Canberra is the capital of Australia. It is a modern and lively city with a population of over 345, 000.

History

    Canberra is the eighth largest city in Australia. It is 238 kilometres from Sydney and 507 kilometres from Melbourne. Melbourne was once the capital of Australia. Sydney people also wished to make their city the capital. It was difficult for the government to make the decision. Then in 1911, the government chose a place to build the new capital. It was between Sydney and Melbourne, the two largest cities in Australia. It took more than 14 years to build the city. In 1927, the city was set up. It became the capital and was named Canberra. "Canberra" means "a place for friends to get together".

Culture

    Canberra is a beautiful city with trees and flowers everywhere. There's the Flower Festival in September each year. People can enjoy all kinds of beautiful flowers and welcome the spring to arrive. A manmade lake—Lake Bertey Griffin is in the center of the city. It's about 25 kilometres long. People like to ride bikes, walk or run around the lake. In Canberra, there're many famous universities like the Australian National University and the University of Canberra. The National Library and the National Museum of Australia are also famous places that people like to visit.