Raj, houses key offices
The North Block, built in 1931 during the British Raj, houses key offices

As a special union territory, in the same manner as that of Pondicherry, the National Territory of Delhi has its own Legislative , Lieutenant Governor, of Ministers and Chief Minister. The legislative seats are filled by direct election from territorial constituencies in the NCT. However, the Union of India and the of National Territory of Delhi jointly administer New Delhi. While services like transport and others are taken care of by the Delhi Govt., services such as the police are directly under the control of the Central . The legislative was re-established in 1993 for the first time since 1956, with direct federal rule in the span. In addition, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) handles civic administration for the as part of the Panchayati Raj act. New Delhi, an urban in Delhi, is the seat of both the State of Delhi and the of India. The , the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace) and the Supreme Court of India are located in New Delhi. There are 70 constituencies and seven Lok Sabha (Indian parliament’s lower house) constituencies in Delhi.[45][46]

Delhi was a traditional stronghold of the Indian National Congress, also known as the Congress Party. In the 1990s the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of Madan Lal Khurana came into power. However in 1998, Congress regained power. Sheila Dixit of Congress is the incumbent Chief Minister. The Congress retained power in the Legislative in the 2003 election as well by a large margin. However, in 2007, the BJP scored a crushing victory over the ruling Congress in the MCD election. Both parties have advocated full-fledged statehood for Delhi, but the process to establish this has been slow. The next election are slated to take place soon and this has heated up the politics of the .

[edit] Economy
Barakhamba Road in Connaught Place, an important economic and cultural center. Delhi registered an economic of 16% in 2006-07
Barakhamba Road in Connaught Place, an important economic and cultural center. Delhi registered an economic of 16% in 2006-07[47]

With an estimated net State Domestic Product (FY 2007) of Rs. 1,182 billion (US$24.5 billion) in nominal terms and Rs. 3,364 billion (US$69.8 billion) in PPP terms,[48][49] Delhi is the second largest center in South after Mumbai. In 2007, Delhi had a per capita income of Rs. 66,728 (US$1,450) at current prices, the third highest in India after Chandigarh and Goa.[50] The tertiary sector contributes 70.95% of Delhi’s gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 25.2% and 3.85% contribution respectively.[49] Delhi’s workforce constitutes 32.82% of the showing an increase of 52.52% between 1991 and 2001.[51] Delhi’s unemployment decreased from 12.57% in 1999–2000 to 4.63% in 2003.[51] In December 2004, 636,000 people were registered with various employment exchange programmes in Delhi.[51]
A business park in Gurgaon, a satellite of Delhi. Gurgaon is one of India’s largest outsourcing and information technology hubs In 2006, Gurgaon exported US$1.7 billion worth software
A business park in Gurgaon, a satellite of Delhi. Gurgaon is one of India’s largest outsourcing and information technology hubs[52] In 2006, Gurgaon exported US$1.7 billion worth software[53]

In 2001, the total workforce in all (union and state) and quasi sector was 620,000. In comparison, organised private sector employed 219,000.[51] Delhi’s service sector has expanded due in part to the large skilled English-speaking workforce that has attracted many multinational companies. Key service industries include information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and . Delhi’s manufacturing industry has also grown considerably as many consumer goods industries have established manufacturing units and headquarters in and around Delhi. Delhi’s large consumer market, coupled with the easy availability of skilled labour, has attracted foreign investment in Delhi. In 2001, the manufacturing sector employed 1,440,000 workers while the number of industrial units was 129,000.[54] Construction, power, telecommunications, health and community services, and real estate form integral parts of Delhi’s economy. Delhi has India’s largest and one of the fastest growing retail industries.[55] As a result, land prices are booming and Delhi is currently ranked the 7th most expensive office hotspot in the world, with prices at $145.16 per square foot.[56] However, as in the rest of India, the fast of retail is expected to affect the traditional unorganized retail trading system.

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]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/delhi-worlds-biggest-cities.html/feed Chennai http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/chennai.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/chennai.html#comments Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:01:01 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=318 Chennai -

Chennai formerly known as Madras (help·info), is the fourth largest metropolitan of India and the of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the , Chennai had a of 4.2 million in the 2001 census within its municipal corporation.[2] The of Chennai has an estimated over 7 million[3], making it the fourth largest agglomeration in India.

The was established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban and naval base. By the 20th century, it had become an important administrative , as the of the .

Chennai’s economy has a broad industrial base in the automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The is home to much of India’s automobile industry and is the country’s second-largest exporter of Software, information technology (IT) and information-technology-enabled services (ITES), behind Bangalore.[4][5] [6] [7] Chennai Zone contributes 39 per cent of the State’s GDP. Chennai accounts for 60 per cent of the country’s automotive exports and is sometimes referred to as “the Detroit of India”.[8][9][10]

The is served by an international airport and two major ports; it is connected to the rest of the country by five and two . Thirty-five countries have consulates in Chennai. [11]

Chennai hosts a large cultural event, the annual Madras Music Season, which includes performances by hundreds of artists. The has a vibrant theatre scene and is an important for the Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form. The Tamil film industry, known as Kollywood, is based in the ; the soundtracks of the movies dominate its music scene. Chennai is known for its sport venues and hosts an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) event, the Chennai Open. The faces problems of water shortages, traffic congestion and air pollution. The state and local governments have undertaken initiatives such as the Veeranam project, Rainwater harvesting and the construction of mini-flyovers to address some of these problems.

The name Chennai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Chennapattinam or Chennapattanam, the name of the town that grew up around Fort St. George, built by the British in 1640. There are different versions about the origin of the name. When the British landed here in 1639 A.D. it was said to be part of the empire of the Raja of Chandragiri. The British named it Chennapatnam after they acquired it from Chennappa Nayaka, a Vijayanagar chieftain. Gradually, the name was shortened to Chennai. The first instance of the use of the name Chennai is said to be in a sale deed dated August 1639 to Francis Day, an agent for the British where there is a reference to Chennaipattinam. [12]

However, some believe Chennapattinam was named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple, as the word Chenni in Tamil means face, and the temple was thought of as the face of the .[13]

The former name, Madras, is derived from Madraspattinam, a fishing village that lay to the north of Fort St. George. The origin of the name Madraspattinam is a subject of disagreement. One theory holds that the Portuguese, who arrived in the in the 16th century, may have named the village Madre de Deus.[14] However, historians believe that the village’s name came from the once prominent Madeiros family (variously known as Madera or Madra in succeeding years), who had consecrated the Madre de Deus church in Santhome in 1575 (demolished in 1997). Another theory says that the village was named after an Islamic college (a madrasa) which was located in the . After the British gained possession of the in the 17th century, the two towns, Madraspattinam and Chennapattinam, eventually merged. The British referred to the united town as Madraspattinam, while the locals preferred to call it Chennapattinam.[15]

The was officially renamed Chennai in 1996,[16] about the same time that many Indian cities were undergoing name changes. Madras was seen as a Portuguese name.[17]

[edit] History

Main article: History of Chennai

Madras Central Railway Station, 1925
Madras Central Railway Station, 1925

The around Chennai has served as an important administrative, military, and economic since the 1st century.[12] It has been ruled by various South Indian dynasties, notably the Pallava, the Chola, the Pandya, and Vijaynagar.[12] The town of Mylapore, now part of Chennai, was once a major Pallavan port. The Portuguese arrived in 1522 and built a port called São Tomé after the Christian apostle, St Thomas,[18] who is believed to have preached in the between 52 and 70 AD. In 1612, the Dutch established themselves near Pulicat, just north of the .

On August 22, 1639, Francis Day of the Company bought a small strip of land on the Coromandel Coast from the Vijayanagara King, Peda Venkata Raya in Chandragiri. The was ruled by Damerla Venkatapathy, the Nayak of Vandavasi.[12] He granted the British permission to build a factory and warehouse for their trading enterprises. A year later, the British built Fort St George, which became the nucleus of the growing colonial .[12] In 1746, Fort St. George and Madras were captured by the French under General La Bourdonnais, the Governor of Mauritius, who plundered the town and its outlying villages.[18] The British regained control in 1749 through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and fortified the town’s fortress wall to withstand further attacks from the French and another looming threat, Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore. By the late 18th century, the British had conquered most of the around Tamil Nadu and the northern modern-day states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, establishing the with Madras as the .[19] Under British rule, the grew into a major urban and naval base.
Victoria Public Hall at Park Town, Chennai - one of the finest examples of British architecture in the
Victoria Public Hall at Park Town, Chennai - one of the finest examples of British architecture in the

With the advent of railways in India in the late 19th century, the thriving urban was connected to other important cities such as Bombay and Calcutta, promoting increased communication and trade with the hinterland. Madras was briefly under Portuguese and French rule during 16th & 18th century.

Madras was the only Indian to be attacked by the Central Powers during World War I, when an oil depot was shelled by the German light cruiser SMS Emden on 22, 1914, as it raided shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, causing disruption to shipping.[20] After India gained its independence in 1947, the became the of Madras State, renamed the state of Tamil Nadu in 1969. The violent agitations of 1965 against the imposition of Hindi as the national language, marked a major shift in the political dynamics of the and the whole state.[21]

In 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami lashed the shores of Chennai, killing many and permanently altering the coastline.[22]

[edit] Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Chennai
See also: List of neighbourhoods in Chennai and Flora and fauna of Chennai

Chennai is on a flat coastal plain, as shown on this Landsat 7 map.
Chennai is on a flat coastal plain, as shown on this Landsat 7 map.

Chennai is on the southeast coast of India in the northeast of Tamil Nadu on a flat coastal plain known as the Eastern Coastal Plains. Its average elevation is around 6.7 metres (20 ft),[23] and its highest point is 60 m (200 ft).[24] The Marina Beach runs for 12 km along the shoreline of the . Two rivers meander through Chennai, the Cooum River (or Koovam) through the and the Adyar River to the south. A third river, the Kortalaiyar, flows through the northern fringes of the before draining into the sea at Ennore. Adyar and Cooum rivers are heavily polluted with effluents and waste from domestic and sources. The state periodically removes silt and pollution from the Adyar, which is much less polluted than the Cooum. A protected estuary on the Adyar forms a natural habitat for several species of birds and animals.[25][26] The Buckingham Canal, 4 km (3 miles) inland, runs parallel to the coast, linking the two rivers. The Otteri Nullah, an east-west stream, runs through north Chennai and meets the Buckingham Canal at Basin Bridge. Several lakes of varying size are located on the western fringes of the . Red Hills, Sholavaram and Chembarambakkam Lake supply Chennai with potable water. Groundwater sources are becoming brackish.[27]

Chennai’s soil is mostly clay, shale and sandstone.[28] Sandy areas are found along the river banks and coasts, such as Tiruvanmiyur, Adyar, Kottivakkam, Santhome, George Town, Tondiarpet and the rest of coastal Chennai. Here rainwater runoff percolates quickly through the soil. Clay underlies most of the including T. Nagar, West Mambalam, Anna Nagar, Perambur and Virugambakkam. Areas of hard rock include Guindy, Perungudi,Velachery, Adambakkam and a part of Saidapet.[29]

Chennai is divided into four parts: North, Central, South and West. North Chennai is primarily an industrial . Central Chennai is the heart of the and includes an important business district, Parry’s Corner. South Chennai and West Chennai, previously mostly residential, are fast becoming , home to a growing number of information technology firms, financial companies and call centres. The is expanding quickly along the Old Mahabalipuram Road and the Grand Southern Trunk Road (GST Road) in the south and towards Ambattur, Koyambedu and Sriperumbdur in the west.[31] Chennai is one of the few cities in the world that accommodates a national park, the Guindy National Park, within its limits.[32]

Chennai lies on the thermal equator and is also coastal, which prevents extreme variation in seasonal temperature. For most of the year, the weather is hot and humid. The hottest part of the year is late May and early June, known locally as Agni Nakshatram (”fire star”) or as Kathiri Veyyil,[33] with maximum temperatures around 38–42 °C (100–107 °F). The coolest part of the year is January, with minimum temperatures around 19–20 °C (66–68 °F). The lowest temperature recorded is 15.8 °C (60.44 °F) and highest 45 °C (113 °F).[34][35] The average annual is about 1,300 mm (51 inches). The gets most of its seasonal from the north-east monsoon winds, from mid- to mid-December. in the sometimes hit the . Highest annual recorded is 2,570 mm (101 in) in 2005.[36] The most prevailing winds in Chennai are the South-westerly between May and and the North-easterly during the rest of the year.

[edit] Administration and utility services
officials, as of 2007[37][38]
Mayor     Ma. Subramanian
Deputy Mayor     R. Sathya Bama
Corporation     Rajesh Lakhoni
of Police     R. Sekar

Chennai is governed by the Corporation of Chennai, consisting of 155 councillors who represent 155 wards and are directly elected by the ’s residents. From among themselves, the councillors elect a mayor and a deputy mayor who preside over about six standing committees.[39] Chennai, the of Tamil Nadu state, houses the state executive and legislative headquarters primarily in the Secretariat Buildings on the Fort St George campus but also in many other buildings scattered around the . The Madras High Court, whose jurisdiction extends across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, is the highest judicial authority in the state and is also in the . Chennai has three parliamentary constituencies—Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South—and elects 18 Members of the Legislative (MLAs) to the state legislature.
Chennai Metropolitan Police Patrol
Chennai Metropolitan Police Patrol

The metropolitan of Chennai covers many suburbs that are part of Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur districts. The larger suburbs are governed by town municipalities, and the smaller ones are governed by town councils called panchayats. While the covers an of 174 km² (67 mi²),[40] the metropolitan is spread over 1,189 km² (458 mi²).[41] The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has drafted a Second Master Plan that aims to develop satellite townships around the . Contiguous satellite towns include Mahabalipuram to the south, Chengalpattu and Maraimalai Nagar to the southwest, and Kanchipuram town, Sriperumpudur, Tiruvallur and Arakkonam to the west.

