МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ КЫРГЫЗСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ

ОШСКИЙ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ИМ. А.А. АДЫШЕВА

ГУМАНИТАРНО - ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ КОЛЛЕДЖ

КАФЕДРА “ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО И МИРОВЫХ ЯЗЫКОВ”

КОНСПЕКТ ЛЕКЦИИ
по дисциплине страноведение для студентов очного отделения, обучающихся по
специальности: 050720 - Переводческое дело

Количество кредитов – 2

LECTURE NOTES
in the discipline Country Studies for full-time students studying in the specialty
050720 – Translation Studies

Amount of credits -2

Составитель: Камбарали уулу У.

Ош-2021
Lecture 1

Geographical position, composition and climate of the United Kingdom.

Plan:
1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2. The Island of Great Britain
3. Climate
4. Vegetation and Wildlife

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies most of the
territory of the British Isles. It consists of four main parts which are: England, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the state
which is sometimes referred to as Great Britain or Britain (after its major isle), England (after its
major historic part) or the British Isles.
The UK is an island state: it is composed of some 5,500 islands, large and small. The two
main islands are Great Britain (in which are England, Wales and Scotland) to the east and Ireland
(in which are Northern Ireland and the independent Irish Republic) to the west. They are
separated by the Irish Sea.
The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries (it is twice smaller than France or Spain),
with an area of some 244,100 square kilometers. The UK is situated off the west coast of Europe
between the Atlantic Ocean on the northwest and the North Sea on the east and is separated from
the European continent by the English Channel (or La Manche) and the Strait of Dover (or as de
Calais).
The population of the UK is nearly 59 million people. There are seventeen other countries in
the world with more people.
English is not the only language which people use in the United Kingdom. English is the
official language. But some people speak Gaelic in western Scotland, Welsh – in parts of
northern and central Wales.

The Island of Great Britain

Great Britain is the name of the largest island of the British Isles and it is made up of
England, Scotland and Wales, it does not include Northern Ireland. Geographically, the island of
Great Britain is subdivided into two main regions – Lowland Britain and Highland Britain.
Lowland Britain comprises southern and eastern England. Highland Britain consists of Scotland,
most of Wales, the Pennines, and the Lake District. The Pennine Chain extends southward from
the Cheviot Hills into the Midlands, a plains region with low hills and valleys.
England is separated from Scotland by the Cheviot Hills, running from east to west.
The chief rivers of Great Britain are: the Severn, flowing along the border between England
and Wales, tributaries of which include the Avon, famed by Shakespeare; the Thames, which
flows eastward to the port of London and some others. The swiftest flowing river in the British
Isles is the Spey. Part of the border between Scotland and England is along the lower reaches of
the Tweed, near which is made the woolen fabric that bears its name.
There are many lakes in Great Britain. On the northwest side of the Pennine system lies the
Lake District, containing the beautiful lakes which give it its name. This district is widely known
for its association with the history of English literature and especially with the name of William
Wordsworth, the founder of the Lake School of poets.
 Climate

The climate in the UK is generally mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf
Stream. The southwestern winds carry the warmth and moisture into Britain. The climate in
Britain is usually described as cool, temperate and humid. The weather is so changeable that the
English often say that they have no climate but only weather.
Therefore it is natural for them to use the comparison ‘as changeable as the weather’ of a person
who often changes his mood or opinion about something. The weather is the favourite topic of
conversation in the UK.
As the weather changes with the wind, the Britain is visited by winds from different parts of the
world, the most characteristic feature of Britain’s weather is its variability.
The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning,
when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long. Rainfall is more or less even
throughout the year. In the mountains there is heavier rainfall than in the plains of the south and
east. The driest period is from March to June and the wettest months are from October to
January. The average range of temperature (from winter to summer) is from 5 to 23 degrees
above zero. During a normal summer the temperature sometimes rises above 30 degrees in the
south. Winter temperatures below 10 degrees are rare. It seldom snows heavily in winter, frost is
rare. January and February are usually the coldest months, July and August the warmest. Still the
wind may bring winter cold in spring or summer days. Sometimes it brings whirlwinds or
hurricanes. Droughts are rare.
So, we may say that the British climate is never too hot or too cold. Winters are extremely
mild. Snow may come but it melts quickly. In winter the cold is humid, but not dry. This humid
and mild climate is good for plants. Trees and flowers begin to blossom early in spring.

