Australia

Captain James Cook discovered Australia(1770) and claimed for Britain Factfile Australia-official name Commonwealth of Australia . Total area – 7.700.000 sq.km Population – 22 million people. Head of the state-Queen Elisabeth represented by Governor-General Form of the government-federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy National holiday-Australian Day,16 January National symbols-Kangaroo and Emu National Anthem- “Walzing Matilda” Capital city – Canberra Official language – English. Money – Australian dollar Captain James Cook discovered Australia(1770) and claimed for Britain

The country consists of six states and two territories. Location Australia is a large country lying between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is a continent-island. The country consists of six states and two territories.

Australian National Flag comprises the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.

Language The official language is British English. But Australia has got its own dialect of English - Australian English. Australian people call it “strine” which means “Australian”.   aussie - Australian      lollies - sweets      chewie - chewing gum      mossie - mosquito      chockie - chocoloate      mushies - mushrooms      footy - football (Australian rules, of      sammie - sandwich course)      sunnies - sunglasses

Population 22 million people live in Australia.

Capital Canberra Canberra was specially planned as a capital. It is a quiet city. All the government buildings are situated there. There are no industrial plants in the city. About 300000 people live in Canberra.

Canberra. Australian Parliament.

Sydney Sydney is the oldest and largest city in Australia. It was founded in 1788. Sydney is a big industrial centre. About 3 million people now live in the city.

Sydney sightseeings Sydney Harbour Sydney Opera House

Nearly three quarters of Australians live in metropolitan cities and coastal areas. The beach is integral part of the Australian identity.

Aborigines Aborigines are native Australian people. The first Australian people were dark-skinned Aborigines, and though the coming of the white settlers destroyed their tribal lives, some sixty thousand still survive in Australia today. Their account for about 1 percent of the population. They may be found in the island areas of the country. Some live in modern cities but it is not really easy for them. They have to fight for their rights.

Aborigines: children

Aboriginal Art They use dots in their paintings.

Wildlife Australia is a marsupial world

Red Kangaroo The Red Kangaroo is Australia's largest kangaroo of the nearly 60 species in the kangaroo family. The weight of the Red Kangaroo ranges from 18kg up to 90 kilograms. Height ranges from 74-140cm to two metres. The tail of the Red Kangaroo (used for jumping) ranges in length from 64cm to 1 metre. Lifespan in the wild is thought to be around 15 years. The Red Kangaroo can run as fast as 65kph.

Koala Koalas are found in South Eastern Australia. The name koala, comes from the Aboriginal saying that means "no drink". The Koala obtains enough moisture from the eucalyptus leaves that it lives on.

DINGO. Australia's Wild Dog. It is a wild form of the domestic dog.

Crocodiles Salt vs Fresh 1) Fresh water crocodiles have a narrower snout. 2) Fresh water crocodiles are smaller than the "Saltys“. 3) Fresh water crocodiles can only live in fresh or slight salty water, whilst the saltwater crocodile can survive in both types of water. 4) Saltys lay eggs in nests of vegetation whilst freshwater crocs lay their eggs in sand. 5) Fresh water crocs teeth are shaped more like needles for piercing fish. 6) Saltwater Crocs reproduce in the WET season while Freshwater Crocs reproduce in the DRY season.

Emu A flightless bird, there is only one species of Emu, which is the worlds 3rd largest bird behind the Ostrich and Cassowary. Emus are very mobile quick runners (up to 50 kph), running with a bouncy, swaying motion. Emus are generally nomadic, with some emus roaming over hundreds of kilometers. Location & Habitat Emus are found throughout Australia from woods to scrubland to grassland to desert areas but not in rainforests.

Platypus The shy Platypus is found only in eastern Australia, where they live on the edges of rivers and freshwater lakes where burrows can be dug. It lays eggs and produces milk for its young. The Platypus has a bill that resembles a duck's bill. The body of the platypus is 30 to 45 cm long; the flattened tail measures 10 to 15 cm in length. The feet are webbed. The body and tail are covered with a thick, soft, woolly layer of fur. A Platypus grows to a maximum weight of 1 to 2.4 kg . The Platypus is known to live for at least 12 years in the wild.

Echidna In size Echidnas are between 35 - 45 cms long and weigh anything between 2-7 kg. They live in New Guinea and Australia. The echidnas are named after a monster in ancient Greek mythology. It lays eggs and produces milk for its young.

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