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Geography
Australia is a continent, a country and an island all at the same time. It is the sixth largest country and the smallest continent in the world. Australia is situated in the south of Asia, between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. It occupies the territory of about 7.7 million square kilometres. Australia is located in the southern hemisphere. That is why it has summer when we have winter and it has winter when we have summer. January is the hottest month in Australia.
Scenery
Australia is the world’s driest continent. Huge areas of land are so dry that they are uninhabited. It is a land of great contrasts. There are rainforests in the north, snowfields in the south-east, desert in the centre and fertile croplands in the south and south-west.
Australia is also the flattest continent after Antarctica.
Wildlife
Australian plants, animals and birds are unique because the continent has been isolated for so long. Its best-known animals are the kangaroo, the koala and the dingo (a wild dog). The koala is the best loved of all Australian animals and one of the symbols of the country. About 400 species of birds in Australia are found nowhere else in the world. The emu is the most interesting bird in Australia. It is big and cannot fly. The kangaroo and emu can be seen on Australian’s coat of arms. The kookaburra is another interesting Australian bird. It cannot sing, but it laughs like a human.
The first Australians
Captain James Cook discovered Australia in 1770. Aborigines were the first inhabitants of Australia and came from the north by boat over 40,000 years ago. For many years they had little contact with other cultures. A few thousand aborigines still live traditionally by hunting and living together in tribes. Many have moved to cities.
Population
Australia has a population of about seventeen million people. Over 85 per cent of the population lives in big cities. Some people live in remote areas and they do not even have a telephone, communicating with the rest of the world by radio. Australia is a multicultural society. People from about 200 nations live there.
Economics
As for agriculture Australia is famous for its wheat and wool production.
As for industry it is highly industrialized with more than 62,000 factories employing 1.4 million people.
Tourism is very important for the country. Tourists attend big horse races; go in for windsurfing and fishing camping.
Politics
Australia is a parliamentary democracy and it is also a federation of six states that forms the Commonwealth of Australia. These States are Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland. There are also two Territories: Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
Canberra is the capital of Australia. Australia has a Federal Government plus six separate State Governments. Queen Elisabeth II is also the Queen of Australia and is represented by a Governor-General and by a Governor in each state.
official language
The flag of Australia has the small Union Jack (the UK flag), the large seven-pointed star and the Southern Cross.
Australia’s currency unit is the Australian dollar.
Its official language is English, spoken with a distinctive Australian accent.
Answer the following questions:
1. Where is Australia situated?
2. What is the hottest month in this country? Why?
3. What do you remember about its scenery?
4. Can you name some of the Australian animals?
5. Who were the first Australians? What’s their life like?
6. What is the population of the country?
7. Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. How many nations are there?
8. What do you remember about its agriculture, industry and tourism?
9. What is Australia politically?
10. How many states are there in Australia?
11. What is the capital of the country?
12. Who is the Queen of Australia?
13. What does the national flag of the country look like?
14. What is the currency unit called?
15. What is the official language in Australia?
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