The Greater Chennai Police department, a division of the Tamil Nadu Police, is the law enforcement agency in the . The police is headed by a of police, and administrative control rests with the Tamil Nadu Home Ministry. The department consists of 36 subdivisions with a total of 121 police stations, of which 15 are ISO 9001:2000 certified.[42] The ’s traffic is managed by the Chennai Traffic Police (CCTP). The Metropolitan suburbs are policed by the Chennai Metropolitan Police, and outer district areas are policed by the Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur police departments.
Ripon Building, which houses the Chennai Corporation, was completed 1913. It is named after former viceroy Ripon.
Ripon Building, which houses the Chennai Corporation, was completed 1913. It is named after former viceroy Ripon.

The Corporation of Chennai and municipalities of the suburbs provide civic services. in most zones is handled by JBM Fanalca Environment Management, a private company, and by the Chennai Corporation in the other zones. Water supply and sewage treatment are handled by the Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board, popularly referred to as Metro Water. Electricity is supplied by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.[43] The ’s telephone service is provided by six mobile phone companies and four landline companies,[44][45] which also provide broadband Internet access, along with Sify and Hathway.

Historically, Chennai has relied on annual monsoon rains to replenish water reservoirs, as no major rivers flow through the . Steadily growing in , the has faced water supply shortages, and its ground water levels have been depleted. An earlier Veeranam Lake project failed to solve the ’s water problems, but the New Veeranam project, which became operational in 2004, has greatly reduced dependency on distant sources.[46] In recent years, heavy and consistent monsoon rains and rainwater harvesting (RWH) by Chennai Metrowater at its Anna Nagar Rain have significantly reduced water shortages.[47] Moreover, newer projects like the Telugu Ganga project that bring water from water-surplus rivers like the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh have eased water shortages. The is constructing sea water desalination plants to further increase the water supply.[48][49]

Chennai has a diversified economic base anchored by the automobile, software services, hardware manufacturing, healthcare and financial services industries.[50] As of 2000, the ’s total personal income was Rs. 12,488.83 crores, making up 10.9% of the total income of Tamil Nadu.[51] In 2001, the total workforce in Chennai was about 1.5 million, which was 31.79% of its . According to the 1991 census, most of the ’s workforce was involved in trade (25.65%), manufacturing (23.52%), transportation (10.72%), construction (6.3%) and other services (31.8%). Chennai metropolitan accounts for over 75% of the sales tax revenue in the state.[52] According to the CII, Chennai’s is estimated to grow to a $100-billion economy, 2.5 times its present size, by the year 2025.[53]

The is base to around 30% of India’s automobile industry[54] and 35% of its auto components industry.[55] A large number of automotive companies including Hyundai, Ford, BMW, Mitsubishi, The TVS Group (TVS), Ashok Leyland, Nissan-Renault, TI Cycles of India, TAFE Tractors, Royal Enfield, Caterpillar Inc., Caparo and Madras Rubber Factory (MRF), have manufacturing plants in and around Chennai. The Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi produces military vehicles, including India’s main battle tank: Arjun MBT. The Integral Coach Factory manufactures railway coaches and other rolling stock for Indian Railways. This very industrial expanse has given the name to Chennai as being the “Detroit of Southern ”.[56] The Ambattur-Padi industrial zone houses many textile manufacturers, and an SEZ for apparel and footwear manufacture has been set up in the southern suburbs of the .[57] Chennai contributes more than 50% of India’s leather exports.[58]
Tidel Park is one of the many software parks in Chennai.
Tidel Park is one of the many software parks in Chennai.

The is an electronics manufacturing hub where multinational corporations like Dell, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Flextronics and Foxconn have set up electronics and hardware manufacturing plants, mainly in the Sriperumbudur Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Many software and software services companies have development centres in Chennai, which contributed 14% of India’s total software exports of Rs.144,214 crores during 2006–07, making it the second-largest exporter of software in the country, behind Bangalore.[59] Prominent financial institutions, including the World Bank, HSBC, Citi bank have back office operations in the .[60] Chennai is home to three large national level banks[61][62][63] and many state level co-operative banks, finance and insurance companies. Some of India’s well-known healthcare institutions such as Apollo Hospitals (the largest private healthcare provider in ),[64] Sankara Nethralaya and Sri Ramachandra Medical are based in the , making it one of the preferred destinations for medical tourists from across the globe.[65] Telecom giants Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent, pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and chemicals giant Dow Chemicals have research and development facilities in Chennai. TICEL bio-tech park[66] and Golden Jubilee bio-tech park[67] at Siruseri house biotechnology companies and laboratories. Chennai has a fully computerised stock exchange called the Madras Stock Exchange.

A resident of Chennai is called a Chennaiite. As of 2001, Chennai had a of 4.34 million, while the total metropolitan was 7.04 million.[68] The estimated metropolitan in 2006 is 4.5 million.[69] In 2001, the density in the was 24,682 per km² (9,534 per mi²), while the density of the metropolitan was 5,922 per km² (2,287 mi²), making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world.[68][70] The sex ratio is 951 females for every 1,000 males,[71] slightly higher than the national average of 934.[72] The average literacy is 80.14%,[73] much higher than the national average of 64.5%. The has the fourth highest of slum dwellers among major cities in India, with about 820,000 people (18.6% of its ) living in slum conditions.[74] This number represents about 5% of the total slum of India. In 2005, the crime in the was 313.3 per 100,000 people, accounting for 6.2% of all crimes reported in major cities in India.[75] The number of crimes in the showed a significant increase of 61.8% from 2004.[76]

The majority of the in Chennai are Tamils and Tamil is the primary language spoken in Chennai. English is widely spoken especially in business, and white collar professions. Sizeable Telugu and Malayalee communities live in the .[77] Chennai also has a large migrant , who come from other parts of Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country. As of 2001, out of the 937,000 migrants (21.57% of its ) in the , 74.5% were from other parts of the state, 23.8% were from rest of India and 1.7% were from outside the country.[78] According to the 2001 census, Hindus constitute about 82.27% of the ’s , and Muslims (8.37%), Christians (7.63%) and Jains (1.05%) are other major religious groups.[79]

Chennai’s culture reflects its diverse . The is known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five-week long Music Season celebrating the 1927 opening of the Madras Music Academy.[80] It features performances (kutcheries) of traditional Carnatic music by hundreds of artists in and around the . An arts festival called the Chennai Sangamam, which showcases various arts of Tamil Nadu is held in January every year. Chennai is also known for Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu. An important cultural for Bharatanatyam is Kalakshetra, on the beach in the south of the .[81]

Chennai is the base for the large Tamil movie industry, dubbed Kollywood after Kodambakkam, home to most of the movie studios.[82] The industry makes more than 150 Tamil movies a year,[83] and its soundtracks dominate the ’s music. Chennai’s theatres stage many Tamil plays; political satire, slapstick comedy, history, mythology and drama are among the popular genres.[84][85][86] English plays are also staged in the .

Among Chennai’s festivals, Pongal is celebrated over five days in January, is the most important. Tamil New Year’s Day, signifying the beginning of the Tamil year, usually falls on April 14. Almost all major religious festivals such as Deepavali, Eid and Christmas are celebrated in Chennai. Tamil cuisine in Chennai includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the ’s restaurants offer light meals or tiffin, which usually include rice-based dishes like pongal, dosa, idli and vadai, served with steaming hot filter coffee.

[edit] Transport

Main article: Transport in Chennai

The IT Highway in Chennai with the MRTS passing overhead.
The IT Highway in Chennai with the MRTS passing overhead.

The Chennai International Airport, comprising the Anna international terminal and the Kamaraj domestic terminal, is the third busiest airport in India.[87][88] The is connected to major hubs in South , South East , East , the Middle East, Europe and North America through more than 30 national and international carriers. The airport is the second busiest cargo terminus in the country. The existing airport is undergoing further modernisation and expansion, and a new greenfield airport is to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore in Sriperumbudur.[89]

The is served by two major ports, Chennai Port, one of the largest artificial ports, and Ennore Port. The Chennai port is India’s second busiest container hub, handling automobiles, motorcycles and general industrial cargo. The Ennore Port handles cargo such as coal, ore and other bulk and rock mineral products.[90] A smaller harbour at Royapuram is used by local fishing boats and trawlers.
MRTS Train station in Chennai
MRTS Train station in Chennai

Chennai is well connected to other parts of India by road and rail. Five major radiate outward towards Mumbai, Kolkata, Trichy, Tiruvallur and Pondicherry.[91] The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), the terminus for all intercity buses from Chennai, is the largest bus station in .[92] Seven -owned transport corporations operate inter- and inter-state bus services. Many private inter- and inter-state bus companies also operate services to and from Chennai.

The has two main . Chennai Central station, the ’s largest, provides access to trains to major cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram as well as to smaller towns across India.[93] Chennai Egmore is a terminus for trains traveling primarily within Tamil Nadu; it also handles a few inter-state trains.[94]

Buses, trains, and auto rickshaws are the most common form of public transport within the .
One of the newer MTC buses
One of the newer MTC buses

The Chennai suburban railway network consists of four broad gauge rail sectors terminating at two locations in the , namely Chennai Central and Chennai Beach. Regular services are offered in the following sectors from these terminii: Chennai Central/Chennai Beach - Arakkonam - Tiruttani, Chennai Central/Chennai Beach – Gummidipoondi - Sullurpeta and Chennai Beach – Tambaram - Chengalpattu - Tirumalpur(Kanchipuram). The fourth sector is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) which links Chennai Beach to Velachery and is interlinked with the remaining rail network. The has plans for an underground Metro.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) runs an extensive bus system consisting of 3,093 buses on 617 routes and transports an estimated 4 million passengers daily.[96] Vans, popularly known as Maxi Cabs and ’share’ auto rickshaws ply many routes in the and provide an alternative to buses. Metered call taxis, tourist taxis and auto rickshaws are also available on hire. Chennai’s transportation infrastructure provides coverage and connectivity, but growing use has caused traffic congestion and pollution. The has tried to address these problems by constructing flyovers at major intersections, starting with the Gemini flyover, built in 1973 over the most important arterial road, Anna Salai.

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]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/chennai.html/feed Mumbai http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/mumbai.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/mumbai.html#comments Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:55:01 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=316 Mumbai -

Mumbai formerly Bombay, is the of the Indian and the financial of India. With an estimated of thirteen million, it is the most populous in India and the second most populous in the world.[1] Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms, at nineteen million, the world’s fifth most populous metropolitan . Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. Mumbai’s port handles over half of India’s maritime cargo.[2]

Mumbai is the and entertainment of India, generating 5% of India’s GDP[3] and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 40% of maritime trade, and 70% of transactions to India’s economy.[4] Mumbai is one of the world’s top ten centres of commerce by global financial flow,[5] home to such important financial institutions as the Reserve Bank of India, the , the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies and numerous multinational corporations. The also houses India’s Hindi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai’s business opportunities, as well as its high standard of living, attract migrants from all over India and, in turn, make the a potpourri of many communities and cultures.
Contents

Artifacts found near Kandivali in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands had been inhabited since the Stone Age. Documented evidence of human habitation dates back to 250 BCE, when it was known as Heptanesia (Ptolemy) (Ancient Greek: A Cluster of Seven Islands). In the 3rd century BCE, the islands formed part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor, Aşoka. During its first few centuries, control over Mumbai was disputed between the Indo-Scythian Western Satraps and the Satavahanas. The of the Silhara Dynasty later governed the islands until 1343, when the kingdom of Gujarat annexed them. Some of the oldest edifices of the archipelago – the Elephanta Caves and the Walkeshwar temple complex date from this era.

In 1534, the Portuguese appropriated the islands from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. They were ceded to II of England in 1661, as dowry[16] for Catherine de Braganza. These islands, were in turn leased to the Company in 1668 for a sum of £10 per annum. The company found the deep harbour on the east coast of the islands to be ideal for setting up their first port in the sub-continent. The quickly rose from 10,000 in 1661, to 60,000 in 1675; In 1687, the Company transferred its headquarters from Surat to Mumbai. The eventually became the headquarters of the Bombay Presidency.
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the arrival in India, on 2 December 1911, of King George V and Queen Mary and was completed on 4 December, 1924
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the arrival in India, on 2 December 1911, of King George V and Queen Mary and was completed on 4 December, 1924

From 1817 onwards, the was reshaped with large civil engineering projects aimed at merging all the islands in the archipelago into a single amalgamated mass. This project, known as the Hornby Vellard, was completed by 1845, and resulted in the total swelling to 438 km². In 1853, India’s first passenger railway line was established, connecting Mumbai to the town of Thane. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the became the world’s chief cotton trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy and subsequently enhancing the ’s stature.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea.[17] Over the next thirty years, the grew into a major urban , spurred by an improvement in infrastructure and the construction of many of the ’s institutions. The of the swelled to one million by 1906, making it the second largest in India after Calcutta. As of the Bombay Presidency, it was a major base for the Indian independence movement, with the Quit India Movement called by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 being its most rubric event. After India’s independence in 1947, it became the of Bombay State. In the 1950 the expanded to its present limits by incorporating parts of Salsette island which lay to the north.

After 1955, when the State of Bombay was being re-organised along linguistic lines into the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, there was a demand that the be constituted as an autonomous -state. Bombay Citizens’ commitee, an advocacy group comprising of leading Gujarathi industrialists lobbied for Mumbai’s independent status. However, the Samyukta Maharashtra movement opposed this, and insisted that Mumbai be declared the of Maharashtra. Following protests in which 105 people were killed by police firing, Maharashtra state was formed with Mumbai as its on May 1, 1960.
Flora Fountain was renamed Hutatma Chowk (”Martyr’s Square”) as a memorial to the Samyukta Maharashtra movement
Flora Fountain was renamed Hutatma Chowk (”Martyr’s Square”) as a memorial to the Samyukta Maharashtra movement

The late 1970s witnessed a construction boom and a significant influx of migrants, which saw Mumbai overtake Kolkata as India’s most populous . This influx caused unrest among local Maharashtrians who worried about the loss of culture, jobs, and language.[18] The Shiv Sena Party was formed by Bal Thackeray for the purpose of securing the interests of Maharashtrians.[19] The ’s secular fabric was torn apart in the riots of 1992–93, after large scale sectarian violence caused extensive loss of life and . A few months later, on March 12, a series of co-ordinated bombings at several landmarks by the Mumbai underworld killed around three hundred people. In 1995, the was renamed Mumbai by the Shiv Sena of Maharashtra, in keeping with their policy of renaming colonial institutions after historic local appellations. There have also been terrorist attacks, sponsored by Islamic extremists, on public transport buses in past years. In 2006, Mumbai was also the site of a major terrorist attack in which over two hundred people were killed when several bombs exploded almost simultaneously on the Mumbai Suburban Railway.[20]

See also: Timeline of Mumbai events

[edit] Geography
The metropolis consists of the Mumbai , Mumbai suburban district and also the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane
The metropolis consists of the Mumbai , Mumbai suburban district and also the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane

Main article: Geography of Mumbai

Mumbai lies at the mouth of the Ulhas River off the western coast of India, in the coastal known as the Konkan. It sits on Salsette Island, partially shared with the district of Thane. Much of the lies just above sea level, with average elevations ranging from 10 m (33 ft) to 15 m (49 ft). Northern Mumbai is hilly, and the highest point in the is 450 m (1,476 ft).[21] The spans a total of 603 km² (233 sq mi).

