New South Wales or NSW is Australia‘s most populated state. One of Australia’s south eastern states, New South Wales is home to the state capital and the country’s biggest and oldest city, Sydney.
Population and attractions
Of the state’s 6.7 million inhabitants, over 4.2 million live in Sydney. The other bigger cities are Newcastle and Wollongong. Sydney is a major sight seeing place which attracts tourists from different areas all the year round. There are so many things to see and enjoy in New South Wales namely the sandy beaches, natural wonders and historical sites. The other places of interest are the rain forests of the North Coast, snowy mountains, the wineries of Hunter Valley and Mudgee etc. The beautiful natural sights in Sydney and other places of historical and cultural interests are also must see locations.
Climate
New South Wales’ climate differs widely from one place to another. In the south of the state, snowfall is common in winter mainly due to the presence of the Snowy Mountains in this region. The temperature in the coast can cross 40ºC with little rain during summer. The temperature in Sydney varies from an average of 18-26ºC in January to a low of 9-17ºC in July.
Economy
Being the biggest economy in Australia, New South Wales (NSW) economy is bigger than each of the national economies of Thailand, Philippines, Ukraine, Columbia or Malaysia in spite of higher population in these areas than what exists in New South Wales. NSW is also noted for its knowledge intensive and diversified economy.
Agriculture
Agriculture is an important occupation of the people of New South Wales. A large share of products such as maize, nuts, legumes, fruit and hay that is produced in Australia is from New South Wales. The place also is noted for its large scale production of oilseeds, oats, vegetables, oyster farming, forestry and other farming. North Western New South Wales is famous for its cotton industries that are centered in this place. The world’s best wools are manufactured in Northern Tablelands. The main fruits that are cultivated in the central slopes of NSW include pears, cherries and apples.
Manufacturing
NSW is also noted for its thriving manufacturing sector. Being the second largest industry in NSW the manufacturing sector alone generates 14 per cent of Gross State Product and over 30 per cent of national manufacturing output. One quarter of NSW’s total exports comes from its manufacturing sector where research and development go hand in hand to boost exports.
This sector still holds a prime place in the economy of NSW in spite of the after effects of globalisation such as rapid technological change, new and cheap competitors, skills shortages etc that have placed acute pressure on the sector.