Adelaide is the capital city of the Australian state of South Australia. It is a coastal city on the Indian Ocean named after the German-born British Queen Adelaide.
The city was founded in 1836 by Colonel William Light. The population is 1,072,585 (census 2001). Adelaide was established as a free colony - people arrived of their own free will, not as convicts or prisoners. It is the host of the Tour Down Under bicycle race. Forethought in the design of Adelaide has paid off as the layout of the city centre has not required modification since its design. Usually in an older city, it would be necessary to accommodate larger roads and add parks. Adelaide had them from the start.
Adelaide is the home of the Australian Football League (Australia's own football code) teams Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power.
Adelaide is sometimes referred to as the 'City Of Churches'.
Much of the area around Adelaide was once used for wine grape production, meaning that large wine growing districts remain within a very short drive of the city outskirts.
Famous wine areas include the Barossa valley.
The city is also a home to the University of South Australia (UniSA), the Adelaide University and the Flinders University
Adelaide is served by Adelaide International Airport