Adelaide (pron-en?�d?le?d) is the capital (List of Australian capital cities) and most populous city of the Australian state (States and territories of Australia) of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.28 million. It is a coastal city situated on the eastern shores of Gulf St Vincent, on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, between Gulf St Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges. The suburbs reach roughly convert20kmmiabbr=on from the coast to the foothills but sprawl convert100kmmiabbr=on from Gawler (Gawler, South Australia) at its northern extent to Sellicks Beach (Sellicks Beach, South Australia) in the south.

Named in honour of Queen Adelaide (Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen), the German (Germany)-born consort (Queen consort) of King William IV (William IV of the United Kingdom), the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital (new town) for a freely settled British province in Australia.Citation neededdate=April 2010 Colonel William Light (William Light), one of Adelaides founding fathers, designed the city and chose its location close to the River Torrens in the area originally inhabited by the Kaurna people. Lights design set out Adelaide in a grid layout, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by parkland (Adelaide Parklands). Early Adelaide was shaped by religious freedom and a commitment to political progressivism and civil liberties, which led to world-first reforms.

As South Australias seat of government and commercial centre, Adelaide is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are concentrated in the city centre (Adelaide city centre) along the cultural boulevard of North Terrace (North Terrace, Adelaide), King William Street (King William Street, Adelaide) and in various districts of the metropolitan area.

Today, Adelaide is noted for its many festivals (:Category:Festivals in Adelaide) and sporting events, its food, wine and culture, its long beachfronts, and its large defence and manufacturing sectors. It continues to rank highly as a livable city, being in the Top 10 in The Economists Worlds Most Livable Cities index.