Sanjay Gandhi National Park is located near to the , and covers almost 1/6th of the . It is to be noted big cats such as panthers are still residing in this national park[22][23] next to millions of people in an age of habitat shrinkage and species extinction.

Apart from the Bhatsa Dam, six major lakes supply water to the : Vihar, Vaitarna, Upper Vaitarna, Tulsi, Tansa and Powai. Tulsi Lake and Vihar Lake are located in Borivili National Park, within the ’s metropolitan limits. The supply from Powai lake, also within the limits, is used only for industrial purposes. Three small rivers, the Dahisar, Poinsar (or Poisar) and Ohiwara (or Oshiwara) originate within the park, while the now infamous Mithi River originates from Tulsi Lake and gathers water overflowing from Vihar and Powai Lakes. The coastline of the is indented with numerous creeks and bays. The eastern coast of Salsette Island is covered with large mangrove swamps, rich in biodiversity. The western coast is mostly sandy and rocky.

Soil cover in the is predominantly sandy due to its proximity to the sea. In the suburbs, the soil cover is largely alluvial and loamy. The underlying rock of the is composed of black Deccan basalt flows, and their acid and basic variants dating back to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene eras. Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone[24] owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity. The is classified as a Zone III , which means an earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5 on the Richter-scale may be expected.[citation needed]

Lying in a tropical zone and the near the Arabian Sea, Mumbai’s climate falls into two main seasons: the humid and the dry season. The humid season, between March and October, is characterized by high humidity and temperatures of over 30 °C (86 °F). Between June and , the monsoon rains lash the supplying most of the ’s annual of 2,200 millimetres (86.6 in). The maximum annual ever recorded was 3,452 millimetres (135.9 in) in 1954.[25] The highest recorded in a single day was 944 millimetres (37.17 in) on 2005-07-26.[26] The dry season, between November and February, is characterized by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill during January and February.

Annual temperatures range from a high of 38 °C (100 °F) to a low of 11 °C (52 °F). The record high is 43.3 °C (109.9 °F) and record low is 7.4 °C (45.3 °F) on 1962-01-22.[27] Though 7.4 °C (45.3 °F) is the lowest recorded by one of the two official meteorological weather stations, a low of 6.5 °C (43.7 °F) was recorded on February 8, 2008 at a weather station near Kanheri Caves that lies within limits.

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]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/india/mumbai.html/feed Shanghai http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/china/shanghai.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/china/shanghai.html#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:07:47 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=126 Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest in China in terms of and one of the largest urban areas in the world, with over 20 million people in its extended metropolitan .[6] Located on China’s central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the is administered as a municipality with province-level status.[7]

Originally a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew to importance in the 19th century due to its favourable port location and as one of the cities opened to foreign trade by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.[8] The flourished as a center of commerce between east and west, and became a multinational hub of finance and business by the 1930s.[9] However, Shanghai’s prosperity ended after the 1949 Communist takeover and the subsequent cessation of foreign investment. Economic reforms in 1990 have resulted in intense development and financing, and in 2005 Shanghai became the world’s largest cargo port.[10]

The is an emerging tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Bund and Xintiandi, its modern and ever-expanding Pudong skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower, and its new reputation as a center of culture and design.[11][12] Today, Shanghai is mainland China’s center for commerce and finance, and has been described as the “showpiece” of the world’s fastest-growing economyShanghai (Chinese: 上海) is the largest in China in terms of and one of the largest urban areas in the world, with over 20 million people in its extended metropolitan .[6] Located on China’s central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the is administered as a municipality with province-level status.[7]

Originally a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew to importance in the 19th century due to its favourable port location and as one of the cities opened to foreign trade by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking.[8] The flourished as a center of commerce between east and west, and became a multinational hub of finance and business by the 1930s.[9] However, Shanghai’s prosperity ended after the 1949 Communist takeover and the subsequent cessation of foreign investment. Economic reforms in 1990 have resulted in intense development and financing, and in 2005 Shanghai became the world’s largest cargo port.[10]

The is an emerging tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as the Bund and Xintiandi, its modern and ever-expanding Pudong skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower, and its new reputation as a center of culture and design.[11][12] Today, Shanghai is mainland China’s center for commerce and finance, and has been described as the “showpiece” of the world’s fastest-growing economy.

]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/china/shanghai.html/feed Cape Town - Worlds Biggest Cities http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/south_africa/cape-town-worlds-biggest-cities.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/south_africa/cape-town-worlds-biggest-cities.html#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:14:17 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=249 - Cape Town

Cape Town is the second most populous in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the of Cape Town. It is the provincial of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many offices are located. Cape Town is famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Cape Town is one of the most popular for .[citation needed]

Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Company as a victualling (supply) station for Dutch ships sailing to Eastern Africa, India, and the Far East more than 200 years before the construction of the Suez Canal in 1869.[citation needed] Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival on 6 April 1652 established the first permanent in South Africa. Cape Town quickly outgrew its original purpose as the first European outpost at the Castle of Good Hope. It was the largest in South Africa until the of Johannesburg.

According to the 2007 Community Survey, the has a of 3.5 million.[3] Cape Town’s land of 2,455 square kilometres (948 sq mi) is larger than other , resulting in a comparatively lower density of 1,425 people per square kilometre (3,689/sq mi).[2] Cape Town is twinned with Nice in France and Haifa in Israel.
Contents.

There is no certainty as to when humans first occupied the prior to the first visits of Europeans in the 15th century. The earliest known remnants in the were found at Peers cave in and date to around 12,000 years ago.[citation needed] Little is known of the history of the ’s first residents, since there is no written history from the before it was first mentioned by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1486. Vasco da Gama recorded a sighting of the Cape of Good Hope in 1497, and the did not have regular contact with Europeans until 1652, when the Netherlands’ Jan van Riebeeck and other employees of the Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Verenigde Oost-indische Compagnie, VOC) were sent to the Cape to establish a way-station for ships travelling to the Dutch East Indies. The grew slowly during this period, as it was hard to find adequate labour. This labour shortage prompted the to import slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar. Many of these became ancestors of the first Cape Coloured communities.

During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the Netherlands was repeatedly occupied by France, and Great Britain moved to take control of Dutch colonies. Britain captured Cape Town in 1795, but the Cape was returned to the Netherlands by treaty in 1803. British forces occupied the Cape again in 1806. In the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, Cape Town was permanently ceded to Britain. It became the of the newly formed Cape Colony, whose territory expanded very substantially through the 1800s.[citation needed]

The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in 1869, and the Witwatersrand Gold Rush in 1886, prompted a flood of immigrants to South Africa.[citation needed] Conflicts between the Boer republics in the interior and the British colonial resulted in the Second Boer War of 1899-1901. Britain won the war. In 1910, Britain established the Union of South Africa, which unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the British colony of Natal. Cape Town became the legislative of the Union, and later of the Republic of South Africa.
Nobel Square at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
Nobel Square at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

In the 1948 elections, the National Party won on a platform of apartheid (racial segregation) under the slogan of “swart gevaar”. This led to the Group Areas Act, which classified all areas according to race. Formerly multi-racial suburbs of Cape Town were either purged of unlawful residents or demolished. The most infamous example of this in Cape Town was District Six. After it was declared a whites-only in 1965, all housing there was demolished and over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed.[4] Many of these residents were relocated to the Cape Flats and Lavendar Hill. Under apartheid, the Cape was considered a “Coloured labour preference ”, to the exclusion of “Bantus”, i.e. blacks.

Cape Town was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. On Robben Island, a former penitentiary island 10 kilometres from the , many famous political prisoners were held for years. In one of the most famous moments marking the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandela made his first public speech in decades on 11 February 1990 from the balcony of Cape Town Hall hours after being released. His speech heralded the beginning of a new era for the country, and the first democratic election was held four years later, on 27 April 1994. Nobel Square in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront features statues of South Africa’s four Nobel Peace Prize winners - Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela. Since 1994, the has struggled with problems such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, a surge in violent drug-related crime and more recent xenophobic violence. At the same time, the economy has surged to unprecedented levels due to the boom in the and the real estate industries.[citation needed]

The of Cape Town is located at the northern end of the Cape . Table Mountain forms a dramatic backdrop to the bowl, with its plateau over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high; it is surrounded by near-vertical cliffs, Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. Sometimes a thin strip of cloud forms over the mountain, and owing to its appearance, it is colloquially known as the “tablecloth”. The consists of a dramatic mountainous spine jutting southwards into the Atlantic Ocean, ending at Cape Point. There are over 70 peaks above 1,000 feet (300 m) (the American definition of a mountain) within Cape Town’s official limits. Many of the suburbs of Cape Town are on the large plain of the Cape Flats, which joins the to the mainland. The Cape Flats lie on what is known as a rising marine plain, consisting mostly of sandy geology which shows that at one point Table Mountain itself was an island.[citation needed]
Climate

The Cape has a Mediterranean climate with well-defined seasons. In winter, which lasts from May to , large cold fronts come across from the Atlantic Ocean with heavy precipitation and strong north-westerly winds. The winter months are cool, with an average minimum temperature of 7 °C (45 °F).[citation needed] Most of the ’s annual occurs in wintertime, but due to the mountainous topography of the , amounts for specific areas can vary dramatically. The of Newlands which is to the south of the is the wettest place in South Africa.[citation needed] The valleys and coastal plains average 515 millimetres (20 in) of rain per annum, while mountain areas can average as much as 1,500 millimetres (60 in) per annum. Summer, which lasts from November to March, is warm and dry. The gets frequent strong winds from the south-east, known locally as the Cape Doctor, because it blows away pollution and cleans the air. The south-easterly wind is caused by a high-pressure system which sits in the South Atlantic to the west of Cape Town, known as the South-Atlantic High. Summer temperatures are mild, with an average maximum of 26 °C (79 °F). The only times when Cape Town can be uncomfortably hot is when the Berg Wind, meaning “mountain wind” blows from the Karoo interior for a couple weeks in February or early March.

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]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/south_africa/cape-town-worlds-biggest-cities.html/feed South Africa - Worlds Biggest Cities http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/south_africa/south-africa-worlds-biggest-cities.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/south_africa/south-africa-worlds-biggest-cities.html#comments Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:08:34 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=246

The below are the Biggest Cities in South Africa.

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]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/south_africa/south-africa-worlds-biggest-cities.html/feed Cairns http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/cairns.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/cairns.html#comments Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:32:41 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=237 World’s biggest cities

is a regional and Local located in Queensland, . Originally settled in 1876, and named after William Wellington (the then Governor of Queensland) to serve miners heading for the goldfield, the settlement declined when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. However, ’ future was secured as it developed into a railhead and major port for the exportation of sugar cane, gold, precious metals and agricultural industries from the surrounding coastal and Tableland regions. The is rapidly expanding, with a of 122,731 (as of 2006) is the largest for the , followed closely by the sugar industry.[1]

lies about 1,701 km (1,057 mi) from and about 2,420 km (1,504 mi) from by road. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its and proximity to many attractions. The can be reached in less than an hour by boat. The and , about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of , are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. It is also a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, , and the .

The has used its to its advantage with the construction of several small theme parks for tourists. Among them are Rainforestation , the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Gondola Cableway, which extends for 7.5 km (4.7 mi) over World Heritage rainforest.

A major landmark on the esplanade is a swimming lagoon, with adjoining , and giant fish sculptures. In May 2003, the then Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbaking is permitted here as the is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so.[4][5] A boardwalk allows pedestrians and cyclists to move along the foreshore from the Lagoon in a sustainable manner.

[edit] Geography
Location of in Queensland (red)
Location of in Queensland (red)
, view of the foreshore.
, view of the foreshore.
The River running through the Goldsbrough Valley to the south of .
The River running through the Goldsbrough Valley to the south of .
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the rainforest.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the rainforest.

is located on the east coast of on a coastal strip between the Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range. The northern part of the is located on Trinity Bay and the is located on Trinity inlet. Some of the ’s suburbs are located on flood plains. The River and flow within the ’s boundary but not through the itself. The ’s foreshore is located on a mud flat.

[edit] Urban layout

is a provincial and has a linear urban layout that runs from the south, at Aloomba, to the north, at Ellis Beach.[6] The is approximately 52 km (32 mi) from north to south. has experienced recent urban sprawl, with suburbs occupying land previously used for sugar cane farming.

Regions of the are:

The Northern Beaches are low in elevation and consist of a number of beach communities extending north along the coast. In general, each beach is located at the end of a spur road extending from the Captain Cook Highway. From south to north, these are Machans Beach, Holloways Beach, Yorkeys Knob, Trinity Park, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove and Ellis Beach.

The of Smithfield is located inland and against the mountains of the Great Dividing Range and serves as the main for the Northern Beaches. It is located between Yorkey’s Knob and Trinity Park. Smithfield is the main hub for the Northern Beaches with the large Smithfield which has recently been refurbished for a more modern feel. The Kennedy Highway starts at the Kennedy Highway/Captain Cook Highway intersection which is currently a large roundabout but has plans for an overpass with the Kennedy Range Motorway which will run from Smithfield to Kuranda.

