Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales. In 2011, the city had a greater area population of approximately 211,656. A resident of Hobart is known as a "Hobartian". The city is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the Derwent River. The skyline is dominated by Mount Wellington at 1,271 metres (4,170 ft) high. The city is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania, also serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations. Hobart has, by a substantial margin, the lowest average income of any Australian capital. It also has the highest level of unemployment and welfare dependence.
Hobart was named Australia's 6th most sustainable city, by the Australian Conservation Foundation in 2010. For economic and social innovation, Hobart was the 11th placed in Australia in 2009, and listed as an innovation influencer city in the Innovation Cities Global Index scoring equal with Reykjavik, Katowice and Casablanca by 2thinknow. In 2012, Hobart was praised for its arts, food and scenery by the travel giant Lonely Planet, placing at number 7 for their "Best in Travel 2013" publication, and was the only Australian city to feature in the list. Lonely Planet had previously ranked the city as the 91st 'Best City in the World' in their publication "The Cities Book" in 2009
