Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km 50 mi from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 km 50 mi from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west. Residents of the city are colloquially known as "Sydneysiders".
There is evidence that Aboriginal Australians inhabited the Greater Sydney region at least 30, years ago, and their engravings and cultural sites are common. The traditional custodians of the land on which modern Sydney stands are the clans of the Darug , Dharawal and Eora. Foreign countries of birth with the greatest representation are mainland China, India, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Despite being one of the most expensive cities in the world, [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Sydney frequently ranks in the top ten most liveable cities.
The city is among the top fifteen most-visited, [ 23 ] with millions of tourists coming each year to see the city's landmarks. Central Station is the hub of Sydney's suburban train, metro and light rail networks and longer-distance services. The main passenger airport serving the city is Kingsford Smith Airport , one of the world's oldest continually operating airports. The Gadigal Cadigal clan, whose territory stretches along the southern shore of Port Jackson from South Head to Darling Harbour , are the traditional owners of the land on which the British settlement was initially established, and call their territory Gadi Cadi.
Aboriginal clan names within the Sydney region were often formed by adding the suffix "-gal" to a word denoting the name for their territory, a specific place in their territory, a food source, or totem. Greater Sydney covers the traditional lands of 28 known Aboriginal clans. The first people to inhabit the area now known as Sydney were Aboriginal Australians who had migrated from southeast Asia via northern Australia.
