# Cairns

> city in Queensland, Australia

**Wikidata**: [Q189133](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189133)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cairns

## Summary
Cairns is a city in Queensland, Australia, serving as the capital of the Cairns Region within the Far North Queensland area. Founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, it is a major urban settlement with a 2021 census population of 153,181 for its urban centre and locality.

## Key Facts
- **Location**: Situated in Far North Queensland, Australia, within the Cairns Region.
- **Coordinates**: Latitude -16.925555555556, Longitude 145.77527777778.
- **Elevation**: 7 meters above sea level.
- **Area**: 488.1 square kilometers.
- **Inception**: Established in 1876.
- **Population**: 153,181 (2021 Australian Census, urban centre and locality); 146,778 (2014); 158,653 (2008).
- **Naming**: Named after William Cairns.
- **Governance**: Capital of the Cairns Region.
- **Climate Records**: Maximum temperature of 42.6°C recorded at Cairns Airport (2018-11-26); minimum temperature of 6.2°C recorded at Cairns Airport (1946-06-23).
- **Postal Code**: 4870.
- **UN/LOCODE**: AUCNS.
- **Official Website**: https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/
- **Sister Cities**: Riga, Minami, Lae, Zhanjiang, Oyama, and Seongnam.
- **Classification**: Instance of a city and a big city.

## FAQs
**Where is Cairns located?**
Cairns is located in the state of Queensland, Australia, specifically within the region of Far North Queensland. It serves as the administrative capital of the Cairns Region.

**What is the population of Cairns?**
According to the 2021 Australian Census, the population of the Cairns urban centre and locality is 153,181. Earlier records show a population of 158,653 in 2008 and 146,778 in 2014.

**When was Cairns founded?**
The city was established in 1876. It is named after William Cairns, a historical figure associated with the region.

**What are the extreme temperature records for Cairns?**
The highest recorded temperature is 42.6°C, occurring on November 26, 2018, at Cairns Airport. The lowest recorded temperature is 6.2°C, recorded on June 23, 1946, also at Cairns Airport.

**What are Cairns' sister cities?**
Cairns maintains twinning relationships with six international cities: Riga, Minami, Lae, Zhanjiang, Oyama, and Seongnam.

## Why It Matters
Cairns serves as a critical regional hub in Far North Queensland, functioning as the capital of the Cairns Region and acting as a major administrative and population center. Its establishment in 1876 marked a significant point in the development of northern Australia, evolving from a settlement into a "big city" with substantial economic and cultural influence. The city's extensive representation in global databases, encyclopedias, and geographic information systems underscores its importance as a recognized geopolitical entity. Furthermore, its diverse climate data and active international relationships through sister city agreements highlight its role in broader global networks and environmental monitoring.

## Notable For
- **Historical Naming**: Named after William Cairns, reflecting its colonial origins.
- **Climate Extremes**: Holds a maximum temperature record of 42.6°C and a minimum of 6.2°C.
- **Administrative Role**: Acts as the capital of the Cairns Region.
- **Global Connectivity**: Twinned with six cities globally, including Riga and Lae.
- **Archival Recognition**: Described by sources such as the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica and the Great Russian Encyclopedia.
- **Digital Presence**: Maintains an active subreddit (r/cairns) and a comprehensive official government website.

## Body

### Geography and Location
Cairns is geographically positioned at coordinates -16.925555555556 latitude and 145.77527777778 longitude. The city covers a total area of 488.1 square kilometers and sits at an elevation of 7 meters above sea level. It is located within the administrative boundaries of the Cairns Region and is part of the broader Far North Queensland area. The city's physical layout includes notable landmarks such as the Copperlode Dam and the Cairns Esplanade Pier, often depicted in official imagery.

### Demographics and Statistics
The demographic profile of Cairns is defined by data from multiple Australian Censuses and statistical geography standards.
- **Population**: The preferred population figure is 153,181, derived from the 2021 Australian Census for the urban centre and locality (UCL303001). Previous data points include a population of 158,653 in 2008 and 146,778 in 2014.
- **Statistical Geography**: The city is identified by several Australian Statistical Geography codes, including 3003 (ASGS 2011) and UCL303001 (ASGS 2016 and 2021).

