Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory
Territory
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  The Nation's Capital The Bush Capital
Motto:  For the King, the Law, and the People
QLD NSW ACT WA NT SA VIC TAS Location of ACT in Australia 35°18′29″S 149°07′28″E / 35.30806°S 149.12444°E / -35.30806; 149.12444
Country	Australia
Transferred to Commonwealth	1 January 1911
Responsible government	1988
Capital and largest city	Canberra
Government
• Monarch	Charles III
• Governor-General	Sam Mostyn
• Chief Minister	Andrew Barr (ALP)
Legislature	Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Judiciary	Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
Parliament of Australia
• Senate	2 senators (of 76)
• House of Representatives	3 seats (of 151)
Area
• Total	2,358 km2 (910 sq mi) (8th)
• Land	2,358 km2 (910 sq mi)
• Water	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Highest elevation (Bimberi Peak)	1,912 m (6,273 ft)
Lowest elevation (Murrumbidgee River)	429 m (1,407 ft)
Population
• March 2022 estimate	455,869[1] (7th)
• Density	190/km2 (492.1/sq mi) (1st)
GSP	2022 estimate
• Total	AU$45.318 billion[2] (6th)
• Per capita	AU$102,334 (3rd)
HDI (2022)	0.976[3] very high · 1st
Time zone	UTC+10:00 (AEST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+11:00 (AEDT)
Postal abbreviation	ACT
ISO 3166 code	AU–ACT
Symbols
Bird	Gang-gang cockatoo[5]
Flower	Royal bluebell[6]
Mammal	Southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby[4]
Colour(s)	Blue and gold[7]
Website	act.gov.au

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, and serves as the territory's primate city. It is located in southeastern Australian mainland as an enclave within the state of New South Wales. Founded after Federation as the seat of government for the new nation, the territory hosts the headquarters of all important institutions of the Australian Government, most notably Parliament House.

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies of Australia was achieved. Section 125 of the new Australian Constitution provided that land, situated in New South Wales and at least 100 miles (160 km) from Sydney, would be ceded to the new federal government. Following discussion and exploration of various areas within New South Wales, the Seat of Government Act 1908 was passed in 1908 which specified a capital in the Yass-Canberra region. The territory was transferred to the federal government by New South Wales in 1911, two years prior to the capital city being founded and formally named as Canberra in 1913.

While the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the city of Canberra in the ACT's north-east, the territory also includes some towns such as Williamsdale, Oaks Estate, Uriarra, Tharwa and Hall. The ACT also includes the Namadgi National Park, which comprises the majority of land area of the territory. Despite a common misconception, the Jervis Bay Territory is not part of the ACT, although the laws of the Australian Capital Territory apply as if Jervis Bay did form part of the ACT.^[8] The territory has a relatively dry, continental climate, experiencing warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters.

The Australian Capital Territory is home to many important institutions of the federal government, national monuments and museums. These include the Parliament of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Australian War Memorial. It also hosts the majority of foreign embassies in Australia, as well as regional headquarters of many international organisations, not-for-profit groups, lobbying groups and professional associations. Several major universities also have campuses in the ACT, including the Australian National University, the University of Canberra, the University of New South Wales, Charles Sturt University and the Australian Catholic University.

A locally elected legislative assembly has governed the territory since 1988. However, the Commonwealth maintains authority over the territory and may overturn local laws. It still maintains control over the area known as the Parliamentary Triangle through the National Capital Authority. Residents of the territory elect three members of the House of Representatives and two senators.

With 453,324 residents, the Australian Capital Territory is the second smallest mainland state or territory by population. At the 2016 census, the median weekly income for people in the territory aged over 15 was $998, significantly higher than the national median of $662.^[9] The average level of degree qualification in the ACT is also higher than the national average. Within the ACT, 37.1% of the population hold a bachelor's degree level or above education compared to the national figure of 20%.^[9] The Australian Capital Territory had the equal fourth highest Human Development Index score (0.976) out of over 1,700 subnational regions in 2022, coming close to a perfect score of 1.