SYDNEY GEOGRAPHY |
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Sydney is located between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Blue
Mountains to the west. Sydney features the largest natural harbour in the
world, and also enjoys over 70 beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach.
Greater Sydney, with an area of 12,400 sq km, is one of the world's largest
suburban areas, especially for its population. It is almost twice the size
of Beijing, and is larger than London, Tokyo and Mexico City but smaller
than New York City. A number of national parks are contained within the
city's boundaries. |
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Although Sydney does not suffer from cyclones, and the earthquake risk is
considered very low, some areas of Sydney have experienced bushfires,
including ones in 1994 and 2002. The city is also subject to infrequent
severe hail storms and wind storms (maybe once every 5 to 10 years). The
city has also faced occasional water shortages due to drought conditions in
the general region.
The central business district (CBD) extends southwards for about 2 km from
the point of first European settlement, Sydney Cove. The CBD is an area of
very densely concentrated skyscrapers and other buildings, interspersed by
several parks such as Wynyard Park and Hyde Park. The CBD is bounded on the
east side by a chain of parkland that extends from Hyde Park through the
Domain and Royal Botanic Gardens to Farm Cove on Sydney Harbour. The west
side is bounded by Darling Harbour, a popular tourist precinct. Central
Station marks the southern end of the CBD. George St is the Sydney CBD's
main north-south thoroughfare. The streets run on a slightly warped grid
pattern in the southern CBD, but in the older northern CBD the streets are
less logical, reflecting their random placement in the early days of the
city. (See the City of Sydney article for more detail.)
Although the CBD dominated the city's business and cultural life in the
early days, significant other business/cultural districts have developed
since World War II, in a radial pattern. As a result of business development
in other districts, the proportion of white-collar jobs located in the CBD
declined from more than 60% at the end of World War II to less than 30% in
2004. The four most significant other business districts are Parramatta in
the central-west, Liverpool to the southwest, Chatswood to the north and
Hurstville to the south. |
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