Geography of Sydney
Geography of Sydney
Sydney is located in a coastal basin between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Blue Mountains to the west. The city features the largest natural harbour in the world, Port Jackson, and more than 70 harbour and ocean beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach. Sydney’s urban area of 1687 km² (651 mi²) is similar to that of Greater London. The metropolitan area (Sydney Statistical Division) is 12 145 km² (4,689 mi²); a significant portion of this area is national park and other unsettled land.
Sydney occupies two geographical regions: the Cumberland Plain, a relatively flat or rolling region lying to the south and west of the harbour, and the Hornsby Plateau, a plateau north of the harbour, up to 200 metres (656 ft) in elevation, dissected by forested valleys. The oldest parts of the city are located in the flat areas; the Hornsby Plateau, known as the North Shore, was slower to develop because of its hilly topography, and was mostly a quiet backwater until the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932, linking it to the rest of the city.
Sydney has three major openings to the sea. They are Broken Bay to the north, Port Jackson or Sydney Harbor in the center , and Botany Bay to the South.
Australia, the world’s smallest continent but sixth-largest country is situated between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.