Located inland from the Northern Beaches along the edge of the flood plain are the suburbs of Caravonica, Lake Placid, Kamerunga, Stratford, and Freshwater. This is sometimes referred to as Freshwater Valley. Further up Freshwater Valley is Redlynch Valley. The of Redlynch is located on the western side of Redlynch Valley, and Brinsmead lies on the eastern side. Stratford, Freshwater, Redlynch and Brinsmead are separated from by Mount Whitfield (elevation 365 m) and Whitfield Range. Crystal Cascades and Copperlode Dam are also located behind this range. This is serviced by the Redlynch Central , a new with only Woolworths at the moment which is located in the fast growing of the Redlynch Valley. This is also due to be expanded in the future.[citation needed]

, located on what once was swamp, is in close proximity to the suburbs of North, Manunda, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Kanimbla, Parramatta Park, Mooroobool, Manoora, Portsmith, Earlville, Westcourt, Bungalow, Woree and Bayview Heights. The small of Aeroglen is pressed between Mount Whitfield and the airport on the Captain Cook Highway north of the central business district towards Smithfield.

Southside , which is higher in elevation and is situated in a mountainous valley, includes the suburbs of White Rock, Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park, Wrights Creek, Edmonton and Centenary Heights, and the townships of Babinda, Goldsborough, Little , Aloomba and , which is located on the River. The southern strip of is populated along a small skinny between the Trinity Inlet to the east and the Lamb Range to the west. It is serviced by the Bruce Highway which is also due to be developed into a motorway between Woree and Grodonvale due to increasing traffic congestion.[citation needed]

The town of Kuranda is located upstream on the on the western side of the Kuranda Range, part of the Great Dividing Range. Kuranda is located in the Tablelands local and, due to the geography of the Kuranda Range, is not part of the urban , however it forms part of the economic catchment. In early 2007, the expressed interest in assuming responsibility for the administration of Kuranda, as well as Port Douglas.[7]

[edit] History

Main article: History of , Queensland

is situated on the Indigenous Australian people’s tribal lands of the Irukandji.

The future site of was first sighted by Captain James Cook in 1770. Closer investigation by several official expeditions 100 years later recognised its potential for development into a port. Hastened by the need to export gold discovered on the tablelands to the west of the inlet was founded in 1876. The land on which the settlement was hewn initially consisted of mangrove swamps which were gradually cleared by labourers and sand ridges which were slowly filled in with ballast from a quarry at Edge Hill, dried mud, sawdust from several local sawmills and debris collected from the construction of a railway to Herberton on the Atherton Tablelands, a project which started in 1886. The railway opened up land that was later used for agriculture on the lowlands (sugar cane, corn, rice, bananas, pineapples) and fruit and dairy on the Tablelands. The success of local agriculture helped come into its own as a port and the creation of a harbour board in 1906 meant its economic future was assured.

During World War II, was used by the Allied Forces as a staging base for operations in the Pacific.

After World War II, slowly reinvented itself as a for . The opening of the International Airport in 1984 and the building of the Convention established the ’s overseas reputation as a desirable destination for the holiday and business conference .

[edit] Climate
Climate chart
Climate chart
– the tropical (view nearby the lagoon)
– the tropical (view nearby the lagoon)

experiences a warm . It experiences a wet season with tropical monsoons between December and April and a dry season between May and November, which, however, is not completely dry like in most of tropical : there are frequent showers for most of this period. Mean of is 1,992.8 millimetres (78 in).[8] The township of Babinda at the southern end of the is one of ’s wettest towns, recording an annual of over 4,200 millimetres (165 in). It has hot humid summers and milder temperatures in winter. The temperature varies from a mean temperature of 25.7 °C (78 °F) in July to 31.4 °C (89 °F) in January. Monsoonal activity during the wet season occasionally causes major flooding of the Barron and Rivers, cutting off road and rail access to the .
Climate Table     Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec     Year
Mean daily maximum temperature (°C)     31.4     31.2     30.6     29.2     27.6     25.9     25.7     26.5     28.0     29.5     30.6     31.4     29.0
Mean daily minimum temperature (°C)     23.7     23.7     23.0     21.6     19.9     17.8     17.0     17.4     18.6     20.6     22.3     23.4     20.8
Mean total (mm)     385.0     448.5     419.5     202.1     92.2     47.2     29.3     27.7     33.8     39.2     92.2     179.8     1994.8
Mean number of rain days     15.3     16.7     15.9     15.2     10.5     7.1     5.5     5.0     5.0     5.4     7.7     10.6     119.9
Mean number of clear days     3.8     2.6     4.0     5.0     6.7     8.7     9.9     11.6     12.4     11.8     7.9     5.6     90.0
Mean number of cloudy days     16.1     17.3     16.3     14.0     12.5     10.3     9.8     7.5     5.6     5.3     7.5     11.7     133.9
: of Meteorology
Lagoon in , under public surveillance.
Lagoon in , under public surveillance.

[edit] Tropical

Like most of North and Far North Queensland, is prone to Tropical , usually forming between November and May.

Notable that have affected the include:

* Cyclone Larry, 2006 - see below for detail for and .
* Cyclone Abigail, 2001
* Cyclone Steve, 2000
* Cyclone Rona, 1999
* Cyclone Justin, 1997

[edit] Cyclone Larry

Main article: Cyclone Larry

Tropical Cyclone Larry struck areas to the south of at 7 a.m. on 20 March 2006. Cyclone Larry crossed land near the town of , 100 km (62 mi) south of as a category five cyclone. It was downgraded to a category four cyclone shortly before midday, and further downgraded to a category three cyclone a few hours later. Wind gusts of up to 300 km/h (190 mph) have been recorded around the , with wind gusts up to 180 km/h (112 mph) reported in the . It is estimated that about one in four houses in and surrounding areas have been affected by Cyclone Larry.

[edit] Governance
View of from with the Yarrabah in the background.
View of from with the Yarrabah in the background.

is governed by the Regional . The consists of a directly elected mayor and ten councillors, elected from ten single-member divisions (or wards) using an optional preferential voting system. Elections are held every four years.

The Regional local consists of three former local areas. The first was the original of , consisting of the as listed above. The second, which was amalgamated in 1995, was the of (comprising the other areas, namely the Northern Beaches, Freshwater and Redlynch Valleys, and Southside). The town of was once called . The third is the of Douglas, which amalgamated in 2008 during major statewide local reforms.

At the time of the 1995 amalgamation, had a of approximately 40,000 and had a of approximately 60,000. Both local authorities had chambers in the . The old chambers located on has been converted into a new library. The old Chambers were located on the Esplanade. In a controversial decision,[9] New chambers were constructed on previously industrial contaminated land in the mainly industrial of Portsmith.

has four representatives in the Queensland Parliament, from the electoral districts of Cook, , and . The is represented in the Federal Parliament by representatives elected from the districts of Leichhardt and Kennedy.

Prior to the abolition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (), the Indigenous people in were represented by the and District Regional . The has twelve Councillors, who elected a Chair from among them - Terry O’Shane was the last Chair. The was represented on by the for Queensland . The last for Queensland North was Lionel Quartermaine who also served as ’s Deputy Chair.

[edit] Economy
at night; the wharves. The ’s dome can be seen in the background.
at night; the wharves. The ’s dome can be seen in the background.

serves as the major for the Far North Queensland and Regions. It is a base for the regional offices of many departments.

[edit]
Pier
Pier

The suburbs of contain a number of centres of various sizes. The largest of these are the Central , located in the central business district, and Stockland , located in the of Earlville.

The is currently beginning to become a bigger economical in not just , but in services as well with many new office towers being built and planned for the near future including the Corporate Tower #2.

[edit] Media

The Post is a daily published in the ; a weekly paper, The Sun, is also published. The Courier-Mail is a daily Queensland-wide published in . The Australian also circulates widely.

Newspapers publishes independent suburban newspapers - the Northern News and the Southern Herald - which circulate suburbs from Palm Cove in the north to in the south.

is served by regional affiliates of the three Australian television networks (Ten, Nine and Seven) and the two public broadcasters (ABC and SBS). Austar Limited provides subscription satellite TV services.

stations include a number of public, and community broadcasters. The ABC broadcasts ABC National, ABC Local, ABC Classic FM and the Triple J youth network. stations include 4CA-FM, AM846, HOT FM, SeaFM, 4CCR-FM, 87.6 XFM, 98.7FM, 101.9 Coast FM, and 104.3 4TAB sports .

[edit] Industry and agriculture

The land around is still used for sugar cane farming, although this land is increasingly under pressure from new suburbs as the grows. Within the , sugar mills operate in and Babinda.

The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station is located nearby in Kuranda and provides green power for some of the ’s needs.

[edit]

plays a major part in the economy. According to , is the fourth most popular destination for international tourists in after , and .[10] While the does not rank amongst ’s top 10 destinations for domestic , it attracts a number of Australian holiday makers given its distance from major capitals.[11] The ’s proximity to the , the Wet Tropics of Queensland, and the Atherton Tablelands makes it a popular destination. The contains hundreds of hotels, resorts, motels and backpackers hostels. Activities in the include golf, white water rafting, cruises to and coach tours to the Daintree Rainforest, Atherton Tablelands and Paronella Park. There are also scenic flights, day trips to Kuranda, crocodile farms, and a food and wine tour visiting tropical fruit wineries.

[edit] Transport

is an important transport hub in the Far North Queensland . Located at the base of , it provides important transport links between the and Gulf of Carpentaria regions and the areas to the south of the state. International Airport is essential to the viability of the ’s industry.

[edit] Roads
The Bruce Highway in southern suburbs at morning peak hour.
The Bruce Highway in southern suburbs at morning peak hour.

The Bruce Highway runs for 1,700 km (1,056 mi) from and terminates in on the corner of Roads and Sheridan Streets in the . At this point, the Captain Cook Highway (also referred to as the Cook Highway), between and Port Douglas approximately 70 km (43 mi) to the northwest, commences.

A need for future upgrades to the Bruce Highway to motorway standards through the southern suburbs to has been identified in regional planning strategies to cope with increasing congestion from rapid . This will result with overpasses at all major intersections between Ray Jones Drive in Woree and Riverstone Road in . The motorway will not take the old route along the highway through Edmonton but will follow a bypass that will travel from the Roberts Road intersection at Bently Park to the intersection of Hill Road and the Bruce Highway north of to ease noise from cars in Edmonton. There will also be overpasses at these intersections.[12]

The Kennedy Highway commences at Smithfield on the flood plain north of and ascends the Kuranda Range to the township of Kuranda. The highway then extends to the town of Mareeba on the , and continues to communities of

The Gillies Highway commences at the township of and ascends the Gillies Range (part of the Great Dividing Range) to the town of Atherton on the , passing through the township of Yungaburra on the way.

The controversial private road, Quaid Road, was constructed in 1989 through what is now a Wet Tropics World Heritage and links Wangetti, on the coast just north of , to Southedge, just south of Mount Molloy. The road is not open to the public and is not used for general traffic.

A network of secondary and local roads of varying quality is maintained throughout the suburbs by the Queensland State Transport Department and .

[edit] Coaches

is also served by long distance coaches to , and regional cities to the south. Coaches also operate west to Mount Isa via Townsville and the . Desert Venturer Coaches operate twice weekly to Alice Springs and (weekly service in wet season).

[edit] Public transport

A public transport network is operated throughout the by Marlin Coast Sunbus. A transit mall is located in the through which all services operate. Services include most parts of the , from Palm Cove on the Northern Beaches to in the south, all travelling via the . Bus services operated by Whitecar Coaches run to Kuranda and to the . A smaller minibus service, Jon’s Kuranda Bus runs between and Kuranda. also has one major taxi company, Black and White Cabs, which services the .

[edit] Rail

is the terminus for Queensland’s North Coast railway line, which follows the eastern seaboard from . Services are operated by Queensland Rail (QR) and include the high speed tilt train. Freight trains operate along the route. There is a QR Freight handling facility located at Portsmith.

Pacific National Queensland (a division of Pacific National, owned by Toll Holdings) operates a rail siding at Woree. It runs private trains on the rail network owned by the Queensland State and managed by QR’s Network Division.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway operates from . The tourist railway snakes its way up the Kuranda Range and is not used for commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford, Freshwater (stopping at Freshwater Station) and Redlynch before reaching Kuranda.

Freight services to Forsayth were discontinued in the mid-1990s. These were mixed freight and passenger services which served the semi-remote towns west of the Great Dividing Range. There is now a weekly passenger-only service, “The Savannahlander” that leaves on Wednesday mornings. The Savannahlander is run by a private company, Kuranda Steam Trains.

is served by a narrow gauge cane railway (or cane train) network that hauls harvested sugar cane to the Mill located in . The pressure of urban sprawl on land previously cultivated by cane farmers has seen this network reduced over recent years. There has been discussion that these railway corridors may be used for a possible future light rail mass transit system, however no plans have been drawn up.[13]

The use of the existing heavy rail line for commuter services between Redlynch and is occasionally discussed; however this is not a favoured option under the FNQ 2010 Regional Plan, which recommends the use of buses.

[edit] Airport
International Airport
International Airport
Marina.
Marina.

International Airport is operated by the Port Authority and is located 7 km (4 mi) north of between the and the Northern Beaches. It is ’s sixth busiest domestic airport and fifth busiest international airport. In 2005/2006 there were 3.76 million international and domestic passenger movements.[14]

The Airport has a domestic terminal, a separate international terminal, and a general aviation . The airport handles international flights, and flights to major Australian cities, tourist destinations, and regional destinations throughout North Queensland. It is an important base for general aviation serving the and Gulf of Carpentaria Communities. The airport is also a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

[edit] Sea port

The Seaport, located on Trinity Inlet, is operated by the Port Authority.[15] Most major tour operators have their check-in desks located inside the Reef Fleet Terminal. It serves as an important port for tourist operators providing daily reef trips. These consist of large catamarans capable of carrying over 300 passengers as well as smaller operators who may take as few as 12 tourists. Port is also a port of call for cruise ships, such as Captain Cook Cruises, cruising the South Pacific Ocean, and it provides freight services to coastal townships on , the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Yearly cargo through the port totals 1.13 million tonnes. Almost 90% of the trade is bulk cargoes[14] - including petroleum, sugar, molasses, fertiliser and LP gas. A large number of fishing trawlers are also located at the port. There is also a marina that houses private yachts and boats used for tourist operations.

