The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South
Wales, Australia. It borders on Sydney's metropolitan area, its foothills
starting about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of the state capital. The public's
understanding of the extent of the Blue Mountains is varied, as it forms only
part of an extensive mountainous area associated with the Great Dividing Range.
Officially the Blue Mountains is bounded by the Nepean and Hawkesbury Rivers in
the east, the Coxs River and Lake Burragorang to the west and south, and the
Wolgan and Colo Rivers to the north. Geologically, it is situated in the
central parts of the Sydney Basin.
