Australia (0)

Australia

Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent , yet also the smallest and the driest of all the continents . It’s almost the same size as continental USA, being the sixth largest country in the world. It’s also the oldest – some of the rocks are more than 3,000 million years old.
Australia is often called ‘Down Under’, because it lies in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result , its seasons are the opposite of ours. Australia, Tasmania and a number of smaller islands form the Commonwealth of Australia.
Because of the country’s great size, the climate in Australia ranges from tropical regions of the Northern Territory to the cool temperate conditions in the southeast and Tasmania, where it often snows in winter .
In the north , half the year is ‘wet’ and half is ‘dry’. From November to April heavy rain fills the rivers and makes enormous lakes where thousands of birds come for the summer . From May to October it is often sunny and dry for weeks, and it is a popular place for winter holidays in the sun.
In the hot, flat centre of Australia, there is an area called the ‘outback’. It covers more than two-thirds of Australia, but its population is less than 100,000. In some places , it doesn’t rain for years. There are hills and big dry salt lakes, and it is very difficult to grow anything there. Many people live on sheep or cattle stations, a few of which are as large as the country of England . The nearest neighbour can be a hundred kilometres away and the nearest city 1,500 kilometres away.
Australia has a population of about 23 million people, most of whom live in the south and east of the country, where the summers are warm and the winters not too cold .
The highest mountain in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko, at 2,228 metres . Australia’s longest river, the Murray -Darling, is 2,700 kilometres long. The only large permanent lakes in Australia have been artificially created, as most of the natural lakes there are dry for months or years at a time. Lake Eyre is the largest lake in Australia and also the lowest point.
One of the most beautiful things you can see in Australia is Uluru, also called Ayers Rock. It is an enormous rock in the middle of the desert in the Northern Territory. It is three kilometres long and nearly 2.5 kilometres high in total. It is 600 million years old, and it is the largest rock of its kind in the world. Uluru is a sacred place for the Aborigines.
Thanks to Australia’s isolation, it has plants and animals unlike anywhere else in the world. The kangaroo is the most well- known of them . They have strong back legs and tails , allowing them to travel at high speeds and jump very high and far. The koalas live in eucalyptus trees, sleeping for 18 hours and drinking almost nothing . Both of those animals have pouches for their babies.
Two very strange animals are the spiny anteater and the platypus. Their babies are born from eggs but drink milk from their mothers. There are more than 800 kinds of birds in Australia. The emu is a flightless bird. It is up to two metres tall and can run very fast.
The first people to inhabit Australia were the ancestors of the Aborigines, who arrived over 40,000 years ago. The first Europeans to sight the Australian continent were the Dutch in 1606. They called what they had found New Holland , but made no attempt at settlement. In 1770, James Cook sailed there, mapping the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Britain .
Britain started sending its convicts to the place now called Sydney , and they established the colony of New South Wales. This day is celebrated as Australia’s national day, Australia day. Most of the people there are of British origin, with a culture and outlook similar to the UK and USA.
In 1901, five colonies became states linked by one federal government – the Commonwealth of Australia.
English is the official language , and is spoken and written in a distinct variety known as Australian English. It is believed that there used to be around 200-300 Australian Aboriginal languages , when Europeans first came to the country. Now there are about 70, with all but 20 being endangered.
Australia’s population is very unevenly distributed. More than 80% of the people live in the six largest cities on the coast. Sydney is Australia’s oldest and largest city. Melbourne is the second largest city.
Australia consists of 6 states and is also divided into two mainland territories – the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. The Australian Capital Territory was formed in 1911 to provide a location for the new federal capital of Canberra . Canberra – an aboriginal word meaning “ meeting place” – is the newest city, and unlike other cities, it is a long way – 120 kilometres from the sea. It was created just for the sake of having a capital city. It is small in area and population.
Australia has an active tradition of music, ballet and theatre . The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. Australian Aboriginal music, dance and art have a great influence on Australian visual and performing arts today . Over the past 50 years, Australian culture has been strongly influenced by American popular culture ( particularly television and cinema ), large- scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries, and Australia's Asian neighbours.
Sport is an important part of Australian culture thanks to a climate that favours outdoor activities . At an international level, Australia has particularly strong teams in cricket, field hockey , netball, rugby league , rugby union, and performs well in cycling and swimming . Australia has participated in all the summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and all Commonwealth Games. Australia hosted the 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics . The Australian Open is one of the four major tennis competitions played in the world each year.
The Commonwealth of Australia, which is Australia’s full name, is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia. The Queen is represented by the Governor-General and six State Governors. The federal parliament has two houses and is elected by all Australian citizens. Voting is compulsory at elections and people who do not vote are fined . The leader of the political party with a majority in the House of Representatives becomes Prime Minister.
Australia is rich in natural resources. It is a major exporter of agricultural products , such as wheat , wool sugar cane, and minerals, including various metals ( copper , lead, gold , silver , tin and zinc ), coal and natural gas. Nearly all the world’s high- quality opals are mined in Australia. The service sector of the economy makes up 69% of the gross domestic product. Although both agriculture and natural resources give up only 5%, they make up most of Australia’s exports.
The best -known national symbols of Australia are the national flag, the coat of arms of Australia, the golden wattle, the opal, the colours green and gold and the National Anthem.
The national flag of Australia has the union Jack in the top left corner, which represents the history of Australia as a former British colony. The stars on the flag represent each of the states, the territories and the country’s location on the Southern Hemisphere. Each state and territory also has its own flag.
The Commonwealth Coat of Arms is an emblem signifying the national unity of Australia. It includes six parts, each representing one State. The shield on it is supported by a kangaroo and an emu. The Golden Wattle frames the Coat of Arms.
The Golden Wattle is the official national floral emblem. It’s an evergreen shrub that grows in the south and south- west part of Australia.
The national colours – green and gold, come from the floral emblem – the Golden Wattle. These colours have been worn by people representing Australia, especially sportsmen and women , for a long time.
The Opal is Australia’s national gemstone. It can be found in very few places in the world. 95% of the world’s precious opals are produced in the great desert regions of central Australia.
The national anthem is Advance Australia Fair .
Christmas and Easter are the two main national holidays in Australia. Another very important holiday in Australia is Australia Day. On that day – January 26, Australians celebrate their nationhood, as that day marks the first settlement in Australia by Europeans.
On September 17 is the Citizenship Day, and on March 21 is Harmony Day, which celebrates their racial respect and community harmony.
Melbourne cup day happens on the first Tuesday of November each year. The cup is a famous horse race . In fact , it’s so famous that most people stop whatever they were doing, and start watching the race on television.