The Royal Australian Navy has a base in (HMAS ).[16] The base has a complement of 900 personnel, and supports fourteen warships, including the four Armidale class patrol boats of Ardent Division, four of the six Balikpapan class landing craft, and all six ships of the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Service.[16]

The Trinity Wharf has recently been subject of a major redevelopment to improve the for tourist and cruise ship operations. The freight wharves are located to the south of Trinity Wharf further up Trinity Inlet.

[edit] Sister cities

* Flag of Papua New Guinea Lae, Papua New Guinea (Morobe Province) since 1984
* Flag of Japan Minami, Japan (Tokushima Prefecture) since 1969
* Flag of Japan Oyama, Japan (Tochigi Prefecture) since June 15, 2006
* Flag of Latvia Riga, Latvia since 1990
* Flag of the United States Scottsdale, Arizona (USA) since 1987
* Flag of Canada Sidney, British Columbia (Canada) since 1984
* Flag of the People’s Republic of China Zhanjiang, People’s Republic of China (Guangdong province) since 2004

]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/cairns.html/feed Darwin http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/darwin.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/darwin.html#comments Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:22:56 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=235 world’s biggest cities

is the of the , . Situated on the , has a of 120,900, making it by far the largest and most populated in the sparsely peopled , but the least populous of all ’s cities. It is the smallest and most northerly of the Australian cities, and acts as the Top End’s regional .

Over time has grown from a pioneer outpost and small port into one of ’s most modern and multicultural cities. Its proximity to makes it an important to countries such as Indonesia and . The Stuart Highway begins in , ending at in South .

The itself is built on a low bluff overlooking the harbour. Its suburbs spread out over some , beginning at Lee Point in the north and stretching to Berrimah in the east – past Berrimah, the Stuart Highway goes on to ’s satellite , , and its suburbs.

The , like the rest of the Top End, has a , with a wet season and a dry season. It receives heavy during the Wet, and is well-known for its spectacular lightning.[3]

The original inhabitants of the greater are the Larrakia people. On 9 1839, the sailed into during its surveying of the . John Clements Wickham named the “Port ” in honour of a former , .

Having been almost entirely rebuilt twice, once due to during World War II and again after being devastated by Cyclone Tracy in 1974, the is one of ’s most modern capitals.

Main article: History of
See also: History of the

[edit] Pre-, first European contact

The Aboriginal people of the Larrakia language group are the first inhabitants of the greater .[4] They had trading routes with Southeast ( see Macassan contact with ), and imported goods from as far afield as South and Western . Established songlines penetrated throughout the country, allowing stories and histories to be told and retold along the routes.

The Dutch visited ’s northern coastline in the 1600s, and created the first European maps of the . This accounts for the Dutch names in the , such as Arnhem Land and Groote Eylandt.

The first British person to see appears to have been Lieutenant John Lort Stokes of on 9 1839. The ship’s captain, Commander John Clements Wickham, named the port after , the British naturalist who had sailed with them both on the earlier second expedition of the Beagle.

In the early 1870s, felt the effects of a gold rush at Pine Creek after employees of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line found gold while digging holes for telegraph poles.

In early 1875, ’s European had grown to approximately 300 because of the gold rush. On 17 February 1875, the SS Gothenburg left en route for Adelaide. Amongst the approximately 88 passengers and 34 crew (surviving records vary) were officials, circuit court judges, residents taking their first furlough and miners. While travelling south along the north Queensland coast, the Gothenburg encountered a cyclone-strength storm and was wrecked on a section of the . Only 22 men survived, while between 98 and 112 people perished. Many passengers who perished were residents and news of the tragedy severely affected the small community, reportedly taking several years to recover.[5]

[edit] 1900 to present

The was initially settled and administered by South , until its transfer to the Commonwealth in 1911. On 5 February 1869, George Goyder, the Surveyor-General of South , established a small settlement of 135 people at Port . Goyder named the settlement , after the British Prime Minister . In 1870, the first poles for the Overland Telegraph were erected in , connecting to the rest of the world. The discovery of gold at Pine Creek in the 1880s further boosted the young colony’s development. Upon Commonwealth administration in 1911, became the ’s official name.

The period between 1911 and 1919 was filled with political turmoil, particularly with trade union unrest, which culminated on 17 December 1918. Led by Harold Nelson, some 1000 demonstrators marched to House at Liberty Square in where they burnt an effigy of the Administrator of the John Gilruth and demanded his resignation. The incident became known as the ‘ Rebellion’. Their grievances were against the two main employers; Vestey’s Meatworks and the Commonwealth of . Both Gilruth and the Vestey company left soon afterwards.
Memorial to the 1942 air raids on the .
Memorial to the 1942 air raids on the .

Around 10,000 Allied troops arrived in in the early 1940s at the outset of World War II, in order to defend ’s northern coastline. On 19 February 1942 at 0957, 188 Japanese warplanes attacked in two waves. It was the same fleet that had bombed Pearl Harbor, though a considerably larger number of bombs were dropped on , than on Pearl Harbor. The attack killed at least 243 people and caused immense damage to the town. These were by far the most serious attacks on in time of war, in terms of fatalities and damage. They were the first of many raids on .

Despite this major attack, ’s development was furthered considerably during the war, with sealed roads constructed connecting the to Alice Springs in the south and Mount Isa in the south-east, and Manton Dam built in the south to provide the with water. On Day (26 January) 1959, was granted status.[6]
Remains of Town Hall, destroyed by Cyclone Tracy
Remains of Town Hall, destroyed by Cyclone Tracy

On 25 December 1974, was struck by Cyclone Tracy, which killed 71 people and destroyed over 70% of the town’s buildings, including many old stone buildings such as the Town Hall, which could not withstand the lateral forces generated by the strong winds. After the disaster, an airlift evacuated 30,000 people, over half the ’s at the time. The town was subsequently rebuilt with newer materials and techniques during the late 1970s by the Reconstruction Commission, led by former Mayor Clem Jones. A satellite of was built 20 km south of in the early 1980s.

On 17 2003, the Adelaide- railway was completed.

[edit] Geography
skyline
skyline

is situated in the , on the . The town proper is built on a low bluff overlooking , flanked by Frances Bay to the east and Cullen Bay to the west. The remainder of the is flat and low-lying, and coastal areas are home to recreational reserves, extensive beaches, and excellent fishing.

is closer to the capitals of five other countries than to the of : is 3,144 kilometres (1,954 mi) away from . Dili () is 656 kilometres (408 mi) from , Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) is 1,818 kilometres (1,130 mi), Jakarta (Indonesia) is 2,735 kilometres (1,699 mi) from , Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) is 2,607 kilometres (1,620 mi) from , and Melekeok (Palau) is 2,247 kilometres (1,396 mi) from . Even Singapore is only slightly farther away at 3,360 kilometres (2,088 mi), as is Manila (Philippines) at 3,206 kilometres (1,992 mi), and Honiara (Solomon Islands) at 3,198 kilometres (1,987 mi). Ambon, Indonesia is only 881 kilometres (547 mi) away from .

Along with its importance as a gateway to , also acts as an access point for the Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land, and northerly islands such as Groote Eylandt and the Tiwi Islands. The is the largest in the , and provides services for these remote settlements.

[edit] and suburbs
Outer
Outer

Main article: List of suburbs

and its suburbs spread in an approximately triangular shape, with the older southwestern suburbs - and the itself - forming one corner, the newer northern suburbs in another, and the eastern suburbs, progressing towards , forming the third.
Mitchell Street in
Mitchell Street in

The older part of is separated from the newer northern suburbs by International Airport and Royal Australian Air Base. is a satellite 20 kilometres south of that was established in the 1980s and is one of the fastest growing municipalities in .[7] The rural areas of including Howard Springs, Humpty Doo and Berry Springs are experiencing strong .[8]

’s central business district is bounded by Daly Street in the north-west, McMinn Street in the north-east, Mitchell Street on the south-west and Bennett Street on the south-east. The has been the focus of a number of major projects, including the billion dollar redevelopment of the Stokes Hill wharf waterfront including a convention with seating for 1500 people and approximately 4000m2 of exhibition space. The development will also include hotels, residential apartments and public space.[9] The ’s main industrial areas are along the Stuart Highway going towards . The largest precinct in the is Casuarina Square. The most expensive residential areas are located along the coast in suburbs such as Larrakeyah and Brinkin,[10] despite the slight risk these low-lying regions face during and higher tides.[11] Inner, eastern suburbs such as Malak and Karama are home to lower-income households.[12]

[edit] Climate
Wet Season storm at night
Wet Season storm at night

has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw)[13] with distinct wet and dry seasons and the average maximum temperature is similar all year round. The dry season runs from April/May to October (the southern hemisphere winter), during which nearly every day is warm and sunny, and afternoon humidity averages around 30%, but varies. There is very little between May and . In the coolest months of June and July, the daily minimum temperature may dip as low as 14 °C (57 °F), but very rarely lower, and frost has never been recorded.

The wet season is associated with tropical and monsoon rains.[14] The majority of occurs between December and March (the southern hemisphere summer), when thunderstorms are common and afternoon relative humidity averages over 70% during the wettest months. It does not rain every day during the wet season, but most days are warm to hot with plentiful cloud cover; January averages under 6 hours of bright sunshine daily. The hottest month is November, just before the onset of the main rainy season. Due to its long dry season, has the most daily average sunshine hours (8.4) of any Australian with the most sunshine from April to November. The sun passes directly overhead in mid October and mid February.[15] Climatically has more in common with Singapore than as it sits well inside the tropical zone.

is located in one of the most lightning prone areas in the world. In 2002 a single thunderstorm produced 1,634 lightning strikes in in just a few hours, which is the same amount that , Western experiences in an entire year.[3]

In 2006, the largest ancestry groups in the were, Australian (42,221 or 36.9 per cent), English (29,766 or 26 per cent), Irish (9,561 or 8.3 per cent), Scottish (7,815 or 6.8 per cent), Chinese (3,502 or 3 per cent), Greek (2,828 or 2.4 per cent) and Italian (2,367 or 2 per cent)[20]

’s is notable for the highest proportional of Aboriginals of any Australian [21]. in the 2006 census there were 10,259 (9.7 per cent) of Aboriginals living in .

’s changed after the Second World War, like many other Australian cities experienced influxes from Europe, with significant numbers of Italians and Greeks during the 1960s and 1970s, started to also experience an influx from other European countries, which included the Dutch, Germans, Serbs and many others[22]. A significant percentage of ’s residents are recent immigrants from South East (Asian Australians were 9.3% of the ’s in 2001).

’s comprises people from many different ethnic backgrounds. The 2006 Census revealed the following most places of birth for overseas migrants: United Kingdom (3.4 per cent), New Zealand (2.1 per cent), Philippines (1.4 per cent) and (0.9 per cent). 18.3 percent of the ’s was born overseas which is less than the Australian average of 22% [21]

has a youthful with an average age of 32 years (compared to national average of around 35 years) [21] assisted to a large extent by the military presence and the fact that many people opt to retire elsewhere.[23]

The most common non English languages spoken in are: Greek, Italian, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Cantonese.[21]

[edit] Religion

Christianity is the most professed faith in with 56,613 followers accounting for 49.5 percent of the of .[24] The largest denominations of Christianity are Catholicism (24,538 or 21.5 per cent), Anglicanism (14,028 or 12.3 per cent) and Greek Orthodox (2,964 or 2.6 per cent).[25] Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Jews account for 3.2 per cent of ’s . There were 26,695 or 23.3 per cent of people professing no religion.

[edit]

is one of the fastest growing cities in , with an annual of 2.6 per cent since the 2006 census. In recent years, the and parts of the statistical division have recorded the highest in of any Local and by 2016 the could overtake as the second largest municipality in metropolitan .[26] It is predicted by 2021 the combined of both the and the would be 101,546 people.[27] If the continues at its current , could overtake Hobart’s by 2048.[28]

[edit]
House,
House,

The ( under the Local Act 1993) governs the of which takes in the and the suburbs. The of has governed the of since 1957. The consists of 13 elected members, the Mayor and 12 aldermen. The of is organised into four electoral units or wards. The names of the wards are Chan, Lyons, Richardson, and Waters. The of each ward are directly responsible for electing three aldermen. of all wards are directly responsible for electing the Mayor of .[29] The current mayor is Graeme Sawyer after elections in March 2008[30] replacing Garry Lambert, who took over from previous mayor Peter Adamson.[31]
Legislative of the
Legislative of the

The rest of the is divided into 2 local areas. One of these is designated as a , and the second, which is on the ’s outer fringe, has the of . These areas have elected councils which are responsible for functions delegated to them by the , such as planning and collection.

The Legislative of the convenes in in the Parliament House. House, the official residence of the Administrator of the , is located on The Esplanade.

[edit] Economy
(Central Business District), circa 2005
(Central Business District), circa 2005

The two largest economic sectors are mining and . Mining and energy industry production exceeds $2.5 billion per annum.[32] The most important mineral resources are gold, zinc and bauxite, along with manganese and many others. The energy production is mostly off shore with oil and natural gas from the , although there are significant uranium deposits near . employs 8% of residents, and is expected to grow as domestic and international tourists are now spending time in during the Wet and Dry seasons. Federal spending is a major contributor to the local economy as well.

The military presence that is maintained both within , and the wider , is a substantial of employment. The continued involvement of the Australian Army in the stabilisation of has swelled the military of to over 11,000 individuals as of 2001. There is also a substantial United Nations presence in , since serves as the staging center for U.N. workers and contractors en route to nearby .

’s importance as a port is expected to grow, due to the increased exploitation of petroleum in the nearby , and to the completion of the railway link and continued expansion in trade with .

