Australia. Guide to Australia

The Australian city of Melbourne (Melbourne) – capital Victoria, with the population of the suburbs is 3,8 million people.

Melbourne, Australia's largest city - the second largest after Sydney, the city is located around Port Phillip Bay. Melbourne is one of the major commercial, industrial and cultural centers of Australia.

Melbourne is often referred to as "sporting and cultural capital" of the country, since there are many sporting and cultural events in the life of Australia.

In Melbourne there is Melbourne Airport (Melbourne Airport), also known as "Tullamarine Airport" (or "Tulla"), - Melbourne's main airport and a second passenger airport in Australia.

Melbourne is Australia's largest sea port, Annual turnover of the port is about $ 75 Billion. Also at the port of Melbourne has 39 % national container traffic of the country.

In Melbourne there is a large part of the Australian automotive industry companies, posed assembly plants Ford and Toyota, and the engine plant Holden Car.

The city is also the base for many other industries, and at the same time, is the largest financial and commercial center. Melbourne - Centre for Modern Technologies. Industries, associated with computers and information technology, provide jobs for more than 60 000 thousands of people, which is the third indicator for Australia. This industry has a turnover $ 19,8 Billion, of which $ 615 million are exported.

Melbourne is the largest center of banking in the Asia-Pacific region. Two of the four banks, included in the "Big Four" of Australia, И NAB ANZ, have headquarters in this city. Melbourne occupies a leading position among the largest cities in Australia by the number of pension funds, Here is the largest pension fund, Australia - Federal Fund for the Future.

Melbourne – city, where many of the largest Australian based corporation, including five, within the first ten, of total turnover, namely the ANZ, BHP Billiton, National Australia Bank, Rio Tinto Telstra и. There are headaches institutions such organizations as the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Council of Trade Unions. Melbourne is 34 place in the list 50 the world's major financial centers according to the index of the world's commercial centers, Mastercard and second place in Australia, second only to Sydney.

Melbourne is widely regarded as cultural and sporting capital of Australia. Every year there is a large number of national and international sporting events. The most significant of these are:

* Australian Open (tennis), This tournament is one of the stages of a Grand Slam;

* Australian Grand Prix (Formula 1); * Melbourne Cup (Horse Racing);

* The final season of the Australian Football League. Melbourne is the home of Australian football - the most popular sport in Australia, the number of spectators, attending the event. In the city are nine of the sixteen teams, playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). The final season of AFL is Australia's largest domestic sporting event and is held in the city last Saturday of September.

In Melbourne there 29 sports facilities, capacity to accommodate more than stands on its 10 000 человек. В 2000 Construction was completed in the city's largest stadium - Telstra House, able to take 56 000 человек. This stadium has become the world's first sports facility, which can be carried person football and cricket under the roof. В 2006 London-year research and advisory company ArkSport named Melbourne the best city in the world for sports. This finding suggests Melbourne unofficial capital of the world of sportsIn

Tourism is a major component of the economy of Melbourne, among the tourists visiting the city, constitute a significant part of young people, traveling as a bekpekery. Thanks to the city a large number of international sporting events are widely distributed sports turizm.V 2008 Melbourne was the first time overtaken Sydney for this indicator, as the amount of money, spent by tourists in the Australian.

Main attractions in Melbourne:

The Royal Exhibition Centre Cottage Captain James Cook's View on the southern shore of the river and the skyscraper Yarry Eureka Tower

* State Library of Victoria - one of the largest libraries in Australia. The library building is an outstanding example of classical colonial. Is not only a book store, but also an important center of cultural life in the city. There are many exhibitions, Conference, meetings with writers.

* The station building Flinders Street Station - situated in the heart of the city, station building is a kind of hallmark of the city. His image can be seen on many posters, postcards and badges, on Melbourne. Station is the oldest railway station in Australia, is now considered an architectural monument and is protected by the Government of Victoria.

* Parliament House of Victoria - one of the outstanding examples of civil architecture, not only in Australia, but in the world. In the building between 1901 along 1927 years housed the Federal Parliament of Australia.

* Royal Exhibition Building - a building located in the park Carlton Garden, built in 1880 Year. A perfect example of Victorian architecture. The building is the first in Australia, received the status of UNESCO World Heritage. This building held the first meeting of the Australian Parliament 9 May 1901 year, which was proclaimed the independence of Australia.

* Captain James Cook's Cottage - a small stone cottage, belonged in the past, the family of Captain James Cook, moved to Melbourne from England in the first half of the XX-th century. This building is a national shrine of Australia and an important tourist attraction in the city.

* Crown Casino

* Melbourne Aquarium - located in the heart of the city, on the banks of the Yarra River. It has an interesting collection of sea and river life of Australia, as well as adjacent parts of the world's oceans.

* Melbourne Museum - the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Exposition of the museum devoted to the history of Australia, Victoria and Melbourne directly. The museum building is an interesting specimen of modern architecture. In addition to museum exhibits, located in a building auditorium, theater, Kinoteatri IMAX.

* Monument to the memory - one of Australia's largest monuments to the soldiers, members of all military conflicts, in which the country has been involved. As an idea of ​​the project's main building used by the legendary Mausoleum in Gelikarnase, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

* Immigration Museum

* Quay Yarry

* National Gallery of Victoria

* Federation Square - one of the main places of public gatherings and events in the city center. Famous for its modern and largely contradictory architecture. There are numerous exhibition halls, Cinema, Restaurants, café, Bars. A large open space area connects the central part of Melbourne, Yarry embankment and adjacent parks.

* Rialto Tower - one of the tallest buildings in the city and in Australia. On 55 floor of the building, at an altitude of 234 Meters, is an observation deck, which is considered one of the main attractions in Melbourne.

* Queen Victoria Market - the oldest market is situated in close proximity to the city center. In addition to purely kommerrcheskim value, has an important historical and tourist value. Is one of the places in the city posyaschaemyh.

* St. Paul's Cathedral - the main Anglican Cathedral in Melbourne. Located in the heart of the city, architectural form the axis of the central part of Melbourne. Famous for its organ and the highest spire, of Anglican churches, outside England.

* St. Patrick's Cathedral - the largest Catholic cathedral in the city. Is an outstanding example of Gothic style. The Cathedral is the largest church building in the world built in the XIX century.

* Arts Centre Melbourne

* Eureka Tower

Melbourne is located in a temperate maritime climate and is known to frequent and sudden changes of weather. This is because, Melbourne is located mainly on the plain, which is framed on one side of Mount Dandenong, on the other hand, it is bordered by the waters of Port Phillip Bay. This creates the conditions, when air masses from the sea and the mountains are constantly replace one another, Doing the weather is very changeable in. The phrase "four seasons in one day" was the hallmark of the city.