Vegetation and Wildlife

The humid and mild climate of Great Britain is good for plants and flowers. Some of the
have become symbols in the UK. The red rose is the national emblem of England, the thistle is
the national emblem of Scotland and the Edinburgh International Festival. The daffodils and the
leek are the emblems of Wales, the shamrock (a kind of clover) is the emblem of Ireland.
The UK was originally a land of vast forests, mainly oak and beech in the Lowlands and pine
and birch in the Highlands, with great stretches of marshland and smaller areas of moors. In the
course of time, much forest land was cleared and almost all the Lowlands outside the industrial
areas were put under cultivation. Today only about six per cent of the total land area remains
wooded.
Extensive forests remain in eastern and northern Scotland and in southeastern and western
England. Oak, elm, ash, and beech are the commonest trees in England, while Scotland has much
pine and birch. The Highlands with thin soil are largely moorland with heather and grasses. In
the cultivated areas that makes up most of Britain there are many wild flowers, flowering plants
and grasses.
The fauna or animal life of the UK is much like that of northwestern Europe, to which it was
once joined. Many larger mammals such as bear and wolf have been hunted to extinction, others
are now protected by law. About 50 land mammals are still found in the UK. There are many
foxes. Otters are common along rivers and streams, and seals live along parts of the coast.
Hedgehogs, hares, rabbits, rats and mice are numerous. Deer live in some of the forests in the
Highlands of Scotland and in England. There are several small lizards, two or three kinds of
snakes, and several kinds of frogs and toads. Some 230 kinds of birds live in the UK, another
200 are regular visitors, and many are songbirds. The most numerous are blackbird, sparrow and
starling. Robin Redbreast is the national bird of the UK. The number of ducks, geese and other
water fowl has diminished during recent years. Partridges, pheasants and other large and rare
birds are protected by law. Gulls and other sea birds nest near the coast.There are many threats to
wildlife and ecological balance around the coast. The biggest threat to the coastline is pollution.
Even much-loved Blackpool is not officially safe. More than 3.500 million tons of industrial
waste were pumped into the North Sea every year.
‘We cannot continue to use our seas as a dustbin and expect our coastline to survive’, says
Greenpeace. Many other ecological problems may be caused by privatization of the coast.

Lecture 2
The system of British education

Plan:
1. The British system of education
2. Pre-primary and Primary Education
3. Secondary Education
4. Public Schools – for Whom?
5. Life at College and University
6. Oxbridge

The British system of education

Great Britain does not have a written constitution, so there are no constitutional provisions
for education. The system of education is determined by the National Education Acts. Schools in
England are supported from public funds paid to the local education authorities. These
authorities are responsible for organizing the schools in their areas.
Let’s outline the basic features of public education in Britain. Firstly, there are wide variations
between one part of the country and another. For most educational purposes England and Wales
are treated as one unit, though the system in Wales is a little different from that of England.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own educational systems. Secondly, education in
Britain mirrors the country’s social system: it is class-divided and selective.
The first division is between those who pay and those who do not pay. The majority schools in
Britain are supported by public funds and the education provided is free. They are maintained
schools, but there is also a considerable number of public schools. Parents have to pay fees to
send their children to these schools. The fees are high. As a matter of fact, only very rich families
can send their children to public schools. In some parts of Britain they still keep the old system
of grammar schools, which are selective. But most secondary schools in Britain which are called
comprehensive schools are not selective – you don’t have to pass as exam to go there.
Another important feature of schooling in Britain is the variety of opportunities offered to
schoolchildren. The English school syllabus is divided into Arts (or Humanities) and the
Sciences, which determine the division of the secondary school pupils into study groups: a
Science pupil will study Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics (Maths), Economics, Technical
Drawing, Biology, Geography; an Art pupil will do English Language and Literature, History,
foreign languages, Music, Art, Drama. Besides these subjects they must do some general
education subjects like Physical education (PE), Home Economics for girls, and technical
subjects for boys, General Science. Computers play an important part in education. The system
of options exists in all kinds of secondary schools.
The National Curriculum which was introduced in 1988 sets out in detail the subjects that
children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the age of 7, 11, 14,
and 16, when they are tested. Until that year headmasters and headmistresses of schools were
given a great deal of freedom in deciding what subjects to teach and how to do it in their schools
so that there was really no central control at all over individual schools. The National Curriculum
does not apply in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach. After the age
of 16 a growing number of school students are staying on at school, some until 18 or 19, the age
of entry into higher education in universities, Polytechnics or colleges. Schools in Britain
provide careers guidance. A specially trained person called careers advisor, or careers officer
helps school students to decide what job they want to do and how they can achieve it.