During 2005, a number of major construction projects started in . One is the redevelopment of the Wharf Precinct, which includes a large convention and exhibition , apartment housing including Outrigger Pandanas and Evolution on Gardiner, retail and entertainment outlets including a large wave pool and safe swimming lagoon. The Chinatown project has also started with plans to construct multi-level carparks, Chinese-themed retail and dining outlets.[33]

[edit]

Further information: List of schools in the

is overseen territory-wide by the Department of and Training (DET), whose role is to continually improve outcomes for all students, with a focus on Indigenous students.[34]

[edit] Preschool, primary and secondary

is served by a number of public and private schools that cater to local and overseas students. Over 16,500 primary and secondary students are enrolled in schools in , with 10,524 students attending primary , and 5,932 students attending secondary .[35] There are over 12,089 students enrolled in schools and 2,124 students enrolled in independent schools.[35]

There were 9,764 students attending schools in the of . 6,045 students attended primary schools and 3,719 students attended secondary schools. There are over 7,161 students enrolled in schools and 1,108 students enrolled in independent schools.[36] There are over 35 primary and pre - schools, and 12 secondary schools including both and non-. Most schools in the are secular, but there are a small number of Christian, Catholic and Lutheran institutions. Students intending to complete their secondary work towards the Certificate of , which is recognised in all states and territories. Many of the schools are undergoing renovations and reconstruction. Schools have been restructured into Primary, Middle and High schools since the beginning of 2007.

[edit] Tertiary and vocational

’s largest is the which is the central provider of tertiary in the , it covers both vocational and academic courses, acting as both a and an Institute of TAFE. There are over 5,500 students enrolled in tertiary and further courses.[36]

[edit] Recreation and culture

[edit] Events and festivals

On 1 July, Territorians celebrate Territory Day. This is the only day of the year, apart from the Chinese New Year, when fireworks are permitted. In , the main celebrations occur at , where a large firework display is commissioned by the .

Weekly include Sunset [37] (Thursdays and Sundays during the dry season), Parap Market, Nightcliff Market and Rapid Creek market.[38]

The Festival[39] held annually, includes comedy, dance, theatre, music, film and visual art and the NT Indigenous Music Awards. Other festivals include the Glenti, which showcases ’s large Greek community, and India@Mindil, a similar festival held by the smaller Indian community. The Chinese New Year is also celebrated with great festivity, highlighting the Asian influence in .
, Nightcliff
, Nightcliff

The Seabreeze festival, which first started in 2005, is held on the second week of May in the of Nightcliff[citation needed]. It offers the opportunity for local talent to be showcased and a popular event is Saturday family festivities along the Nightcliff foreshore which is one of ’s most popular fitness tracks[citation needed].

The Speargrass Festival is held annually the week prior to July’s first full moon and celebrates the alternative Top End lifestyle. The festival activities include music, screening of locally produced films, screen printing, basket weaving, sweat lodge, water slides, human pyramid, hot tub, frisbee golf, spear throwing, Kubb competition, bingo, communal organic cooking, morning yoga, meditation, greasy pig and healing circles. The festival occurs at the Speargrass , 50 km northeast of Pine Creek[citation needed].

The beer-can regatta, held in August, celebrates ’s love affair with beer and contestants’ race boats made exclusively of beer cans. Also in during the month of August, are the Cup horse race, and the Rodeo and Mud Crab Tying Competition.

The World Solar Challenge race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations although some are fielded by high schools. The race has a 20-year history spanning nine races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987.

[edit] Arts and entertainment
Festival
Festival

The Symphony Orchestra was first assembled in 1989,[40] and has performed throughout the Territory. The Theatre Company is a locally produced professional theatre production company, performing locally and nationally.[41]

The Entertainment is the ’s main concert venue and hosts theatre and orchestral performances.[42] Other theatres include the Convention , which is expected to be open in mid 2008. The Convention is part of the $1.1 billion Waterfront project.[43]

’s only opened in 1981 as MGM Grand , before it changed to SKYCITY after SKYCITY Entertainment Group purchased the hotel in 2004[44].

is home to the Indo-Pacific Marine & Australian Pearling Exhibition, which houses an aquarium complete with living coral, and its complementary sea life. The Museum and Art Gallery[45] in gives an overview of the history of the , including exhibits on Cyclone Tracy and the boats of the Pacific Islands. The East Point Military museum tells the story of the on during WWII.

has a vibrant arts scene given its size. The Festival and the Fringe festival are annual events. has a range of quality indoor and outdoor live music venues hosting local and visiting acts. A range of art galleries including specialised Aboriginal art galleries are a feature of .

Local and visiting bands can be heard at venues including the Entertainment , The Vic Hotel, Happy Yess, and Brown’s Mart. An yearly music festival, Bass in the Grass, is very popular with youth from the surrounding . Artists such as Jessica Mauboy and The Groovesmiths call home.

There have been no major films set in ; however, some scenes for by Baz Luhrmann[46][47] and Black Water[48] were both shot in in 2007

Considering its moderate size, has a lively night scene. Mitchell Street in the central business district is lined with nightclubs, takeaways, and restaurants, many with al fresco dining. This is the ’s entertainment hub. There are several smaller theatres, three cinema complexes (, Casuarina, and ), and the Deckchair Cinema.[49] This is an open-air cinema which operates through the dry season, from April to October, and screens independent and arthouse films.

[edit] Recreation
A walk at Casuarina Beach
A walk at Casuarina Beach

The has many kilometres of wide, unpolluted beaches, including the Casuarina Beach and well renowned , home of the . has designated an of Casuarina Beach as a free beach which offers a designated nudist beach since 1976.[50] Swimming in the sea during the months of October–May should be avoided due to the presence of deadly box jellyfish.

Saltwater crocodiles are very common in all waterways surrounding and are even occasionally found swimming in and on local beaches.
Saltwater Crocodile near
Saltwater Crocodile near

Fishing is one of the recreations of locals. Visitors from around the world flock to aiming to catch the prized barramundi, an iconic fish for the . The Mary River, Daly River, South and East Alligator River are just a few of the water bodies where the barramundi thrive. Outstanding blue water fishing is also available off the coast of ; Spanish mackerel, dhufish, queenfish, snapper and other varieties are all found in the and accessible in a day trip from . Lake Alexander is a man-made lake which is generally considered safe, bar a freak jellyfish outbreak in 2003,[51] and is located at East Point Reserve.

The Surf Lifesaving Club[52] operates long boats and surf skis and provides events and lifesaving accreditations.

[edit] Parks and gardens

has extensive parks and gardens. These include the George Brown Botanic Gardens, East Point Reserve, Casuarina Coastal Reserve, National Park, Knuckey Lagoons Conservation Reserve, Leanyer Recreation Park, the Nightcliff Foreshore, Bicentennial Park and the Jingili Water Gardens.

[edit] Sports
Cup
Cup
TIO Stadium
TIO Stadium

Main article: Sport in the

The Marrara Sports Complex near the airport has stadiums for Aussie Rules (TIO Stadium), cricket, rugby union, basketball (and indoor court sports), football(soccer), athletics and field hockey. Every two years since 1991 (excluding 2003 due to the SARS outbreak), has played host to the Arafura Games,[53] a major regional sporting event. In July 2003, the hosted its first international test cricket match between and Bangladesh, followed by and Sri Lanka in 2004. Australian-rules football and rugby league are played all year round. ’s Western Bulldogs Australian Football League side plays one home game at Marrara Oval each year. The Aboriginal All-Stars also participate in the AFL pre-season competition. In 2003, a record crowd of 17,500[54] attended a pre-season game between the All-Stars and Carlton Football Club at Marrara.

hosts a round of the V8 Supercars every year bringing thousands of motorsports fans to the Hidden Valley Raceway.

The Cup culminating on the first Monday of August is a very popular horse race event for and draws large crowds every year to Fannie Bay Racecourse. While it is not as popular as the Cup, it does draw a crowd and, in 2003, Sky Racing began televising most of the races. The Cup day is a public holiday for the (Picnic Day public holiday).

[edit] Media

’s major newspapers are the News, and one Sunday paper, The Sunday Territorian, both owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. also receives the national daily, The Australian, and the Sun, also produced by News Corporation.
Channel Nine headquarters which is located in the inner of The Gardens
Channel Nine headquarters which is located in the inner of The Gardens

Five free-to-air channels service . television channels are provided by Southern Cross (Seven Network affiliate), Channel Nine (formerly branded as Channel 8) and Digital Television (Network Ten relay), which launched on 28 April 2008. The two owned national broadcast services in are the ABC and SBS Television.

has stations on both AM and FM frequencies. ABC stations include ABC News (102.5FM), ABC Local (105.7FM), National (657AM), ABC Classic FM (107.3FM) and Triple J (103.3FM). SBS (102.5FM) also broadcasts its national network to .

has two stations Hot 100 100.1 and Mix 104.9. Other stations in include -based station 104.1 Territory FM, dance music station KIK FM 91.5, Italian language channel Rete Italia 1611AM, community based stations includes Larrakia 94.5 and Yolngu 1530AM and Rhema FM 97.7.

[edit] Infrastructure
Royal Hospital
Royal Hospital
The Ghan arriving at Rail Station led by an NR Class Diesel Electric Locomotive.
The Ghan arriving at Rail Station led by an NR Class Diesel Electric Locomotive.

[edit] Health

The of the Department of Health and Families oversees one public hospital in the metropolitan . The Royal Hospital, located in Tiwi, is the ’s major teaching and referral hospital, and the largest in the . [55]

There is one major private hospital Private Hospital located at Tiwi, opposite the Royal Hospital.

[edit] Transport

has no intracity rail. The Alice Springs to rail line was completed in 2003 linking to Adelaide. The first service ran in 2004. The Ghan passenger train service from Adelaide via Alice Springs and Katherine runs two to three times per week depending on the season.

International Airport, located in the of Marrara, is ’s main and only International and Domestic airport, which shares it’s runway with the Royal Australian Air ’s RAAF Base .
Airport at night
Airport at night

can be reached via the Stuart Highway which runs the length of the from through Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and on to Adelaide. Other major roads in include, Tiger Brennan Drive, Amy Johnson Avenue, Dick Ward Drive, Bagot Road, Trower Road and McMillans Road. The greater is served by Darwinbus.

Ferries leave from Port to island locations, mainly for tourists. A ferry service to the Tiwi Islands, the Arafura Pearl operates from Cullen Bay.

has a new deepwater port at East Arm, which is capable of handling Panamax sized ships.

[edit] Utilities

Water storage, supply and Power for is managed by Power and Water Corporation, which is owned by the of the . The corporation is also responsible for management of sewerage and the major water catchments in the . Water is mainly stored in the largest dam, The River Dam which holds up to 90% of ’s water supply.For many years, ’s principal water supply came from Manton Dam.

, suburbs, and Katherine is powered by the Channel Island Power Station. The largest power plant in the A new power plant is currently near to completion, the Weddell Power Station. The first generator is due to come on line in late January 2008. The new power station will add 30% capacity to power supply. A second generator is due for completion in 2008.

[edit]
skyline from National Park
skyline from National Park

is one of ’s largest industries. is a major industry and employment sector for the . In 2005/06, 1.38 million people visited the . They stayed for 9.2 million nights and spent over $1.5 billion.[56] The industry directly employed 8,391 Territorians in June 2006 and when indirect employment is included, typically accounts for more than 14,000 jobs across the Territory.

is a hub for tours to Kakadu National Park,[57] National Park[58] and Katherine Gorge. The Territory is traditionally divided into the wet and dry, but there are up to six traditional seasons in . It is warm and sunny from May to . Humidity rises during the green season, from October to April bringing thunderstorms and monsoonal rains which rejuvenates the landscape. is largely seasonal with most tourists visiting during the cooler dry season which runs from April to .

[edit] Aviation history
Aviation Heritage - 1st Ultralight - Hover Bird
Aviation Heritage - 1st Ultralight - Hover Bird

has played host to many of aviation’s early pioneers. On 10 December 1919 Captain Ross Smith and his crew landed in and won a £10,000 Prize from the Australian for completing the first flight from London to in under thirty days. Smith and his Crew flew a Vickers Vimy, G-EAOU and landed on an airstrip that has now become Ross Smith Avenue. Other aviation pioneers include Amy Johnson, Amelia Earhart, Sir Kingsford Smith and Bert Hinkler. was home to Australian and U.S. pilots in World War II with air strips being built in and around . Today provides a staging ground for military exercises.

was a compulsory stop over/check point in the London to Centenary Air Race

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]]> http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/darwin.html/feed Canberra http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/canberra.html http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/australia/canberra.html#comments Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:18:10 +0000 Viney http://www.worldsbiggestcities.co.uk/?p=232

is the of . With a of over 340,000, it is ’s largest inland . The is located at the northern end of the Australian Territory, 280 km (170 mi) south-west of , and 650 km (400 mi) north-east of . The site of was selected for the location of the nation’s in 1908 as a compromise between rivals and , ’s two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely purpose-built, planned . Following an international contest for the ’s design, a design by the Chicago architects and was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The ’s design was heavily influenced by the garden movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned the “bush ”. The plans included proposals for railed transport within the [4], however none were to eventuate with ’s single interstate passenger station and goods yard remaining to the south at Kingston. During the construction of the , there were a number of temporary construction laid to Civic in central [4]. Although the and development of were hindered by the World Wars and the Great Depression, it emerged as a thriving after World War II.

As the seat of the of , is the site of Parliament House, the High Court of and numerous departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of and the National Museum of . The federal contributes the largest percentage of and is the largest single employer in .

