Sydney (pron-en?s?dni) is the largest city in Australia and Oceania, and the state capital (List of Australian capital cities) of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.5 million and an area of approximately Convert12000km2sqmi0. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City". It is one of the most multicultural (Multiculturalism) cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants to Australia (Immigration to Australia).

The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleet. The city is built on hills surrounding Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson) - an inlet of the Tasman Sea on Australias south-east coast. It is home to the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge (Sydney Harbour Bridge) and its beaches (Beaches in Sydney). The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets.

The city is home to many prominent parks, such as Hyde Park (Hyde Park, Sydney), Royal Botanical Gardens (Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney) and national parks. This is a major factor, along with Sydney Harbour, that has led to the city?s reputation as one of the most beautiful in the world.

Sydney is considered an alpha+ world city (Global city), as listed by the Loughborough University groups 2008 inventory, is ranked 16th among global cities by Foreign Policys 2008 Global Cities Index (Global_city#Global Cities Index) and is an international centre for commerce, arts (Culture of Sydney), fashion, culture (Culture of Sydney), entertainment, education and tourism. According to the 2009 Mercer cost of living survey which takes into account the fall of each countrys currency during the 2008 global financial crisis, Sydney is Australia?s most expensive city, and the 66th most expensive in the world. In 2008 Mercer survey, Sydney ranked 15th globally. Sydney also ranks among the top 10 most livable cities in the world (Worlds Most Livable Cities) according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting and The Economist.

Sydney has been ranked 14th within the top 50 global financial cities as surveyed by the Mastercard Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index (2007), and 1st within Australia. Sydney has hosted major international sporting events, including the 1938 British Empire Games, 2000 Summer Olympics, the final match of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, as well as the 2008 World Youth Day (World Youth Day 2008). The main airport serving Sydney is Sydney Airport.