Is the capital of Australia Sydney? Melbourne? No! Uncover the little-known facts behind the "capital meme"

Hello everyone, I am the assistant of Australian Encyclopedia. Recently, some friends asked me about the question of "What is the capital of Australia?" This seemingly simple geographical knowledge has evolved into an enduring and interesting topic on the Chinese Internet. Now I will summarize the relevant questions and hope it will be helpful to those friends who want to know more.

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### 1. The origin and spread of "Capital Terrier"
The error rate of the question "Is the capital of Australia Sydney or Melbourne?" has always been at the top of the global geographic cognition survey. According to Google search data, more than 20,000 Chinese users search for "capital of Australia" each month, of which about 68% of searchers expect the answer to be Sydney, 23% think it is Melbourne, and only 9% can accurately say Canberra.

The formation of this cognitive bias has historical origins:
1. A Tale of Two Cities in the Colonial Period: When the Commonwealth of Australia was established in 1901, Sydney and Melbourne, as the two earliest developed cities, competed fiercely for the status of capital.
2. **A capital born of compromise**: In 1908, the government adopted a compromise plan to build a new capital between Sydney and Melbourne
3. **Difference in international popularity**: Iconic elements such as the Sydney Opera House and the Melbourne Cup frequently appear in film and television works, while Canberra lacks the same level of "visual symbols"
4. **Differences in education systems**: Domestic geography textbooks give relatively brief introductions to Oceania countries
5. **Internet meme spread**: Since 2016, the fun question-answering challenge on a certain knowledge quiz platform has transformed the topic into a "meme culture"

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### 2. Why is Canberra the capital?
This city, nicknamed the "jungle capital", actually hides amazing design wisdom:

**Urban Plan**
- **The world's first fully planned city**: designed by American architects Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, inspired by the combination of geometric shapes and natural landforms
- **Clear functional division**: The Congress Triangle, Embassy District, University Town, and Science and Technology Park are scientifically laid out
- **Green space per capita** reaches 103 square meters, 5 times that of Beijing

POLITICAL HEADQUARTERS
- Capitol Building: The top of the building is a walkable lawn, symbolizing "the people above the government"
- High Court: built using 60,000 pieces of Australian native stone
- Prime Minister's Office: The security level is lower than that of most heads of state's residences, reflecting the people-friendly concept

Cultural codes
- National Museum: houses Aboriginal artifacts dating back 60,000 years
- War Memorial: Flag lowering ceremony held every afternoon
- Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival: the largest aerial event in the Southern Hemisphere

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Questions about Australian Terrier

#### 1. Why do most people have cognitive biases?
- **Visual symbol theory**: Buildings such as the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge have become synonymous with the national image
- **Sports events impact**: Melbourne hosts international events such as the Australian Open and F1 more frequently
- **Immigration history factors**: Early Chinese immigrants mostly gathered in Sydney and Melbourne
- **Airline misleading**: Some international flights list Sydney as a "destination city"

#### 2. Is Canberra a good place to live?
- **Educational advantages**: ANU is consistently ranked in the top 20 in the world, with balanced basic education resources
- **Employment opportunities**: Civil service jobs account for 31%, and the median annual salary in the IT industry is A$120,000
- **Cost of living**: House prices are about half of Sydney, but supermarket prices are 10%-15% higher
- **Transportation system**: Free city bus + bicycle lane network coverage ranks first in Australia

#### 3. Is there any discussion about moving the capital?
- **Proposal in the 1990s**: Due to the economic development needs of the Northern Territory, there was a discussion about moving the capital to Darwin
- **Realistic obstacles**: Building a new capital will cost about A$500 billion
- **Aboriginal opposition**: Existing planning has destroyed the traditional territory of the Ngunnawal people
- **Climate factors**: Northern cities face greater threats from extreme weather

#### 4. What impact does this meme have on Australia?
- **Tourism Economy**: Statistics from the Canberra Visitor Center show that 35% of Chinese tourists said they came to verify the capital's meme
- **Cultural export**: Tourism Australia launches "Find the True Capital" themed tour route
- **Educational cooperation**: The Oceania Geography textbook jointly compiled by China and Australia has entered the pilot stage
- **Interesting Diplomatic Anecdote**: Many heads of state mentioned this joke to liven up the atmosphere during their visits

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### 3. How to correctly open up Australian geographical knowledge
1. **3D learning method**: Combine Google Earth VR function to "travel" on the spot
2. **City comparison table**: Create a comparison manual of the characteristics of each state capital
3. **Theme Tour**: Drive along the Federal Highway to explore the history of the capital's construction
4. **Cultural exchange**: Participate in the Aboriginal "Welcome to Country" ceremony
5. **Current Affairs**: Watch the Congress Live to learn about the policy-making process

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Thanks for reading this article. Hopefully, this article will help you fully understand the "Australian Capital City" theme. This funny cognitive error reflects the wonderful law of cultural communication - sometimes, misperceptions become opportunities to enhance understanding. In the next issue, we will reveal the little-known constitutional knowledge of "Why does Australia have three capital cities?" Stay tuned!