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Australia
an introduction
Simonetta Gatto
Istituto Comprensivo di Casella
Location
 Southern hemisphere
 Continent: Oceania
 Sixth largest
country in the world
 It includes Tasmania
and numerous smaller
islands in the Indian
and Pacific Ocean.
Geography
• Between the Pacific and the
Indian Ocean.
• Interior: hot and dry
because it is a desert – the
outback.
• Several mountain ranges: the
Eastern Highlands in the
east, separating the coastal
plain from the rest of the
country.
• Western area: Western
Plateau with some mountain
ranges near the west coast.
The cities
• The cities are concentrated
in the south-east, because
the climate is mild and the
land is fertile.
• The biggest city is Sidney,
but the federal capital is
Canberra.
• Other important cities are
Melbourne and Adelaide.
• Perth is the only big city on
the west coast.
• Alice Springs is in the middle
of the country and of the
desert.
The political sytem
• Federal parliamentary
democracy and a
constitutional monarchy.
• Six states: New South
Wales, Queensland, South
Australia, Tasmania, Victoria
and Western Australia.
• Two territories: Northern
Territory and Autralian
Capital Territory.
• Its population is about 23
million.
The Head of State
This title is shared by two people: the British monarch –
today Queen Elizabeth II – and the Governor General who
represents the queen. The current Governor is Mrs
Quentin Bryce, the first woman to hold this role.
A democratic country
Like all democracies the political power
has three branches:
• Executive: a government headed by the
Prime Minister Tony Abbot.
• Legislative: a bicameral Parliament
• Judicial: Supreme Court
The Prime Minister Mr Tony Abbot and the Parliament.
The natural wonders
Ayers Rock, or Uluru, is the world's
largest monolith; it is in the
middle of the desert and is
sacred to the aborigines. It
changes colour during the day,
from red to violet, to orange
and brown. The nearest town is
Alice springs.
The Great Barrier Reef is a living
structure of coral reefs; it is
2,300 km long, at 20 to 200 km
from the north-east coast. It
contains 400 types of coral and
1,500 species of fish.
Australian wildlife
In Australia there are animals that are
not found in any other parts of the world
 Koala: small bear-like marsupial; it gets its name from an
aboriginal word meaning “no drink”, because it seldom drinks, but
eats eucalyptus leaves.
 Kangaroo: a mammal which carries its babies in a special pouch. It
has strong hind legs thanks to which it can jump up to nine
metres.
 Platypus: a strange mammal which lays eggs.
 Dingo: a wild dog which lives in the desert .
 Emu: a big bird, similar to an ostrich; it is one of the symbols of
the country
 Salt water crocodile: fast and dangerous reptile living in salt
water
Australian aborigines
•
Native people of the country
•
They arrived in Australia about
40,000 years ago.
•
They settled inland and they
have related their history and
culture through songs and
dance.
•
They lived in harmony until the
arrival of the first European
who took possession of their
land and started to persecute
them. Still today they do not
always enjoy human rights.
•
Some live in degrading
conditions, either in big cities or
on reservations.
The first Europeans in Australia
•
The first Europeans to arrive were
the Dutch in 1606.
•
In 1770 the British Captain James
Cook explored the south-east coast
and later, in 1788, Great Britain
established the first penal colony in
Botany Bay (today Sidney).
•
In the XIX century other colonies
were created by the British.
•
This was the beginning of the tragic
history of the Aborigines who grew
weaker and weaker because of
British hegemony.
•
The six colonies became independent
from the British Empire, after a
referendum, in 1901.
What language?
• The official language
is Australian English.
This is due to the fact
that Australia is an ex
British colony.
• The second generation
migrants are bilingual,
so some Australians
speak Mandarin,
Italian, Arabic, or
other languages, too.