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History:
The earliest European explorers who knew about this country were the Portuguese, namely Luis Vaes de Torres who sailed between Cape of York and New Giunea in the 16th century. After him Dutch navigators Dirk Hartog, Van Diemen and Abel Tasman who mapped much of the coast, but they don\' t try settling this continent.
No until 1770 landed near today’s Botany bay southerly from Sydney captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy. His ship was named Endeavour. Scientists and Botanists during their stay there made many discoveries. After Cook left Botany Bay he traveled north to the Australian coast suitable for settlement. He named this land New South Wales. During his stop in Queensland Cook even made contact with Aborigines.
Geography:
Australia is the only country occupying the whole continent. Covering area is about 7,6 millions square kilometers. It is the sixth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil. The coastline is 36 000 kilometers long. Australia is bounded by Pacific Ocean to the east, the Arafura sea to the north and the Indian Ocean to the west.
The highest mountain is Mt. Kosciusko (2 228 meters) and is situated between South Wales and Victoria. The fertile coastline surround dry and inhospitable center - the Outback. On this place are many salt lakes but beautiful mountains like McDonnel Ranges near Alice Springs, Flinders Ranges in South Australia and mysterious rock formations Ayers Rock, Mt. Olga or Mt. Augustus. The longest river is Darling measuring 1736 km and originating in Queenland.
Climate:
Australian seasons are the opposite to ours. Summer starts in December, Autumn in March and so on. Australia has a wide range of climates but without extremes (the average temperatures are from 23 to 26 ° C). Except southern areas.
Flora and Fauna:
It\' s possible to see various kinds of animals and flowers, thanks to isolation of Australia for more than 55 million years. The character of Australia’s fauna and flora could not be found anywhere else in the world. You can meet there egg lying mammals (platypus, echidna or spiny anteater). Other typical animals are wombats, koalas, kangaroos or carnivorous Tasmanian Devil. The Great Barrier Reef along the east coast of Queenland is the longest and the biggest complex of living coral system in the world.
Cities
Nearly 90 per cent of the population live in the cities along the coast. The largest and the most populous is Sydney (3,8 million people), followed by Melbourne (3 mil.). The third largest is Brisbane (1,5 mil.), followed by Perth (1,2 mil.), Adelaide (1,07 mil.), Canberra (is main city with 300 000 peoples), Hobart (195 000) and Darwin (82 000).There are tendencies to build multistory office blocks in central business districts, and gleaming glass and concrete towers dominate the skyline in most capital cities. All state capital cities are built either on or very near the water, even Canberra, although an inland city, is dominated by lake Burley Griffin.
Aboriginal history and culture:
Aborigines have been living on the continent for last 50 million years, originally migrating from Indonesia. The oldest skeleton found in Australia was 38 000 years old. Aborigines from Torres Islands are one of the oldest civilization in the world. They have no written history and from their culture there remain only fragments like ground sculpture, body painting, wood carving and bark painting, combined with rich oral tradition.
Art and Culture:
The Australians are a nation of festival-goers. You can open any city paper and you will find performances by chamber orchestras, opera, avant-garde plays, Shakespearean classics, world music, the big hits from Broadway, dance, Aboriginal culture, comedy cabaret, art shows and many others.
Australia literature is one of the vital branches and authors have won many awards. Australians are one of the nations buying most books and magazines in the world.
Australian films are making a big international impact (great success of movie named Crocodile Dundee).
An architectural masterpiece and Australia’s foremost tourist attraction, the Sydney Opera House is one of the busiest performing arts centers in the world. All forms of performing arts are represented. Around 3000 events and performances are staged each year in four venues, attracting audiences of approximately two million.
Transport:
Althought Australia is a vast country it is easily explored by plane, sail and coach. The oldest airline service is Quantas - they have in sign a flying kangaroo on its red tail.
Trains operate in all states except Tasmania. The longest straight stretch of railway in the world is Sydney-Pertham (478,4 km).
Australia has about 70 ports of commercial significance and it trades with more than 200 countries around the world.
Communications and Media:
There are more than 1200 magazines and newspapers. The oldest was printed in 1831.
First Radio began operating in 1912, and the first television station working from 1956. Now there are 41 TV stations and 3 satellite stations and something aboot 260 radio stations.
Education:
The first school in Australia was set up in Sydney in 1789 and the University of Sydney was established in 1850. Education is compulsory for children from 5 to 15 years. Even Children in Australia Outback are educated by radio station School of the Air and their homework is sent by post
Political system:
Australia is an independent state in British Commonwealth of Nations. The head of state is Governor.
Australia is a federal state consisting of six states, two territories and each state has its own government and its own capital city, is it: Western Australia (Perth), Queensland (Brisbane), New South Wales (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne), South Australia (Adelaide), Tasmania (Hobart) and the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. The capital city is Canberra. However, Sydney is the oldest, largest, the most beautiful and the most modern city. It is the main port and the capital of New South Wales. Its population is 3,7 million people. Sydney is dominated by the Harbor Bridge whose arch is 134 meters over water level. The next interest is a Opera House designed by a Danish architect. It stands it the harbor and looks exceptional.
Economy:
Australia is a rich country: iron ore, oil, natural gas, and coal are found there, but also gold, silver and other precious metals. Is a greatest producer of the wool in the world. Its second biggest export is wheat, other exports are beef, mutton, and minerals.