class school age

nursery school playgroup or kindergarten 3-4
reception class 5
year 1 infant school 6
year 2 7
year 3 primary school 8
year 4 junior school 9
year 5 10
year 6 11
year 7 12
year 8 13
year 9 secondary school 14
year 10 15
year 11 16
year 12 sixth form college 17
year 13 18
first year (fresher) 19
second year University or Polytechnic 20
third/final year 21
postgraduate University 23

Pre-primary and Primary Education

In some areas of England there are nursery schools for children under 5 years of age. Some
children between two and five receive education in nursery classes or in infants classes in
primary schools. Many children attend informal pre-school play-groups organized by parents in
private homes. Nursery schools are staffed with teachers and students in training. There are all
kinds of toys to keep the children busy from 9 o’clock in the morning till 4 o’clock in the
afternoon – while their parents are at work. Here the babies play, lunch and sleep. They can rub
about and play in safety with someone keeping an eye on them.
For day nurseries which remain open all the year round the parents pay according to their
income. The local education authority’s nurseries are free. But only about three children in 100
can go to them: there aren’t enough places, and the waiting lists are rather long.
Most children start school at five in a primary school. A primary school may be divided into
two parts – infants and juniors. At infants schools reading, writing and arithmetic are taught for
about 20 minutes a day during the first year, gradually increasing to about 2 hours in their last
year. There is usually no written timetable. Much time is spent in modeling from clay or
drawing, reading or singing.
By the time children are ready for the junior school they will be able to read and write, do
simple addition and subtraction of numbers. At seven children go on from the infants school to
the junior school. This marks the transition from play to ‘real work’. The children have set
periods of arithmetic, reading and composition which are all Eleven Plus subjects. History,
Geography, Nature Study, Art and Music, Physical Education, Swimming are also on the
timetable.
According to their ability to learn, pupils are streamed into A, B, C and D streams. The least
gifted are in the D stream. Formerly towards the end of their fourth year the pupils wrote their
Eleven Plus Examination. The hated 11+ examination was a selective procedure on which not
only the pupils’ future schooling but their future careers depended. The abolition of selection at
Eleven - Plus Examination brought to life comprehensive schools where pupils can get
secondary education.

Secondary Education

After the age of 11, most children go to comprehensive schools of which the majority are for
both boys and girls. About 90 per cent of all state-financed secondary schools are of this type.
Most other children receive secondary education in grammar and secondary modern schools.
Comprehensive schools were introduced in 1965. The idea of comprehensive education,
supported by the Labour Party, was to give all children of whatever background the same
opportunity in education.
At 16 students in England and Wales take GCSE examinations (General Certificate of
Secondary Education). In 1988 these examinations replaced the GCE (General Certificate of
Education) and O – levels (Ordinary level) which were usually passed by about 20 per cent of
school students.
GCSE examinations are taken by students of all levels of ability in any of a range of subjects,
and may involve a final examination, and assessment of work done by the student during the
two-year course, or both of these things.
Some comprehensive schools, however, do not have enough academic courses for sixth-
formers. Students can transfer either to a grammar school or to a sixth-form college to get the
courses they want. At 18 some students take A – level (Advanced level) GCE examinations,
usually in two or three subjects. It is necessary to have A – levels in order to go to a university or
Polytechnic. But some pupils want to stay on at school after taking their GCSE, to prepare for a
vocational course or for work rather than for A – level examinations. Then they have to take the
GPVE examination which means the Certificate of Pre – Vocational Education.
In Scotland students take the SCE examinations (Scottish Certificate of Education). A year
later, they can take examinations called Highers after which they can go straight to a university.
Secondary education in Northern Ireland is organized along selective lines according to
children’s abilities.
One can hardly say that high quality secondary education is provided for all in Britain. There
is a high loss of pupils from working-class families at entry into the sixth form. If you are a
working-class child at school today, the chance of your reaching the second year of a sixth-form
course is probably less than that for the child of a professional parent. Besides, government cuts
on school spending caused many difficulties.

