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Where is Gold Coast and is the 2018 Commonwealth Games host a city or region?

Australia is hosting the Games for the fifth time as athletes from around the world arrive on the East coast

Gold Coast is the sixth largest city in Australia

THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES have finally arrived - and Australia is preparing to host for the fifth time.

Athletes from around the world are heading to the picturesque Gold Coast for what should be a stunning 11 days of competition.

 Gold Coast is the sixth largest city in Australia
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Gold Coast is the sixth largest city in AustraliaCredit: Getty Images - Getty

And the area is used to welcoming a large number of people, with over 10 million visitors per year flocking to its white sand beaches.

Where is Gold Coast?

SITUATED in the state of Queensland, Gold Coast is one of the most beautiful places in Australia.

That puts it on the far east coast of the country, looking out onto the Pacific Ocean - and is just 41 miles south of Brisbane.

It is a leading tourist destination due to its sunny climate and surfing culture, whilst the city continues to thrive and grow since the boom of the 1980s.

 The Gold Coast is renowned for its surfer culture
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The Gold Coast is renowned for its surfer cultureCredit: PA:Press Association
 It is playing host to its first Commonwealth Games
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It is playing host to its first Commonwealth GamesCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Is it a city or region?

GOLD COAST is the name of the city - but the surrounding region is also known by the same name.

The city itself is the sixth largest in Australia and in 2016 had a census-estimated 2016 population of 638,090.

Experiencing a hot, humid sub-tropical climate, the area has warm winters and hot, humid summers.

 The stunning view over the Gold Coast volleyball court
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The stunning view over the Gold Coast volleyball courtCredit: Reuters
 The stunning beaches of the Gold Coast
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The stunning beaches of the Gold CoastCredit: Reuters

Has it hosted the Commonwealth games before?

AUSTRALIA has hosted the Games four times, making this their fifth.

This will be the first time that the event has been held on the Gold Coast.

The Games have being staged Down Under in Sydney (1938), Perth (1962), Brisbane (1982) and Melbourne (2006).

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