Australia

– location: in the Southern Hemisphere; washed by the Indian Ocean in the north and south and the Pacific Ocean, Coral and Tasman Seas in the east

– size: 7,617,930 km2 (the world´s 6th largest country)

– population: 25,537,000

– constitutional monarchy – head: the Queen, represented by the Governor General; a parliamentary democracy

GEOGRAPHY:

· the flattest continent, the north-east: (sub)tropical rainforests, the south-east /south-west, east: mountainous

· the highest peak: Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m)

· arid (= very dry) in the interior (= the Outback), tropical, hot, humid (=very wet) in the North/ south-west, temperate in the south-east

HISTORY:

· Aborigines /æbəˈrɪdʒɪnɪz/ (= native inhabitants)… have been living in Australia for more than 40,000 years, they´re also called Aboriginal Australians, they now form only about 1.5% of the population

· first European explorers came in 17th century; the British came in 1770 to Botany Bay (= Sydney, New South Wales); they were led by James Cook, who claimed the area to be British.

· 1901 (Jan 1st) the Commonwealth of Australia came into being

· Australia Day (a national public holiday in Australia on 26 January, when people remember the founding of New South Wales on that date in 1788)

PLACES OF INTEREST:

· Sydney – it´s the seat of Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Harbour Bridge (the view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney)

· Melbourne – the world´s most liveable city, China Town

· Brisbane – the third most populous city in Australia, major art venues (místa), important sports venues, St. John´s Cathedral (built in the Gothic Revival, Anglican); St. Stephen´s Cathedral (Roman Catholic)

· Adelaide – nicknamed the City of Churches, main centre of the arts, there are several galleries and museums (Art Gallery of South Australia)