Introduction
The capital of Australia, Canberra is also the center of the Australian Capital Territory. The name comes from “kamberra,” a term used by the original inhabitants of Australia, or aborigines, meaning “meeting place.” Canberra lies at the foot of the Australian Alps in southeastern Australia. It is in the northern part of the Australian Capital Territory between the major Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The Molonglo River, a tributary of the Murrumbidgee River, flows through Canberra.
Places of interest
Photograph:A statue by Henry Moore sits on the grounds of the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
* A statue by Henry Moore sits on the grounds of the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
Capital Hill is the site of the Parliament House. Nearby are the High Court of Australia and the Australian National Gallery, which houses more than 100,000 national works of art. The National Library of Australia and the National Capital Exhibition are on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, named after the city's American architect, in the center of the city. Mount Stromlo Observatory and the Australian War Memorial are among other notable features of the city. Canberra is also the headquarters of many research institutes and of the Australian National University.
Economy
In addition to its government-related businesses, Canberra has light industries and a growing tourist trade. At the beginning of the 21st century the city also worked to develop high-technology industries, including information technology, telecommunications, and biotechnology.
History
The site of Canberra was settled by native Australians, called aborigines, thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived in the 19th century. By the 1820s, Canberra was a small European settlement called Canberry or Canbury. By 1836 the name had evolved to Canberra. The city was selected as the site of the new national capital in 1908.
A worldwide competition was held in 1911 to choose the design for the new city, and American architect Walter Burley Griffin created the winning design. Construction began in 1913 but was interrupted by World War I. Canberra officially became the new capital in 1927, with the transfer of Parliament from Melbourne. Canberra has grown and changed over the years. Many new buildings have been built, and a new Parliament House opened in 1988. Population (1998 estimate), 306,000.
