Abbreviation for New South Wales, a state in southeastern Australia.
From 'New South Wales', named by Captain James Cook in 1770 after Wales in Britain. 'New' indicated it was a recently discovered territory, while 'South Wales' referenced its perceived similarity to the Welsh landscape and its southern location relative to other known lands.
The abbreviation NSW represents one of history's most optimistic naming conventions - calling a place 'New' something implied it would become better than the original. Many 'New' places (New York, New Zealand) indeed became major centers, validating this colonial confidence.
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