Angličtina - Australia

• capital: Canberra (Melbourne in the past)
• official language: English
• largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
• population: 20 mil.

Geography and climate

• lies at the bottom of the Earth between Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean
• only nation in the world that is also a continent
• 7.6 mil sq km, mostly flat except for Great Dividing Range
• cities separated by long distances
• biggest island - Tasmania
• many contrast in the landscape
• huge central desert surrounded by a semi-desert zone (Great Victoria Desert, Great Sandy Desert)
• tropical rainforests and jungle in the north
• Eucalyptus forests in southern areas (e.g. near the Australian Alps)
• many different climates
• tropical in the north with two seasons (Rainy and Dry)
• days are hot, nights are cold in the desert
• the South have four seasons (mild winters, hot summers)
• major rivers: the Murray and the Darling in the sout-east
• highest point: Mt. Kosciuszko (2228 m)
• lowest point: Lake Eyre (16 m below sea level)

Symbols

• flag
• flag is blue and includes the flag of the UK, the Southern Cross constellation (five stars) and a large seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star (which represents the federation of colonies of Australia)

Government

• head of government: Prime Minister Kevin Michael Rudd
• head of state: Queen of the UK (Governor General)
• legislature: Parliament of two houses: Senate and House of Representatives
• political subdivisions: Six states and two territories (Western Australia, Southern Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania; Northern Territory, Capital Territory)

Economy

• currency: Australian dollar
• agriculture: sheep, cattle, wheat, wool, milk
• manufacturing: processed food and beverages, iron and steel, chemicals, textiles
• mining: coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, lead, zinc
• Australian sheep grow on quarter of all wool in the world, some sheep farms (called stations) are bigger than the smallest  of European countries

History

• Australia was discovered by Dutch (maybe also Portuguese) navigators (17th century)
• the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman discovered Tasmania in 1642, early name of Australia was "New Holland"
• british captain James Cook explored the eastern coast in 1770 and at the Botany Bay, he named this new land "New South Wales"
• captain Arthrur Philip brought the first settlers (mainly from England)
• Australia was originally a penal colony
• the discovery of gold in the middle of the 19th century attracted many immigrants, population increased rapidly, six separate colonies were founded
• 1901 - Commonwealth of Australia

• ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army troops (volunteers)
• April 25, Anzac Day
• 1915 - 8000 ANZACs died near ancient city of Troy (Gallipoli Peninsula)

Places of interest

• Sydney - Australian largest city, 60 km of beaches, famous Sydney Opera House (looks like waves breaking on the shore), Summer Olympics in 2000
• Canberra - capital city in Capital Territory since 1927, the Australian War Memorial
• Melbourne - nation's financial and commercial centre, Royal Botanic Garden
• Tasmania - Island state off the southeastern coast, more than one-fifth covered by national parks, Tasmanian devil (named after sound he makes)
• Great Barrier Reef - World's longest coral reef (2000 km), rich marine life
• Ayers Rock - huge sandstone, 348 m above desert floor, area of 3.3 sq km

Animals

• kangaroo - female has a pouch in which its young are carried
• koala - tree climbing mammal
• emu - large bird which cannot fly
• tasmanian devil

Transport

• air travel - 455 airports
• railways - 47,738 km

Aborigines

• original Australian people are called the Aborigines
• many tribes (small groups on large territory)
• 200 languages, up to 1.5 mil. people in the past, 600 tribes
• no-return boomerang for hunting and war
• didgerido - musical instrument