australia
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AUSTRALIA
THE FLAG AND COAT OF ARMS.
POLITICAL STATUS OF AUSTRALIA.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy (the British monarch is the official head of state). It is made up of six states and two major territories, each of which has its own parliament.
The federal parliament is found in Australia’s capital, Canberra.
Canberra lies roughly half way between Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.
QUEEN ELIZABETH IS HEAD OF STATE,
REPRESENTED BY THE GOVERNER–GENERAL
QUENTIN BRYCE, WHILE JULIA GILLARD IS THE
CURRENT PRIME MINISTER.
THE NEW PARLIAMENT IS SHAPED LIKE A
BOOMERANG!
WHERE IS THE COMMONWEALTH OF
AUSTRALIA?
Australia is the smallest continent and the sixth largest country in the world.
Located in the Southern Hemisphere, south of
Asia, it is sometimes called ‘Down Under’ because it is under the equator.
The Aussie band ‘Men at Work’ had a worldwide hit with their song about life in Australia
‘Land Down Under’.
WHERE ARE WESTERN AUSTRALIA,
QUEENSLAND, VICTORIA, TASMANIA, NEW
SOUTH WALES, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN
CAPITAL TERRITORY, NORTHERN TERRITORY?
AUSTRALIAN OVERSEAS TERRITORIES.
TOPOGRAPHY – AUSTRALIAN ALPS IN THE
SOUTH-EAST, DESERTS IN THE WEST.
CLIMATE FROM EQUATORIAL TO TEMPERATE.
THE FIRST PEOPLE TO LIVE THERE WERE
ABORIGINES, WHO CAME 40,000 YEARS AGO.
THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR ART, SPIRITUAL
BELIEFS AND MUSIC – PLAYED ON A
DIDGERIDOO, A WIND INSTRUMENT.
VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY BY TASMAN, COOK,
FLINDERS, TORRES AND OTHERS.
ABEL TASMAN WAS HERE IN 1606, JAMES COOK
CLAIMED EAST AUSTRALIA AS BRITISH IN 1770.
CONVICTS FROM BRITAIN AND IRELAND WERE
TRANSPORTED HERE FROM 1788 ONWARDS.
AUSTRALIA HAS ONLY 22.5 MILLION PEOPLE
AND IS ONE OF THE LEAST DENSELY POPULATED
COUNTRIES.
Australia is a country of migrants (people who have moved from other countries).
The earlier migrants were mostly British/Irish.
Later waves of immigration came from Italy,
Greece and Yugoslavia.
Most modern migrants come from Asia.
WHERE DO THE AUSSIES LIVE?
Despite the size of the continent, most people live in cities along the coast.
SYDNEY, NSW, IS FAMOUS FOR THE SYDNEY
OPERA HOUSE AND SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE.
MELBOURNE, IN VICTORIA, IS KNOWN FOR ART
AND ENTERTAINMENT.
OTHER IMPORTANT CITIES ARE SUB-TROPICAL
BRISBANE, IN QUEENSLAND, WITH GOLD COAST
AND SURFER’S PARADISE.
PERTH, IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, IS
ANOTHER MILLION-SIZED CITY.
ADELAIDE, IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA, HOSTED THE
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX.
QUEENSLAND HAS AMAZING BEACHES AND
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF – A CORAL REEF
WHERE YOU CAN GO SNORKELLING OR DIVING.
IN THE INTERIOR OF THE COUNTRY IS THE RED
AUSTRALIAN DESERT WHERE VISITORS COME
TO SEE ULURU (AYERS ROCK).
THE SOUTH AND WEST COASTS HAVE WINE
REGIONS AND UNSPOILT BEACHES.
TASMANIA, AN ISLAND 240 KM SOUTH OF THE
MAINLAND, IS KNOWN FOR ITS UNSPOILT
NATURE.
AUSTRALIA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS UNIQUE
WILDLIFE, WHICH EVOLVED TO SURVIVE THE
DIFFICULT CONDITIONS.
Some famous animals include the kangaroo:
THE WOMBAT AND THE KOALA:
AND THE DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS.
DANGEROUS AND KILLER ANIMALS INCLUDE
THE GREAT WHITE SHARK AND CROCODILE.
7 OF THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS SNAKES IN THE
WORLD LIVE IN AUSTRALIA, INC. THE TAIPAN.
BLACK WIDOW AND REDBACK SPIDERS CAN
ALSO KILL A PERSON.
THE EMU AND THE AGGRESSIVE CASSOWARY
ARE AMONG THE LARGEST (FLIGHTLESS) BIRDS.
TYPICAL SPORTS INCLUDE AUSSIE RULES
FOOTBALL (DERIVED FROM GAELIC FOOTBALL).
RUGBY UNION AND RUGBY LEAGUE.
MENS AND WOMENS CRICKET.
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN ARE THE BEST IN THE
WORLD AT NETBALL.
AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY
Australia is the world's twelfth largest economy and has the fifth highest per capita GDP
(nominal) at $66,984.
Agriculture has problems due to climate change, but still keeps 120,000,000 sheep and 25 million cows.
Wheat and barley are grown on large areas of irrigated land.
Sugar cane, cotton, sorghum and bananas are grown in Queensland.
MINERAL EXTRACTION, INCLUDING THE HUGE
GOLD MINE AT KALGOORLIE, COAL AND
URANIUM MINES PROVIDE EXPORT REVENUE.
NOW YOU KNOW MUCH MORE ABOUT
AUSTRALIA THAN YOU DID BEFORE?
Would you like to go there for a visit? I would love to, but the flights are very expensive.
Read through the worksheet and use information from this presentation and the internet to fill in the gaps!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia
HAVE FUN!