Main article: History of

Before , the in which would eventually be constructed was seasonally inhabited by the Ngunnawal and Walgalu tribes. The Ngarigo lived south-east of the , the Gundungurra to the north, the Yuin on the coast and the Wiradjuri to the west.[citation needed] from the suggests human habitation in the for at least 21,000 years.[5] The word “” is derived from the name of the local Ngabri people dialect, one of the Ngunnawal family groups, from the word Kanbarra meaning “meeting place” in the old Ngunnawal language. The Ngunnawal name was apparently used as a reference to corroborees held during the seasonal migration of the Ngunawal people to feast on the Bogong moths that pass through the each spring.
Blundells’ Cottage, built around 1860, is one of the few remaining buildings built by the first European settlers of
Blundells’ Cottage, built around 1860,[6] is one of the few remaining buildings built by the first European settlers of

European exploration and settlement started in the as early as the 1820s.[7][8] There were four expeditions between 1820 and 1824.[7][8] White settlement of the probably dates from 1824, when a homestead or station was built on what is now the Acton by stockmen employed by Joshua John Moore.[9] He formally purchased the site in 1826, and named the Canberry.[10] The European in the continued to grow slowly throughout the 19th century.[11] Among them was the Campbell family of “Duntroon”;[12] their imposing stone house is now the officers’ mess of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.[citation needed] The Campbells sponsored settlement by other farmer families to work their land, such as the Southwells of “Weetangera”.[13] Other notable early settlers included the inter-related Murray and Gibbes families, who owned the Yarralumla estate - now the site of the official residence of the Governor-General of - from the 1830s through to 1881.[citation needed] The oldest surviving public building in the inner- is the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist, in the of Reid,[14] which was consecrated in 1845.[15][16] St John’s churchyard contains the graves of many of the district’s pioneers. As the European presence increased, the indigenous dwindled, mainly from disease such as smallpox and measles.
Opening of Parliament House in May 1927
Opening of Parliament House in May 1927

The district’s change from a New South Wales (NSW) rural to the national started during debates over Federation in the late 19th century.[17][18] Following a long dispute over whether or should be the national ,[citation needed] a compromise was reached: the new would be built in New South Wales, so long as it was no closer than 100 miles (160 km) to ,[17] with to be the temporary while the new was built.[19] was chosen as the site in 1908, as a result of survey work done by the surveyor Scrivener.[20] The NSW ceded the Federal Territory (as it was then known) to the federal .[17] In an international design competition conducted by the Department of Home Affairs, on 24 May 1911,[21] the design by and was chosen for the ,[22][23] and in 1913 Griffin was appointed Federal Director of Design and Construction and construction began.[24] The plans included proposals for railed transport within the [4], however none were to eventuate with ’s single interstate passenger station and goods yard remaining to the south at Kingston. During the construction of the , there were a number of temporary construction laid to Civic in central [4].

On 12 March 1913,[25] the was officially given its name by Lady Denman, the wife of the then Governor-General Denman at a ceremony at Kurrajong Hill,[26] which has since become Hill and the site of the present Parliament House.[27] Day is a public holiday observed in the and the surrounding Australian Territory (ACT) on the second Monday in March to celebrate the founding of .
Two of ’s best-known landmarks, Parliament House and Old Parliament House (foreground). Commonwealth Place runs alongside the lake and includes the International Flag Display. Questacon is on the right
Two of ’s best-known landmarks, Parliament House and Old Parliament House (foreground). Commonwealth Place runs alongside the lake and includes the International Flag Display. Questacon is on the right

The federal moved to on 9 May 1927, with the opening of the Provisional Parliament House.[28] The Prime Minister, Stanley Bruce,[29] had officially taken up residence in The Lodge a few days earlier.[citation needed] Planned development of the slowed significantly during the depression of the 1930s and during World War II.[30] Some projects planned for that time, for example, Roman Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, were never completed.[31] The development of gained pace after the Second World War, and it has grown beyond the original planners’ expectations since then.[citation needed] Several departments, together with public servants, were moved to from following the war.[32] housing projects were undertaken to accommodate the ’s growing .[33] Parts of ’s north and south were further developed in the 1950s,[34] and urban development in the districts of Woden Valley and Belconnen commenced in the mid and late 1960s,[35] respectively. Many of the new suburbs were named after Australian politicians, such as Barton, Deakin, Reid, Braddon and Parkes. Lake Burley Griffin was completed in 1964.[36]

On 27 January 1972 the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was first established on the grounds of Parliament House; it was created to draw attention to indigenous rights and land issues and has been continuously occupied since 1992. On 9 May 1988,[citation needed] a larger and permanent Parliament House was opened on Hill as part of ’s bicentenary celebrations,[14][37] and the Federal Parliament moved there from the Provisional Parliament House, now known as Old Parliament House. In December 1988, the ACT was granted full self- through an Act of the Commonwealth Parliament. Following the first elections in February 1989, a 17-member Legislative sat at its offices in London Circuit, Civic, on 11 May 1989. The Australian Labor Party formed the ACT’s first , led by the Chief Minister Rosemary Follett, who made history as ’s first female head of .

On 18 January 2003, parts of were engulfed by a bushfire that killed four people and destroyed 491 homes and the major research telescopes and workshop at the Australian National ’s Mount Stromlo Observatory.

[edit] Geography
The location of within the ACT, ’s seven districts are shown in yellow, they are North , South , Woden Valley, Belconnen, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong, and Gungahlin
The location of within the ACT, ’s seven districts are shown in yellow, they are North , South , Woden Valley, Belconnen, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong, and Gungahlin

covers an of 805.6 square kilometres (311.0 sq. mi) and is located near the Brindabella Ranges (Brendy Bear Ranges), approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) inland from ’s east coast. It is located at altitudes that range from 550 metres to 700 metres (1,800 to 2,300 ft) AHD. The highest point is Mount Majura at 888 metres (2,913 ft). Other large hills include Mt Taylor, Mt Ainslie, Mt Mugga Mugga and Black Mountain. The surrounding bushland and the original bushland that was built in is a mixture of eucalyptus savanna, open grassland, scrubland, swamp and dry eucalyptus forests.

The Molonglo River flows through and has been dammed to form the body of water in the of the called Lake Burley Griffin.[38] The Molonglo then flows into the Murrumbidgee north-west of , which in turn flows north-west toward the New South Wales town of Yass. The Queanbeyan River joins the Molonglo River at Oaks Estate just within the ACT.[39] A number of creeks, including Jerrabomberra and Yarralumla Creeks, flow into the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee.[39] Two of these creeks, the Ginninderra and Tuggeranong, have similarly been dammed to form Lakes Ginninderra and Tuggeranong.[40][citation needed] Until recently the Molonglo had a history of sometimes lethal floods; the was a flood plain prior to the filling of Lake Burley Griffin.

has four distinct seasons, because of its latitude, elevation and distance from the coast. The climates of most Australian coastal areas, which include all the state cities, are moderated by the sea. experiences hot, quite dry summers, and cold winters with heavy fog and frequent frosts, with a rare spot of snow in the but the surrounding areas get annual snowfall through winter and often the snow capped mountains can be seen from the . The highest recorded maximum temperature was 42.2 °C (108 °F) on 1 February 1968.[42] The lowest recorded minimum temperature was −10.0 °C (14 °F) on 11 July 1971. Light snow falls in the in one out of approximately three winters but is usually not widespread and quickly dissipates. Thunderstorms can occur between and March, with maximums in spring and summer.
Urban structure

Main article: Suburbs of

bikepath to Weston Creek
bikepath to Weston Creek
Inner demonstrates some aspects of the Griffin plan, in particular the Parliamentary
Inner demonstrates some aspects of the Griffin plan, in particular the Parliamentary
View from Tuggeranong Hill, looking down into Tuggeranong Valley
View from Tuggeranong Hill, looking down into Tuggeranong Valley
seen from Spot Satellite
seen from Spot Satellite

is a planned that was originally designed by , a major 20th century American architect.[43] Major roads follow a wheel-and-spoke pattern rather than a grid.[44] The is laid out on two perpendicular axes: a water axis stretching along Lake Burley Griffin, and a ceremonial land axis stretching from Parliament House on Hill north-eastward along ANZAC Parade to the Australian War Memorial at the foot of Mt Ainslie.[45] The known as the Parliamentary is formed by three of Burley Griffin’s axes, stretching from Hill along Commonwealth Avenue to the Civic around Hill, along Constitution Avenue to the Defence precinct on Russell Hill, and along Kings Avenue back to Hill.[45]

The larger scheme of ’s layout is based on the three peaks surrounding the , Mt. Ainslie, Black Mountain, and Bimberi Peak. ANZAC Parade, for instance is on the line between Ainslie and Bimberi.[46] The Griffins assigned spiritual values to Ainslie, Black Mountain, and Red Hill and originally planned to cover each of these in flowers. That way each hill would be covered with a single, primary color which represented its spriritual value. This part of their plan never came to fruition. In fact, WWI interrupted the construction and some conflicts after the war made it a difficult process for the Griffins. Nevertheless, stands as an exemplary design and is located halfway between the ski slopes and the beach. It enjoys a natural cooling from geophysical factors.

The urban areas of are organised into a hierarchy of districts, town centres, group centres, local suburbs as well as other industrial areas and villages. There are seven districts, each of which is divided into smaller suburbs, and most of which have a town which is the focus of and social activities. The districts were settled in the following chronological order:

* North , mostly settled in the 1920s and ’30s, with expansion up to the 1960s, now 15 suburbs
* South , settled from the 1920s to ’60s, 12 suburbs
* Woden Valley, first settled in 1963, 13 suburbs
* Belconnen, first settled in 1967, 25 suburbs
* Weston Creek, settled in 1969, 8 suburbs
* Tuggeranong, settled in 1974, 19 suburbs
* Gungahlin, settled in the early 1990s, 7 suburbs to date

The North and South districts are substantially based on ’s designs.[citation needed] In 1967 the then National Development Commission adopted the “Y Plan” which laid out future urban development in around a series of central and known as the ‘town centres’ linked by freeways, the layout of which roughly resembled the shape of the letter Y,[47] with Tuggeranong at the base of the Y and Belconnen and Gungahlin located at the ends of the arms of the Y.[47] Development in has been closely regulated by , both through the town planning process, but also through the use of crown lease terms that have tightly limited the use of parcels of land. All land in the ACT is held on 99 year leases from the national , although most leases are now administered by the Territory .

Most suburbs have their own local shops, and are located close to a larger serving a group of suburbs. Community facilities and schools are often also located near local shops or group centres. Many of ’s suburbs are named after former Prime Ministers, famous Australians, early settlers, or use Aboriginal words for their . Street names typically follow a particular theme; for example, the streets of Duffy are named after Australian dams and weirs, and the streets of Page are named after biologists and naturalists. Most diplomatic missions are located in the suburbs of Yarralumla, Deakin and O’Malley. There are three light industrial areas: the suburbs of Fyshwick, Mitchell and Hume.

[edit] Governance
ACT Legislative & the statue Ethos (Tom Bass, 1961)
ACT Legislative
& the statue Ethos (Tom Bass, 1961)

Outside , the Australian Territory has no settlements larger than a village. The Australian Territory Legislative performs the roles of both a and territory . The consists of 17 members, elected from three districts using proportional representation. The three districts are Molonglo, Ginninderra and Brindabella, which elect seven, five and five members, respectively. The Chief Minister is elected by the Members of the Legislative (MLA) and selects another four MLAs to serve as Ministers to form, with the Chief Minister, an Executive (known informally as the cabinet.) At the 2004 election the Australian Labor Party, headed by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, won nine of the 17 seats and formed the ACT’s first majority .

The Australian national retains some influence over the ACT . In the administrative sphere, most frequently this is through the actions of the National Authority which is responsible for planning and development in areas of which are considered to be of national importance or which are central to Griffin’s plan for the , such as the Parliamentary , major and processional roads, areas where the Commonwealth retains ownership of the land or undeveloped hills and ridge-lines (which form part of the ). The national also retains a level of control over the Territory through the provisions of the Australian Territory (Self-) Act 1988. This Act of the national Parliament is the constitution for the ACT and limits the range of matters upon which the can legislate.

The Australian Federal Police provides all of the police services of a state police under a contractual agreement with the Australian Territory . People who have been charged with offences are tried either in the ACT Magistrate’s Court or, for more severe offences, the ACT Supreme Court. Prisoners can be held in at the Belconnen in the ACT. As at 2008 there is no in the ACT, so people who have been sentenced to imprisonment serve their sentence in NSW; a new , the Alexander Maconochie , is currently under construction. Courts such as a Small Claims Tribunal and a Family Court exist for civil law actions and other non-criminal legal matters.

[edit] Economy
Many Canberrans are employed by departments such as the Australian Treasury
Many Canberrans are employed by departments such as the Australian Treasury

As of July 2006, the unemployment in is 2.8%, well below the national unemployment of 4.8%,[48] with labour shortages reported in some sectors. As a result of low unemployment and substantial levels of public sector and employment, has the highest average disposable income of any Australian .[49] The gross average weekly wage of a resident is $1,208.50, compared with the wide average of $1,043.10.[50] The median house price in as of June 2005 was $352,500, lower than , and but higher than all other cities.[51] The median house price in 2006 was $375,000[52] The average price in November 2006 was $411,305.[53] The median weekly paid by residents is higher than rents in all other states and territories.[54] As at the quarter of 2006 the median for a 3 bedroom house was $320 per week. This is the highest of all cities in . The median for ‘other’ dwellings is $300 per week.[52]

The ’s main industry is administration and defence, which accounted for 26.1% of Gross Territory Product in 2003–04 and employed over 40% of ’s workforce.[50][55] The major public-sector employers in include the parliament and departments such as Department of Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Treasury. A number of Australian Defence establishments are located in or near , most notably the Australian Defence headquarters and HMAS Harman, which is a naval communications that is being converted into a tri-service, multi-user depot. The former RAAF Fairbairn, adjacent to the International Airport was sold to the operators of the Airport, but the base continues to be used for RAAF VIP flights.

A growing number of independent software vendors have based themselves in , to capitalise on the concentration of customers. Notable among these are QSP, Tower Software, RuleBurst and The Distillery. and business services, construction, health and community services, and are other significant contributors to the economy of .

[edit] Demographics
at the weekly Old Bus Depot , Kingston
at the weekly Old Bus Depot , Kingston

As of 2006, the of was 325,800 people,[56] and the has a density of 401.0 persons per square kilometre (1,038.6/sq mi), which is dense with respect to other Australian cities. The 2001 census showed that 1.2% of ’s were of indigenous origin and 21.6% were born overseas.[57] The largest group of people born overseas came from English-speaking countries, led by the United Kingdom and then New Zealand. Significant numbers of immigrants have also come from , and . Recent immigrants have arrived from countries in east and south .[58] Most Canberrans are native speakers of English; many have a second language, the most common being Chinese, Italian, Croatian and Greek.

