Welcome to Australia

What can you tell about Australia? If I say Australia, what do you think about?

What did you study about Australia? What have you learned so far?

Some historical background Australia… was originally inhabited by the Aborigines, who now make up less than 3% of the population. was discovered by Captain James Cook on 28th April 1770 and became a British colony hosted then many convicts who were sent there from England because there was no more room for them in the prisons. Has been part of the Commonwealth since the beginning in 1931

Let’s revise some ordinary stuff… Australia is… …the largest island in the world …one of the driest continents in the world …located in the southern hemisphere and its seasons are opposite to ours

Living Down Under… …where some things are reverse Australians celebrate Christmas on the beach The coldest months are June, July and August The further north you go the hotter it gets Australian school year starts in January

The Outback… …the red centre of Australia and the driest, almost desert area of Australia

The Coast… Where most people live, in and around the major cities of the country. Here are also the most famous beaches of Australia.

Australia includes SIX STATES 1. New South Wales (Sydney) 2. Victoria (Melbourne) 3. Queensland (Brisbane) 4. South Australia (Adelaide) 5. Western Australia (Perth) 6. Tasmania (Hobart) TWO TERRITORIES 1. Northern Territory (capital Darwin) 2. Australian Capital Territory, where the federal capital, Canberra, is situated

ACT – Australian Capital Territory ACT actually corresponds to the city of Canberra, which is the Federal Capital of Australia, seat of the Federal Government and the administrative centre of Australia.

NSW – New South Wales Sydney is the state capital of NSW and it is the biggest city in Australia and it is famous for… …its harbour, which boasts an amazing bridge and a wonderful Opera house with the Bothanical Park in the backgroud …its beaches such as Bondi or Manly

VIC – Victoria Melbourne is the state capital of VIC and it is renown for its multicultural atmosphere and cultural-artistic vibe. Federation Square is the symbol of the city with its new trends. Albert Park hosts the Formula One Grand Prix circuit

QLD – Queensland Brisbane is the state capital of QLD. Queensland welcomes tourists from all over the world for the Great Barrier Reef and it is a wonderful destination for surfers as well with its beaches on the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

NT – Northern Territory Darwin is the state capital of the NT. Alice Springs is another important city in the NT mostly because of its location, almost to set the perfect centre of Australia. Ayers Rock or Uluru is a giant monolithic sandstone rock which lies in the middle of a flat desert area. Kakadu National Park is in the North of the country, in the tropical area, and it offers the chance to see some of the typical animals of the area including crocodiles!!!

Aborigines… You can see their influence in many names of places around Australia There are just few of them nowadays and they are undergoing a process of modernization, even though they are trying to defend their traditions. They have been in Australia for 60,000 years and they came originally from Asia. They used to live in nomad tribes moving and they used to hunt and pick up products growing spontaneously in nature

Aborigines… They have their own flag: black for the Aborigines, red for the Land, yellow for the sun. The Boomerang is a hunting weapon, it is made of wood and once thrown it will spin about and come back. The Didgeridoo is a musical wind instrument created by Aborigenes. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet.

What can you remember now?!? Look at the map to recall ideas and contents….

Now it is time to learn some lexis… G’day mate! Let’s have a barbie! Bikkie Arvo Aussie We live in Oz Bloke Sheila Can you guess the meaning of the following words/expressions?

Sounds of Australia

Waiting for you….