AUSTRALIA

Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere.

Because it is south of the equator, the seasons in Australia are the opposite of those in Europe: it’s winter in Australia when it’s summer in Europe.

LOCATION

- It’s the 6th biggest country in the world.

- It’s an island, surrounded by water.

- It’s the smallest continent in the world.

Australia is composed of 7 territories:

Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales,

Victoria + Tasmania, and Papua New Guinea.

James Cook discovered Australia in 1770.

Britain sent prisoners

and criminals to Australia.

Europeans sold the land

of Aborigines and killed

thousands of them.

HISTORY

Native Australians. The Aborigines have lived in Australia for over 40,000 years. Now they only represent 1% of the population. The total population of Australia is 22 million.

The capital city is Canberra.

CITIES

The biggest city is Sydney, where there is the famous

Sydney Opera House.

OTHER IMPORTANT CITIES

Melbourne

Perth

Brisbane

Where are the majority of important cities in Australia?

CANBERRA

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. There are 340 800 people who live there. It doesn’t belong to a state but it is in theAustralian Capital Territory (ACT).

Canberra was started in 1913 and in the middle of the city is Lake Burley-Griffin.

Tourists who visit Canberra come to see the many national monuments and other famous sights. Some places to visit are the Government House, Parliament House, the High Court of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the Royal Australian Mint, Telstra Tower, the National Library of Australia, and the National Museum of Australia.

SYDNEY Sydney is a city on the east coast of Australia. Sydney is the capital

cityof New South Wales. About four million people live in Sydney which makes it the biggest city in Oceania.

In Sydney, there are many famous buildings: the Sydney Opera House, the Queen Victoria Building and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sydney has a large harbour and many beaches. The most famous beach is Bondi Beach, some other famous beaches are Coogee Beach and Manly Beach. Famous parts of the harbour are Darling Harbour and Circular Quay.

The most famous sports ground in Sydney is ANZ Stadium (which used to be called "Stadium Australia") because it was built for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Another stadium in Sydney is the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Sydney has many things to see and do. These include visiting Taronga Zoo (a park for animals) on the northern side of the harbour, eating food, looking at art or watching sports (like cricket or rugby) or walking down George Street which has many nice shops. Sydney has some of Australia's best shopping, and the Blue Mountains are about two hours' drive away to the west. Many people go to Sydney City to watch the great fireworks display over the harbour on New Year's Eve.

MELBOURNE Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia. It is

the capital of Victoria, which is a state in the south-east of Australia. The population of Melbourne is 3,806,092.

Melbourne is a multicultural city (it welcomes people and cultures from all over the world). It is famous for its trams (small short trains). The centre of Melbourne is around a river called the Yarra River. Melbourne also has many big parks and gardens and some beaches.

There are many things to do in Melbourne. Visitors in Melbourne can go to museums, look at art, eat food at restaurants, go to shops, and go to many large sport events.

There is a lot of industry (factories) and commerce (buying and selling) in Melbourne. Many of Australia's largest companies and many large companies from other countries work there. It is home to Australia's largest seaport. There are a number of universities (the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Deakin University, Victoria University, La Trobe University, RMIT University, Swinburne University and the Australian Catholic University). Much of Australia's automotive (car) industry is there, for example the engine maker "Holden", and "Ford" and "Toyota" car builders.

BRISBANE

Brisbane (local nickname Brissie) is the capital city and biggest city of Queensland.

It has a population of 2.2 million people and is the third biggest city in Australia, after Sydney and Melbourne.

The first free settlers moved to Brisbane in 1842. Brisbane became the capital city when Queensland became a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859.

Brisbane has more than 50 skyscrapers more than 100 metres (330 ft) tall.

If you go to Brisbane, you have to go to Southbank Parklands, that  is a  family-friendly parklands and provides the perfect setting for a great day out. With riverside cycling and walking paths, lush gardens, a beautiful inner city beach, a great range of dining options and vibrant shopping, there is something for everyone to enjoy!

PERTH

Perth is the capital city of the state of Western Australia. It is built on the banks of the Swan River. Almost 1.7 million people live in the city. It is the fourth biggest city in Australia, behind Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Perth was founded in 1829 by CaptainJames Stirling. Perth is famous for its beautiful white, sandy beaches. Popular local beaches include Cottesloe and Scarborough. These beaches are ideal for swimming and bodysurfing. A popular local tourist attraction is Rottnest Island, which is populated by small native mammals called Quokkas.

GEOGRAPHY

Uluru (Ayers Rock) is the world’s largest monolith. It is sacred for Aborigines.

It is very popular with tourists because of its beautiful colours.

THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG

Union Flag

6th British colony.

The Commonwealth 7 pointed star represents the 7 territories.

Southern cross symbolizes the constellation.

Other names for Australia

• Oz• Down Under

The currency is the Australian dollar.

In Australia it is usually very warm, so Australians love sport and other outdoor activities. The most popular are:

surfing

swimming

scuba-diving cricket

TYPICAL ANIMALS

Koala Kangaroo

Dingo

Platypus

Sugar glider

Tasmanian devil

Wombat

Possum

Australia has also some very poisonous snakes and spiders. At school children have to learn first aid for snake and spider bites.

SOME AUSTRALIAN SYMBOLS

An Aborigine

Sydney Opera House

built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon

Bondi Beach, Sydney

Ayers Rock or Uluru

A didgeridoo

A boomerang

Kangaroos in the Outback

The Great Barrier Reef