Public Schools – for Whom?

About five per cent of children are educated privately in what is rather confusingly called
public schools. These are the schools for the privileged. There are about 500 public schools in
England and Wales, most of them single-sex. About half of them are for girls.
The schools, such as Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Winchester, are famous for their ability to lay
the foundation of a successful future by giving their pupils self-confidence, the right accent, a
good academic background and, perhaps most important of all, the right friends and contacts.
People who went to one of the public schools never call themselves school-leavers. They talk
about ‘the old school tie’ and ‘the old boy network’. They are just old boys or old girls. The fees
are high and only very rich families can afford to pay so much. Public schools educate the ruling
class of England. One such school is Gordonstoun, which the Prince of Wales, the elder son of
the Queen, left in 1968. Harrow School is famous as the place where Winston Churchill was
educated, as well as six other Prime Ministers of England, the poet Lord Byron, the playwright
Richard Brinsley Sheridan and many other prominent people.
Public schools are free from state control. They are independent. Most of them are boarding
schools. The education is of a high quality; the discipline is very strict. The system of education
is the same: the most able go ahead.
These schools accept pupils from preparatory schools at about 11 or 13 years of age usually
on the basis of an examination, known as Common Entrance. There are three sittings of
Common Entrance every year in February, June and November. Scholarships are rarely awarded
on the results of Common Entrance. The fundamental requirements are very high. At 18 most
public school-leavers gain entry to universities.

Life at College and University

The academic year in Britain’s universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education is divided

into three terms, which usually run from the beginning of October to the middle of December,
from the middle of January to the end of March, and from the middle of April to the end of June
or the beginning of July.
There are about one hundred universities in Britain. The oldest and best-known universities
are located in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh,
Southampton, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham.
Good A-level results in at least two subjects are necessary to get a place at a university.
However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after
interviews. For all British citizens a place at a university brings with it a grant from their local
education authority.
English universities greatly differ from each other. They differ in date of foundation, size,
history, tradition, general organization, methods of instruction, way of student life. After three
years of study a university graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science,
Engineering, Medicine, etc. Later he may continue to take a Master’s Degree and then a Doctor’s
Degree. Research is an important feature of university work.
Some of those who decide to leave school at the age of 16 may go to a further education
college where they can follow a course in typing, engineering, town planning, cooking, or
hairdressing, full-time or pert-time. Further education colleges have strong ties with commerce
and industry.
There is an interesting form of studies which is called the Open University. It is intended for
people who study in their own free time and who ‘attend’ lectures by watching television and
listening to the radio. Hey keep in touch by phone and letter with their tutors and attend summer
schools. The Open University students have no formal qualifications and would be unable to
enter ordinary universities.

Oxbridge

Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest universities in Great Britain. They are often called
collectively Oxbridge. Both universities are independent. Only the education elite go to Oxford
or Cambridge. Most of their students are former public schools leavers.
The normal length of the degree course is three years, after which the students take the
Degree of Arts (B.A.). Some courses, such as languages or medicine, may be one or two years
longer. The students may work for other degrees as well. The degrees are awarded at public
degree ceremonies. Oxford and Cambridge cling to their traditions, such as the use of Latin at
degree ceremonies. Full academic dress is worn at examinations.
Oxford and Cambridge universities consist of a number of colleges. Each college is different,
but in many ways they are alike. Each college has its name, its coat of arms. Each college is
governed by a Master. The larger ones have more than 400 members, the smallest colleges have
less than 30. Each college offers teaching in a wide range of subjects. Within the college one will
normally find a chapel, a dining hall, a library, rooms for undergraduates, fellows and the Master,
and also rooms for teaching purposes. Oxford is one of the oldest universities in Europe. It is the
second largest in Britain, after London. The town of Oxford is first mentioned in the Anglo-
Saxon Chronicle in 911 A.D. and it was popular with the early English kings. The university’s
earliest charter is dated to 1213. There are now twenty-four colleges for men, five for women
and another five which have both men and women members, many from overseas studying for
higher degrees. Among the oldest colleges are University College, All Souls and Christ Church.
Cambridge University started during the 13 th century and grew until today. Now there are
more than thirty colleges. On the banks of the Cam willow trees drown their branches into the
water. The colleges line the right bank. There are beautiful college gardens with green lawns and
lines of tall trees. The oldest college is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and the most
recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King’s
College because of its magnificent chapel, the largest and the most beautiful building in
Cambridge and the most perfect example left of English fifteenth-century architecture. Its choir
of boys and undergraduates is also very well known.