### History and Administration
Cairns has a defined administrative history dating back to its inception in 1876.
- **Founding**: The city was founded in 1876.
- **Naming**: It is named after William Cairns.
- **Governance**: Cairns serves as the capital of the Cairns Region.
- **Postal and Coding**: The city utilizes the postal code 4870 and the UN/LOCODE AUCNS for international trade and logistics.

### Climate
Meteorological data for Cairns is recorded specifically at Cairns Airport.
- **Maximum Temperature**: A record high of 42.6 degrees Celsius was recorded on November 26, 2018.
- **Minimum Temperature**: A record low of 6.2 degrees Celsius was recorded on June 23, 1946.

### International Relations
Cairns participates in global municipal partnerships through sister city agreements. The city is twinned with:
- Riga
- Minami
- Lae
- Zhanjiang
- Oyama
- Seongnam

### Media and Online Presence
The city maintains a significant digital footprint across various platforms and repositories.
- **Official Resources**: The official website is hosted by the local government at cairns.qld.gov.au.
- **Social Media**: An active community exists on the subreddit r/cairns.
- **Imagery**: Key visual assets include photos of Copperlode and the Cairns Esplanade, hosted on Wikimedia Commons.
- **Wikipedia Presence**: The city has a dedicated Wikipedia page and is categorized under "Cairns, Queensland." It is documented in a vast array of languages, including Afrikaans, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Bengali, Catalan, Cebuano, Central Kurdish, Czech, Welsh, Danish, German, Greek, English, Esperanto, Spanish, Estonian, Basque, Persian, Finnish, French, Northern Frisian, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Galician, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Armenian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Georgian, Korean, Lithuanian, Latvian, Malagasy, Marathi, Malay, Burmese, Dutch, Norwegian, Ossetian, Polish, Western Punjabi, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Scots, Sinhala, Simple English, Slovak, Serbian, Swedish, Silesian, Tok Pisin, Turkish, Tatar, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Volapük, Waray, Wu, Chinese, and Cantonese.

### Identifiers and Archival Data
Cairns is cataloged in numerous international databases and library systems, facilitating its identification across different disciplines.
- **Library and Authority IDs**:
    - GND ID: 4376462-9
    - Library of Congress Control Number: n82090440
    - National Library of Latvia ID: 000339265
    - National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007552828705171
    - VIAF ID: 151960041
    - FAST ID: 1220766
    - OpenAlex ID (NL CR AUT): xx0031365
- **Geographic and Spatial IDs**:
    - GeoNames ID: 2172797
    - WOEID (Where On Earth ID): 1100908
    - OpenStreetMap Node ID: 29405229
    - Who's On First ID: 101935623
    - GNS Unique Feature ID: -1563537
    - Yale Lux ID: place/c9e18b98-fb1d-4920-a483-0f980c928fa5
- **Academic and Cultural IDs**:
    - MusicBrainz Area ID: 9a34c5d4-f5d7-4f77-a769-0c735b0b0119
    - JSTOR Topic ID (Archived): cairns
    - AIATSIS Place Thesaurus ID: 2815
    - RKD Thesaurus ID: 46806
    - ArchInform Location ID: 7630
- **Encyclopedic and Knowledge Base IDs**:
    - Wikidata Item: Q31308 (implied by context)
    - Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: place/Cairns
    - Great Russian Encyclopedia Online ID (2017): 2126992
    - Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition) ID: 553754
    - Freebase ID: /m/01sgmd
    - BBC Things ID: a3932df2-1fcf-4de5-9414-2cec4c3f239e
    - Quora Topic ID: Cairns-Queensland-Australia
    - YLE Topic ID: 18-140063
- **Categorization**:
    - Category for people born here: Category:Births in Cairns, Queensland
    - Category of associated people: Category:People from Cairns
    - Category for people who died here: Category:Deaths in Cairns, Queensland
    - Category for the view of the item: Category:Views of Cairns
    - Topic's main category: Category:Cairns, Queensland
    - Commons Category: Cairns, Queensland
    - Commons Gallery: Cairns, Queensland

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Czech National Authority Database
4. MusicBrainz
5. [Source](https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/UCL303001)
6. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
7. Cairns Region
8. GeoNames
9. BBC Things
10. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/au.htm)
11. Quora
12. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
13. [Bureau of Meteorology](http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_031011_All.shtml)