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==History==
==History==
===Early===
Sydney was founded by [[Arthur Phillip]], commander of [[Britain]]'s [[First Fleet]], on 26th January 1788 when he established the first European settlement on the continent at the site now known as Circular Quay. Prior to this, lieutenant [[James Cook]] had visited Botany Bay (a few kilometres south of Sydney Harbour) in 1770 and later claimed the whole of the east coast of the continent - then known as [[New Holland]] - for the British Crown, coining the name [[New South Wales]]. After the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]], [[Britain]] decided it needed to establish new colonies to which it could send its growing number of convicts. Thus the plan to dispatch a fleet to [[New South Wales]] was drawn up. Arriving at Botany Bay, Phillip soon recognised that the site was unsuitable for a colony due to the lack of fresh water. The fleet moved on to [[Sydney Harbour]], which was more suitable. Phillip named the harbour Port Jackson, which remains the official name. The city was originally a large house and estate within the parish of St. John and before that was a farm house and land within that same parish. In 1851 it was deemed a separate parish, although some sources still refer to the area as being part of Sydney. The Estate was later sold by its last owner, Sir Henry Merewether in 1856. Due to its strategic position, the settlement became a substantial trading post and shipbuilding centre, with many [[merchant]] and [[Royal Navy]] vessels, submarines being constructed in Botany Bay by migrant workers during the early 20th century.
===Contemporary ===
==Contemporary Sydney==
Sydney's metropolitan area has about 4.3 million inhabitants and ranks 67 in the world. Sydney is the 9th largest urban area on [[Earth]] in size (12,100 km<sup>2</sup>), spreading over 300 different [[suburb]]s. It is about the same size as [[Los Angeles]] in area, but has only about a third its [[population]].
Sydney's metropolitan area has about 4.3 million inhabitants and ranks 67 in the world. Sydney is the 9th largest urban area on [[Earth]] in size (12,100 km<sup>2</sup>), spreading over 300 different [[suburb]]s. It is about the same size as [[Los Angeles]] in area, but has only about a third its [[population]].