Lecture 3
Geographical position and natural resources of USA.
Plan:
7. Geographical position of USA.
8. Weather and climate.
9. Natural resources.
10. Natural Parks.
The United States of America has an area of 3,615,122 square miles (9,4 mln square
kilometers) almost all of which is on the American continent. Its overseas possessions are mainly
small Pacific Islands (Guam, Samoa, etc.)plus Puerto Rico. There are 50 states and one Federal
District, created as a site for the Federal Capital, Washington, and known as the District of
Columbia. The USA is considered to be the fourth largest country in the world. From New York
in the East to San Francisco or Los Angeles in the West, i.e. from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific
coast, you have to travel more than 4,500 km and leave behind four time zones. The other two
states, Alaska and Hawaii, are situated respectively near the Arctic circle and in the tropical part
of the Pacific Ocean (3,200 km from the mainland).
Thanks to these geographical extremes, different parts of the country range from moist rain
forest areas to arid desert regions and bald mountain peaks. Mount McKinley in Alaska of
20,320 feet (6,194 meters) above sea level is the highest point in the USA, while part of Death
Valley in California is 282 feet (89 meters) below sea level. The West is an extensive mountain
area occupying approximately one-third of the United States and is a region of tremendous
variety, which can be subdivided into various other areas. It consists of high ranges of the
Cordillera parallel to the Pacific Coast culminating on its eastern border in the Rocky Mountains
(a high, discontinuous chain of mountains with peaks of 13,000 and 14,000 feet), which, in their
turn, stretch from mountainous Alaska down to Mexico. These mountains are rich in resources
such as gold, lead and uranium.
Among high mountains at the western edge of the Cordillera – the Sierra Nevada, the
Cascades and the Coastal Ranges – there are broad, fertile valleys and large plateau regions with
canyons, cliffs and basins that contain many important metals, oil and natural gas.
The heart of the United States is a vast plain, which extends from Central Canada southwards
to Mexico and from the Cordillera eastwards to the Appalachian Mountains. These interior
plains, which rise gradually like a saucer to higher land on all sides, are divided into two major
parts: the eastern portion is called the Central Plains and the western portion – the Great Plains,
both of which have good soil.
The Appalachian Mountains – a chain of low, almost unbroken mountains – are extremely
rich in coal and iron. These mountains are at the western edge of the Atlantic coastal plain, which
is a long, gently rolling lowland area. These coastal plains are very flat: nowhere in Florida, for
example, is more than 350 feet above sea level. The soil is very poor, except in the fertile
southern part – the Cotton Belt of the Old South and the citrus country of Central Florida.
Hawaii is a chain of twenty islands, only seven of which are inhabited. The mountainous
islands were formed by volcanic activity and there are still a number of active volcanoes.
The United States has immensely long rivers. There are a large number of rivers in the
eastern part of the country, the longest of which is the Missouri (4,740 km), a tributary of the
Mississippi (3,950 km). The Mississippi-Missouri system extends for over 6,000 km before
entering the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans. Two other tributaries of the Mississippi – the
Ohio and Tennessee – are more than 1,500 km long.
In the West the Rio Grande, which forms part of the United States-Mexico border, flows for
3,016 km and only the Colorado (2,320 km), Columbia (2,240 km) and the San Joaquin-
Sacramento river systems reach the Pacific.

