What is the capital of South Australia?

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and the country's fifth-largest city, with a metropolitan population of about 1.4 million. It lies on the Adelaide Plains between the Mount Lofty Ranges and Gulf St Vincent, with the Torrens River flowing through the city centre.

Adelaide was founded in 1836 and is the only Australian capital established as a free colony rather than a convict settlement. It was planned by Colonel William Light on a grid surrounded by parklands, a layout that survives intact and gives Adelaide its reputation as one of the world's most well-planned cities. The South Australian colony was conceived under the systematic colonisation theories of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, with land sales funding free immigration. South Australia became one of the original six federating colonies in 1901 and Adelaide has been the state capital ever since.

The city is known as the gateway to Australia's most famous wine regions, with the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, and Clare Valley all within an hour or two by road. South Australia produces about half of Australia's wine by volume. Adelaide also hosts the world-renowned Adelaide Festival of Arts and the Adelaide Fringe each year, drawing more visitors per capita than any other Australian arts season.

Adelaide's economy has shifted from manufacturing (Holden cars closed their Adelaide plant in 2017) toward defence and high technology, including the construction of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement, with Osborne shipyard in Adelaide chosen as the build site. The city is also home to the University of Adelaide, founded in 1874 as Australia's third university.