New South Wales (commonly abbreviated to NSW) is a state on the east coast of Australia is Australia’s most populous state with almost two-thirds of its population, 5.3 million, living in the capital city of Sydney and environs.
It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory are enclaves within the state.
The Colony of New South Wales was founded as a British penal colony in 1788. It originally comprised more than half of the Australian mainland and also the island territories of Van Diemen’s Land, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century, most of the colony’s area was detached to form separate British colonies that eventually became the various states and territories of Australia and, arguably, New Zealand.
Lord Howe Island remains part of New South Wales, while Norfolk Island has become a federal territory, as have the areas now known as the Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory.