Weather and Climate

Virtually every type of climate can be found somewhere in the United States – from arctic in
Alaska to subtropical in Florida. The climate is not generally temperate, despite the latitude,
because the tremendous size of the North American land mass heightens the extreme variations
in temperature and precipitation, especially in the central regions.
Most of the country has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters,
while the lack of natural barriers either to the north or south allows cold, dry air to flow south
from Canada and warm, humid air north from the Gulf of Mexico, giving rise to spectacular
weather of every possible type in the Great Plains and Midwest. Summers are hot and very
humid in this region and rainfall decreases to the west as a result of the rain shadow created by
the West Pacific Range and the Sierra Nevada. The southwest portion of the Great Plains is the
hottest and most arid region of the United States, with precipitation, mostly in the form of
summer showers, averaging less than 250 mm a year.
The Pacific coast is almost rainless in the summer, although there is often fog. In winter there
is frequent drizzle, but the climate remains generally warm and dry, especially in California.
The eastern part of the country is moderately rainy, with the precipitation fairly well
distributed throughout the year. Summers tend to be extremely humid, especially along the coast
of Texas and Florida.
Natural Resources
The United States possesses vast non-fuel natural resources. The major resource is iron, three
quarters of which comes from the Lake Superior region of the Great Lakes. Other basic metals
and minerals mined on a large scale are zinc, silver and phosphate rock. This wealth is
distributed throughout most of the country, but Texas and the West (especially California) are the
most important mineral-producing areas. Mining and quarrying account for only about 2 % of
GNP.
The United States produces one quarter of the world’s coal and one seventh of its petroleum,
with sufficient coal reserves to last for hundreds of years. About half of the nation’s electric
power comes from coal-fired power stations, while natural and manufactured gas supply more
than 33 % of the nation’s power. The main gas fields are found near the main oil fields in Texas,
Louisiana and Alaska. Nuclear power is also used in many places, using uranium mined in New
Mexico and Wyoming, and produces over 10 % of the nation’s energy output.

Natural Parks
No nation had ever done anything like that, the very idea of the Federal Government’s setting
aside a portion of the public domain in the Rocky Mountains for use as a national ‘pleasuring
ground’ instead of for private exploitation by farmers, ranchers, or miners had a faintly improper
ring, particularly in the ‘robber baron’ era of unbridled private enterprise following the Civil
War.
Nevertheless, depictions by artists and photographers, and the reports of official survey teams
all pointed to one inevitable conclusion: that the Yellowstone region of the Rockies was of such
exceptional beauty, such awe-aspiring dimensions, that this sublime gift of nature was a natural
treasure, far too valuable for private development, and that it must belong in perpetuity to the
entire American people.
Accordingly, Congress passed and President Grant signed legislation establishing
Yellowstone National Park, which over the years has been extended to take in 2.2 million acres
of breathtakingly beautiful country in Idaho, Montana, and – mainly – Wyoming. Yellowstone
became the first reserve of its kind in the world and the model for US national park system.
Almost two decades passed before new national parks were created, and then, in 1890,
Sequoia and Yosemite were both established in California. Subsequently, the pace quickened,
particularly during Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation-minded administration, when eight new
national parks were established.
Today there are 38 national parks, most of them in the West, covering more than 14 million
acres. Additional millions of acres have been set aside as national monuments, national
recreation areas, national forests and national seashores. Within those sanctuaries millions of
vacationing Americans each year enjoy days or weeks of relaxation amid nature’s most
impressive splendors – preserved by man for posterity.

Control Questions:
1.Name 50 states of the United States of America.
2.What are the main natural resources of each state of the USA?
3. What are the biggest rivers of the United States?
4. Name the trees which prevail in the United States.
5. What kind of birds live in the United States?
6. Why were the national perks established?
7. Name the most popular and the biggest national parks.
8. Where is the USA situated?
9. What countries does the USA boder on?
10. What are the highest mountains of the country?
11. What can you say about the climate of the country?
Lecture 4
Population and regions of USA
Plan:
1. Population of the USA
2. The Northeast region of USA
3. The Southeast region of USA
4. The Midwest region of USA
5. The Southwest region of USA
6. The West region of USA
7. Alaska
8. Hawaii
The United States population is projected by the U.S. Census Bureau to be 309,589,000,
including an estimated 11.2 million illegal immigrants. The third most populous nation in the
world, after China and India, the United States is the only industrialized nation in which large
population increases are projected. With a birth rate of 13.82 per 1,000, 30% below the world
average, its populatin growth rate is 0.98%, significantly higher than those of Western Europe,
Japan, and South Korea.
In fiscal year 2009, 1.1 million immigrants were granted legal residence. Mexico has
been the leading source of new residents for over two decades; since 1998, China, India, and the
Philippines have been in the top four sending countries every year.
The United States has a very diverse population—thirty-one ancestry groups have more
than a million members. White Americans are the largest racial group; German Americans, Irish
Americans, and English Americans constitute three of the country's four largest ancestry groups.
African Americans are the nation's largest racial minority and third largest ancestry group. Asian
Americans are the country's second largest racial minority; the two largest Asian American
ethnic groups are Chinese American and Filipino American. In 2008, the U.S. population
included an estimated 4.9 million people with some American Indian or Alaskan native ancestry
(3.1 million exclusively of such ancestry) and 1.1 million with some native Hawaiian or Pacific
island ancestry (0.6 million exclusively).

