Melbourne Tops The List Of Best Cities

Almost a decade at the top, Vancouver is the latest success in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city and home to two of the largest mining company in the world, the study of the world's best cities to live.

Resource-rich Canada and Australia have much in the top 10 of the 140 cities ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit, despite the rising cost of living is partly explained by the strong local currency.

Melbourne slipped at one point only semi-annual report based on a slight decline in scores infrastructure in the western city of Canada, EIU said. And 'pushed to third in Vancouver back in Vienna, the highest ranking city.

The result will strengthen the bragging rights for Melbourne, which has maintained its leading position in the Sydney study, which points a place to sixth. Australian cities, Perth and Adelaide is tied in eighth place, rounded at the top of the ranking of the nation Pacific cities.

Straddling the River Yarra, Melbourne has a coffee stain European style coffee culture and restaurants and a hidden passion for sports, including an annual Formula Grand Prix, cricket, rugby and Australian football is home. And while Western Australia and vast resources of eastern Queensland host iron ore and coal, which operates the country's exports, Melbourne is home to the company the world's largest mining company BHP Billiton Ltd. the local offices of Rio Tinto plc and many other resource companies.

"Australia, with low population density and relatively low crime, continues to deliver some of the most livable cities in the world," said Jon Copestake, editor of the study.

But it looks like the country feel the stress that mining boom has led to a two-speed economy, when other sectors facing a strong dollar and cheap Australian imports. House prices have risen dramatically over the past ten years, but sales of new homes fell 8% to its lowest level in July, then in January 2000 figures, this week, Housing Industry Association.

At the same time, Vancouver can take comfort from the fact that he slipped in the rankings, mainly because of the intermittent closure of Highway Malahat last key, EIU said, though he added that the fighting in June, after the NHL Stanley Cup finals between the Canucks and the Boston Bruins won the Cup as City slip score remains for future studies.

Cities are rated on the political and social stability, crime rates and access to health care quality. The survey also measures the level and variety of cultural and natural environment, education and standard of infrastructure, including public transport.

Honolulu is the city's highest-ranked 26 among the U.S., followed by Pittsburgh in the 30th. Harare, Zimbabwe, the city remained the lowest rank.