The
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was created as a compromise; both
Sydney and
Melbourne thought that they should be
Australia's capital city and the authorities decided that the only answer was to create a new city, within its own territory, between the two rivals. ACT is landlocked in the mountainous state of southeastern
New South Wales; Sydney is 190 miles (306km) to the northwest. The territory is tiny by Australian standards; it is 50 miles (80km) from north to south and about 20 miles (30km) wide. The capital city,
Canberra, and its surrounding suburbs are in the northeast of the territory
and surrounded by the artificial
Lake Burley Griffin; the parliament and other government buildings are located to the south of the lake, and in the north is Civic, where visitors will find the university, the main shopping and business district and most of the nightlife, which, contrary to reputation, is fairly lively. The Namadgi National Park occupies the whole southwestern area of the Territory.
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