Six things you may NOT know about AUSTRALIA Presented by Violeta Velikova and Blagomira Ivanova

Location Australia is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its capital, Canberra, is inland. The country is known for its Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, a vast interior desert wilderness called the Outback, and unique animal species like kangaroos and duck-billed platypuses.

Flag It contains the flag of Great Britain, the big star below it which is called the Federation Star which symbolises Australia as an independent country and several smaller stars which represent the Southern Cross constellation.

A picture of the Southern Cross constellation:

History Australia was first discovered by Dutch sailors in 1606. In 1783 Great Britain sent ships to colonise Australia. The first British settlement was founded on 26th of January 1788 which later became the national day of Australia. In the early 20th century Australia became an independent nation as a former part of the colonies of Great Britain.

Mythology The beginnings of Australian mythology center on the Aboriginal belief system known as Dreamtime, which dates back as far as 65,000 years.Everything in the natural world is a symbolic footprint of the metaphysical beings whose actions created our world.

Art Australian art is any art made in Australia or about Australia, from prehistoric times to the present. This includes Aboriginal, Colonial, Landscape, Atelier, early twentieth century painters, print makers, photographers, and sculptors influenced by European modernism, Contemporary art. The visual arts have a long history in Australia, with evidence of Aboriginal art dating back at least 30,000 years.

Population The population of Australia is estimated to be 24,828,900 as of 3 March 2018. Australia is the 52nd most populous country in the world and the most populous Oceanian country. Its population is concentrated mainly in urban areas and is expected to exceed 28 million by 2030.

Thank you for your attention!