On Earth, what is the capital city of Australia?

Canberra is the capital city of Australia, although Sydney and Melbourne are larger and more internationally famous.

Canberra was selected as Australia’s capital in 1908 as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, which had competed for national prominence. The city is located in the Australian Capital Territory, roughly between the two major southeastern cities. American architect Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin designed the basic plan for the new capital.

Australia’s federal Parliament moved to Canberra in 1927, when the provisional Parliament House opened. The current Parliament House, built on Capital Hill, opened in 1988 and is one of the city’s best-known landmarks.

Sydney is Australia’s largest city, while Melbourne is another major cultural and business centre, so they are common wrong answers. Canberra’s planned layout, broad avenues and surrounding hills distinguish it from Australia’s older coastal cities.