austraLia...

Hello I'd like to tell you sth. about Asutralia, because it's a beautiful continent, with many interessting things to see. I think I go there one day.

About Australia:

Australia’s name comes from the Latin word “australis” and means “Southern”. It’s the world largest island but also the world’s smallest continent. Australia’s area is 7.7 million square kilometres big and the country is 21 times bigger than Germany. The nickname of the Australian population is “Aussies”.

The History:

In 1770, James Cook claimed the land for Great Britain. Since that year it had become a British colony ruled by the British Queen. The first population of Australia dates back about 50.000 years. They were hunters and gatherers. Today, the Australian natives are called “Aboriginals” and they still live the old ways of the first inhabitants. Their favourite musical instrument is the “didgeridoo” (also known as “didjeridu”), it’s similar to a horn and can produce thousands of different sounds. The Australian population is a mix between Aboriginals, Americans, Europeans and many other nationalities.

In the 19^th century, Australia was used as a colony for British criminals who were deported to the continent as punishment. These criminals were the first white people settling in Australia. During the 19^th century, Australia was divided in five territories or states which still exist today: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.

In 1986, Australia became a separate nation which is not ruled by Great Britain any longer. It still is a constitutional monarchy and honors Queen Elizabeth II. as Queen but it is ruled by its own government.

The Australian flag shows the British flag in the upper left corner (as a sign that Australia had been ruled by Great Britain) and the five stars in the sky above the Southern Cross which marks Australia geographically. People say that the five stars represent the five states of Australia. The sixth star under the British flag is the Star of Federation.

The climate zones and geography: 

Australia has three different climate zones – The north is tropical, hot and wet. In the centre the climate is very dry. The south has cold winters and hot summers. Australia is the hottest, driest and flattest continent. Its biggest mountain is Mount Kosciusko which is 2000 metres high. Most of Australia is covered by desert lands and brush land/rain forest areas, and it has nice sea shores as well. The different areas have a great variety of plants and animals. Maybe the two most famous animals in Australia are the Koala Bear and the Kangaroo. The continent is the home of more than 300 thousand different kinds of animals. Many of them live in National Parks where they are protected and cared for.  There are strange and dangerous animals too, e.g. crocodiles which have increased in number, and Australia is home for the deadliest poisonous snakes and the deadliest spiders in the world. The sea around Australia is the home for many different kinds of fish, including the great white shark.

One of Australias main field to earn money or make a living is the raising of sheep and the export of sheep wool. In Australia there are 150 million sheep which are kept on sheep farms, similar to the cattle farms in America. To keep the dingos, the wild dogs of Australia, away from the farms and the civilization, the world’s largest fence is crossing the Australian outback. This fence is called the “Dingo Fence”. It is over five thousand kilometres long and was built about 100 years ago.

Tourist Attractions: 

There are many interesting sights for tourists in Australia. Visitors should travel to the capital, Canberra, and to the two largest cities, Sidney and Melbourne. In the year 2000, the Olympic summer games took place in Sydney, and the city is most famous for its harbour with the harbour bridge, the tower and the world famous Opera House. Every year there are several million tourists visiting Australia. They love to spend their time near the sea. The Great Barrier Reef with its millions of fish and coral runs along the east coast of Australia and is a paradise for divers. In the centre of Australia, one famous landmark is the Ayers Rock, which is colored deep red – red rocks, red sands, and in the evening there are even red skies.

Australia’s currency is the Australian dollar. One Australian dollar is 0,62 EUR. Whenever they talk about Australia, most people refer to the country as “Down Under” because it is on the other side (the underside) of the world.

Thank you for your attention. If you have any questions, I look forward to answer them…