Canberrans are relatively young, highly mobile, and well educated. The average age is 32 years, and only 8.3% of the is aged over 65 years.[57] Between 1996 and 2001, 61.9% of the either moved to or from , which is the second highest mobility of any Australian .[59] As of May 2004, 30% of people in the ACT aged 15–64 had a level of educational attainment equal to at least a bachelor’s degree, significantly higher that the national average of 19%.[60] Approximately 50% of residents describe themselves as Christian, the most common denominations being Catholic and Anglican; less than 3% of the practice a non-Christian religion and 23% are not religious.[57]

As of 2002 the most common crimes in are related crimes, unlawful entry with intent and motor vehicle theft. They affect 1,961 and 630 of every 100,000 persons respectively. Homicide and related offences (including , Attempted , Manslaughter and Driving Causing Death) affect 1.5/100,000 persons which is below the national average of 4.9/100,000. Rates of assault and sexual assault are also below the national average.[61]

[edit]

Main article: in the Australian Territory

ANU School of Art (formerly the High School)
ANU School of Art (formerly the High School)

The two main tertiary institutions are the Australian National (ANU) in Acton and the of (UC) in Bruce.[citation needed] The ANU was established as a research in 1946;[62] it continues to have a strong research focus and is ranked among the best universities in the world in The Times Higher Supplement and the Shanghai Jiao Tong World Rankings.[63] Both ANU and UC also have campuses interstate and overseas. There are also two religious campuses in : Signadou in the North of Watson is a campus of the Australian Catholic ; St Mark’s Theological College adjacent to the Parliament House is a campus of the secular Sturt .

The Australian Defence Academy (ADFA) and the Royal Military College, Duntroon are near the of Campbell in ’s inner north-east. ADFA teaches military undergraduates and postgraduates and is officially a campus of the of New South Wales; Duntroon provides Australian Army Officer training. Tertiary level vocational is also available through the multi-campus Institute of Technology.

In February 2004 there were 140 public and non-governmental schools in ; 96 were operated by the and 44 are non-. During 2006 the ACT announced closures of up to 39 schools, to take effect from the end of the school year and after a series of consultations the announced its “Towards 2020: Renewing Our Schools”[64] plan that closed some schools at the end of 2006 with more in 2007 and 2008, while consolidating school campuses and opening ’super-schools’ (large public schools for kindergarten through to year 12) through to 2020. Most suburbs are planned to include a primary school and a nearby preschool, and schools are usually located near open areas for play and sports.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Arts and entertainment
The Shine Dome
The Shine Dome
The National Museum of established in 2001 records ’s social history and is one of ’s more architecturally daring buildings
The National Museum of established in 2001 records ’s social history and is one of ’s more architecturally daring buildings
Multicultural Festival, Ainslie Ave near the Building and CMAG, crowded, noon 9 February 2008
Multicultural Festival, Ainslie Ave near the Building and CMAG, crowded, noon 9 February 2008

is home to many national monuments and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of , the National Portrait Gallery currently housed at Old Parliament House, the National Library of , the National Archives of , and the National Museum of . Many Commonwealth buildings in are open to the public, including Parliament House, the High Court and the Royal Australian Mint. Lake Burley Griffin is the site of the Captain Cook Memorial and the National Carillon. Other sites of interest include the Telstra Tower and the Australian National Botanic Gardens on Black Mountain, the National Zoo and Aquarium on Scrivener Dam, the National Dinosaur Museum and Questacon – the National Science and Technology .
A copy of every book published in is required by law to be held by the National Library of .
A copy of every book published in is required by law to be held by the National Library of .[65]

The Museum and Gallery in Civic is a repository of local history and art. Several historic homes are open to the public: Lanyon and Tuggeranong Homesteads in the Tuggeranong Valley, Mugga-Mugga in Symonston, and Blundells’ Cottage in Parkes all display the lifestyle of the early European settlers. Calthorpes’ House in Red Hill is a well preserved example of a 1920s house from ’s very early days. Duntroon House, in the of Campbell, was one of the district’s earliest homesteads and is now the officers’ mess at Royal Military College; it is occasionally open to the public.

has many venues for live music and theatre: the Theatre and Playhouse which hosts many major concerts and productions; and Llewellyn Hall (within the ANU School of Music), a world-class concert hall are two of the largest. The Street Theatre, also located on Childers Street, operates as a venue for local professional and amateur production companies, as well as producing a season of professional shows each year. The Albert Hall was the ’s first performing arts venue, opened in 1928. It was the original performance venue for theatre groups such as the Repertory Society and the Philharmonic Society. The boasts a very large number of amateur theatre groups for its base,[citation needed] including many that focus primarily on musicals.

Stonefest at the of is ’s largest music festival. is also the home turf of an Australian hip-hop duo, Koolism. There are numerous bars and nightclubs which also offer live entertainment, particularly concentrated in the areas of Dickson, Kingston and the . Most town centres have facilities for a community theatre and a cinema, and they all have a library. Popular cultural events include the National Folk Festival, the Royal Show, the Summernats car festival, the Multicultural Festival in February and the Celebrate festival which is held over 10 days in March in conjunction with Day.
-Nara park with Kasuga stone lantern framed by the gate
-Nara park with Kasuga stone lantern framed by the gate

has a number of sister cities, including Atlanta in the United States, Beijing in China, Dili in , Nara in Japan, and Versailles in France. Cultural exchange happens to some extent with each . The largest community event associated with a sister is the Nara Candle Festival which is held in October.

[edit] Media

As ’s political , is the most important for much of ’s political reportage and thus all the major media organisations, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the television networks, and the metropolitan newspapers maintain local bureaus. Many news organisations are represented in the “press gallery”, a group of journalists who report on the national parliament. The National Press Club of in Barton has regular television broadcasts of its weekly lunches at which a prominent guest, typically a politician, delivers a half-hour speech followed by a question-and-answer session.

has a daily , the Times, which was established in 1926,[66] and some free weekly suburban and special interest publications, one of these being CityNews. has free-to-air analogue television stations including two funded (ABC and SBS) and three stations (Prime, WIN and Southern Cross Ten) as well as four free-to-air digital services Prime HD, WIN HD, ABC2 and SBS News. Prior to 1989, was serviced by just the ABC, SBS and Television, which later became Southern Cross Ten, with Prime and WIN arriving as part of the ’s regional aggregation programme in that year.[67] Subscription (pay) television services are available from Foxtel via satellite service, and cable by local telecommunications company TransACT who also offer telephone and broadband internet services on their optical fibre cable network covering many suburbs.

A number of community stations broadcast in , including 2XXfm, ArtSound FM, CMS , Valley FM based in Tuggeranong, and 1RPH which offers broadcasts for the print handicapped. There are a number of AM and FM stations including those belonging to the Network (2CA and 2CC), the Austereo/ARN owned 2ROC and Mix 106.3, both of which were introduced in 1988 and Raw FM 87.6 MHz a dance music station. Public broadcasters ABC and SBS operate a number of stations.

[edit] Sport

Main article: Sport in the Australian Territory

A rugby league match at Stadium
A rugby league match at Stadium

In addition to local sporting leagues, has a number of sporting teams that compete in national and international leagues. The best known teams are the Raiders and the Brumbies who play rugby league and rugby union respectively, and who have both been champions of their leagues.[68][69] Both teams play their home games at Stadium,[70] which is ’s largest stadium and was used to hold preliminary soccer matches for the 2000 Summer Olympics and matches for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.[71][72] also has a successful basketball team, the Capitals. The Capitals won the 2006 and 2007 women’s basketball Grand Final.[73]

There are also teams that participate in national competitions in netball, field hockey, ice hockey and cricket. Manuka Oval is another large outdoor sporting facility where cricket and Australian Rules football are played. The based AFL team the Kangaroos played some home games at Manuka Oval until July 2006.[74] Following the move of the Kangaroos’ alternative home ground to Carrara in Queensland, and the Western Bulldogs will play home games at Manuka Oval from 2007 against the Swans.[75] is also home to the Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament.[76] The historic Prime Minister’s XI cricket match is played at Manuka Oval annually.[77] Other significant annual sporting events include the Marathon[78] and the of Half Ironman Triathlon. The Women’s Tennis Classic was held in the lead up to the Australian Open until 2006.[79]

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is located in the of Bruce.[80] The AIS is a specialised educational and training institution providing coaching for elite junior and senior athletes in a number of sports. The AIS has been operating since 1981 and has achieved significant success in producing elite athletes, both local and international.[80] The majority of ’s team members and medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in were won by AIS graduates.[81] It is also a popular tourist destination.

has numerous sporting ovals, golf courses, skate parks, tennis courts and swimming pools that are open to the public. A -wide series of bicycle paths are available to cyclists for recreational and sporting purposes. Nature Parks have a large range of walking paths, horse and mountain bike trails. Water sports like sailing, rowing and water skiing are popular activities on ’s lakes.[82] The Rally of is an annual motor sport event and a facility for drag racing is currently being planned for construction.[83][84]

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Health
The Hospital
The Hospital
Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial

has two large public hospitals, the 500-bed Hospital - formerly the Woden Valley Hospital - located in Garran and the smaller 174 bed Calvary Public Hospital located in Bruce. Both public hospitals are also teaching hospitals. The largest private hospital in is the John James Memorial Hospital in Deakin. Calvary Private Hospital in Bruce and Healthscope’s National Private in Garran are also major healthcare providers. The Royal Hospital was located on Acton on Lake Burley Griffin; it was closed on 27 November 1991 and was demolished in 1997 in a controversial implosion. This was to facilitate construction of the National Museum of . The has 10 aged care facilities. ’s hospitals receive emergency cases from throughout southern New South Wales. The ACT Ambulance Service is one of four operational agencies of the ACT Emergency Services Authority.

[edit] Transport
The John Curtin School of Medical Research
The John Curtin School of Medical Research

The car is by far the dominant form of transport in . Past planning policies have resulted in well developed good quality roads and a low density spread over a relatively large of the . ’s districts are generally connected by ‘parkways’ - limited access dual carriageway roads with speed limits generally set at 80 to 100 km/h. An example is the Tuggeranong Parkway which links ’s and Tuggeranong, and bypasses Weston Creek. In most districts, discrete residential suburbs are bounded by access roads.

A publicly run bus service, the Australian Territory Internal Omnibus Network (ACTION), provides public transport throughout the . Transborder Express and Deane’s Buslines are private coach services that operate within and nearby areas of New South Wales. Only 4.6% of the use the bus system. Another 5.5% walk or cycle to work,[57] a higher proportion than in any other Australian . A private bus service operates between and Queanbeyan, an adjoining town in New South Wales. There are two local taxi companies, Aerial Consolidated Transport the parent of the Cabs service which enjoyed monopoly status for over four decades, and a recent arrival, Cabxpress.

An interstate CountryLink railway service connects to . ’s railway station is in the inner south of Kingston. Between 1920 and 1922 the train line crossed the Molonglo River and ran as far north as the , although the line was closed following major flooding and was never rebuilt. Train services to are provided by way of a CountryLink bus service which connects with a rail service between and in Yass, about one hour’s drive from . Plans to establish a very fast train like a TGV service between , and have been contemplated,[85] but not implemented by both and private enterprise, as various proposals have not been deemed economically viable. The plan was shelved by former Federal Transport Minister John Anderson in 2000.[86][87]

is about three hours by road from on the Federal Highway (National Highway 23), which connects with the Hume Highway (National Highway 31) near Goulburn, and seven hours by road from on the Barton Highway (National Highway 25), which joins the Hume Highway at Yass. It is a two hour drive on the Monaro Highway (National Highway 23) to the ski fields of the Snowy Mountains and the Kosciuszko National Park. Batemans Bay, a popular holiday spot on the New South Wales coast, is also two hours away via the Kings Highway.

International Airport provides direct domestic services to , , , Adelaide and , with connections to other domestic centres. [2] There are direct daily flights to Albury and Newcastle in New South Wales. No regular international flights operate from the airport. Until 2003 the civilian airport shared runways with RAAF Base Fairbairn. On 27 June of that year, the Air base was decommissioned and from that time the airport was fully under civilian control.

[edit] Utilities
Telstra Tower is a landmark and tourist attraction in addition to providing telecommunications
Telstra Tower is a landmark and tourist attraction in addition to providing telecommunications

The ACT owned ACTEW Corporation manages ’s water and sewerage infrastructure. ActewAGL is a joint venture between ACTEW and AGL, and is the retail provider of ’s utility services including water, natural gas, electricity, and also some telecommunications services via a subsidiary TransACT. Since 2003 all ACT consumers have been able to choose the electricity retailer of their choice. ’s water is stored in four reservoirs, the Corin, Bendora and Cotter dams on the Cotter River and the Googong Dam on the Queanbeyan River. The Googong Dam is in New South Wales but it is managed by the ACT . ACTEW Corporation owns ’s two wastewater treatment plants, located at Fyshwick and at Lower Molonglo on the Molonglo River.

Electricity for comes from the national power grid through substations at Holt and Fyshwick (via Queanbeyan). Some limited local renewable power is produced via a hydro generator on the main water supply pipeline for at Mount Stromlo and methane plants at waste landfill sites at Belconnen and Mugga Lane. The first domestic power supply in was in 1913 for the of Acton. Unlike most Australian cities, the power poles in ’s older suburbs are located along the rear boundaries of residential housing lots rather than on the street front. In newer areas the power supply and communications cabling are located underground.

As in other parts of , terrestrial and mobile telecommunications services are provided by a range of competing companies. The majority of POTS and ADSL infrastructure belong to Telstra. GSM and 3G mobile telephpny and data services infrastructure has also being established by telstra along with Optus, Vodafone, Three and Netspeed. Parts of Central and Northern are services by Fibre-optic data connections established by TransACT. The ACT has the highest of computer use and internet connection in

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