Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, 280 km (170 mi) south-west of Sydney, and 660 km (410 mi) north-east of Melbourne.
Canberra has a marine west coastal climate with four distinct seasons, because of its latitude, elevation and distance from the coast. Whereas the climates of most Australian coastal areas, which include all the state capital cities, are moderated by the sea. Canberra experiences hot, quite dry summers, and cold winters with heavy fog and frequent frosts, with a rare spot of snow in the CBD but the surrounding areas get annual snowfall through winter and often the snow capped mountains can be seen from the CBD.
A planned city, it is laid out around an artificial lake. The Territory became self-governing in 1989. National government remains its main industry, but private sector employment has expanded and includes production of sophisticated scientific and communications equipment, and computer software.
Located on the ancient lands of the Indigenous Ngunnawal people, Canberra's name is thought to mean 'meeting place', derived from the Aboriginal word Kamberra. European settlers first came in the 1830s, and the area was chosen for the federal capital in 1908.
Canberra is home to many national monuments and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the Australian Academy of Science and the National Museum of Australia. Many Commonwealth government buildings in Canberra are open to the public, including Parliament House, the High Court and the Royal Australian Mint.