Sydney is Australia's largest and oldest city, situated on the Pacific coast in New South Wales. Sydney is truly one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities.

The climate is moderate with warm summers and temperate winters. The average temperature in the summer is 25 degrees celsius (77F), and in the winter 13 degrees celsius (55F). The sun shines on 342 days of the year and the average yearly rainfall is 1220 millimeters (48 inches).

Sydney Harbour is it's pearl. The Harbour Bridge and Opera House are world famous icons. In July of 2007, Sydney Opera House was listed as a world heritage site.

Compared to many European cities, Sydney is a fairly young city, with a checkered past. It began existence as a British convict settlement in 1788. Today Sydney is a colorful, vibrant mix of peoples of all nations and cultures.

The official language is English, however most of the worlds languages can be heard spoken around the place. Sydney is a culinary delight with a smorgasbord of restaurants representing a great diversity of cultures.

The main Christian denominations are the Roman Catholic and Anglican. There are not that many Lutherans. St.John's Latvian Lutheran Church is one of the largest Lutheran Churches in Sydney.