Meet Australia

Who discovered Australia? The first Europeans visited the shores of Australia in 1606. It was the Spanish ship of Luis Vaez de Torres.

In 1770 the English captain James Cook discovered the east coast of Australia. He raised the British flag and New South Wales as British Colony.

Physical features Australia is located south of Asia, between the Pacific and Indian Ocean. Australia, Tasmania and a number of smaller islands, Cocos Islands and Kangaroo Island form the Commonwealth of Australia.

Europe can be placed on Australia Australia’s area of 7, 706, 168 sq. km is nearly as large as the United States excluding Alaska and Hawaii. It is about 25 times larger than Britain and Ireland.

The longest river is the Darling (2,740 km).

Climate The climate of Australia ranges from the tropical regions of the Nothern Territory to the cool temperature conditions in Tasmania, Victoria, where it snows in winter. In January you can find most people at the beach.

Population Australia’s population is only 22 903 182.million people. Australia is a land of immigrants. Its population is subdivided into “original Australians” or Aborigines, “old Australians” and “new Australians”.

Australia’s territories and states There are six states and two territories in Australia. The two territories are Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. The six Australia’s states are New South Wales; Tasmania is the only island state, Victoria which is the smallest state, South Australia which is the driest state, Queensland, and Western Australia.

Australia’s cities More than 80 per cent of Australia’s populations live in the capital cities of the six states (Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne, and Perth). Sydney and Melbourne are modern seaports.

Canberra is not one of Australia’s largest cities, but it is a capital city of Australia.

The first things most people think of are the strange native animals The first things most people think of are the strange native animals. Australia’s best-known animals are the kangaroo, koala, dingo, Tasmanian devil, wombats, opossum, echidna, and platypus. There are also crocodiles in the north.

Koala The koala is one of the most famous animals. The koala lives on the leaves of eucalyptus trees. It eats only eucalyptus leaves and it sleeps in the day.

Platypus When the English scientists first saw the platypus they said that such animal couldn’t exist.

Some of Australia’s best known birds are the emu (which cannot fly), lyrebird, bower-bird, and kookaburra - the bird which laughs.

Australia’s symbol The Kangaroo, and the emu are the symbols of Australia

Australian food Among very popular products in Australia is vegemite. Vegemite is a vegetable extract used as a spread on the bread. There is the cake named in honor of the great Russian Ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is now a very popular desert and it is called the pav.

Kangaroo Fillet is a past of the Australian food choices, and it is not popular with all Australians. Damper is traditional Australian bread, made without yeast (дрожжи), and commonly made on a campfire in a cast iron camp oven.