Race/Ethnicity (2008)
White 79.8%
African American 12.8%
Asian American 4.5%
Native Ametican and Alaskan native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander 0.2%
Multiracial 1.7%
Hispanic (of any race) 15.4%

The population growth of Hispanic and Latino Americans (the terms are officially
interchangeable) is a major demographic trend. The 46.9 million Americans of Hispanic descent
are identified as sharing a distinct "ethnicity" by the Census Bureau; 64% of Hispanic Americans
are of Mexican descent. Between 2000 and 2008, the country's Hispanic population increased
32% while the non-Hispanic population rose just 4.3%. Much of this growth is from
immigration; as of 2007, 12.6% of the U.S. population was foreign-born, with 54% of that figure
born in Latin America. Fertility is also a factor; the average Hispanic woman gives birth to three
children in her lifetime. The comparable fertility rate is 2.2 for non-Hispanic black women and
1.8 for non-Hispanic white women (below thereplacement rate of 2.1). Minorities (as defined by
the Census Bureau, all those beside non-Hispanic, non-multiracial whites) constitute 34% of the
population; they are projected to be the majority by 2042.
About 82% of Americans live in urban arears (as defined by the Census Bureau, such areas
include the suburbs); about half of those reside in cities with populations over 50,000. In 2008,
273 incorporated places had populations over 100,000, nine cities had more than 1 million
residents, and four global cities had over 2 million (New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and
Houston). There are fifty-two metropolitan arears with populations greater than 1 million. Of the
fifty fastest-growing metro areas, forty-seven are in the West or South. The metro areas ofDallas,
Houston, Atlanta, andPhoenix all grew by more than a million people between 2000 and 2008.

The Northeast
Stretching down the Atlantic coast from Maine to Delaware, the Northeast is home to some
of the country’s oldest settlements and most densely populated areas in the nation. Early
colonists The Southwest from Europe built settlements along harbors and rivers. Residents of
Boston were among the first to advocate and act upon American Independence. The
Revolutionary War took place here, and many events from the war are remembered at historic
sites throughout the region.
The coastline varies from sandy beaches in New Jersey to the rocky shores of Maine. Inland,
the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Maine through western Pennsylvania and southward.
The Southeast
Many geographic features are represented in the Southeast. Extensive uplands, including the
Appalachians, Blue Ridge Mountains, and Great Smoky Mountains, extend across the region.
The Coastal Plain separates these mountains from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Emptying into the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River creates a finger-like delta at the tip of
Louisiana. There are many swamps in the humid lowlands, such as the Louisiana bayous, the
Okefenokee Swamp, and the Florida Everglades.
The Midwest
Rolling hills, grassy plains, and fertile croplands spread across the wide-open land of the
Midwest. The region extends from the Great Lakes to the high plains alongside the Rocky
Mountains. Glaciers smoothed the land millions of years ago, and also carved out the Great
Lakes, which contain ninety-nine percent of all fresh water in the nation. Most of the Midwest is
drained by the Mississippi River and two of its tributaries, the Ohio and the Missouri. Plentiful
rain fall in the eastern two-thirds, and well water is widely pumped in the drier portions. This
reliable water supply provides good conditions for growing corn, wheat, and soybeans. This
region is also a source of beef, pork, milk, and cheese.
The Southwest
The Southwest is a mostly dry landscape of mountains, plains, and deserts. Flowing through
the Colorado Plateau, the Colorado River has carved vast gorges such as the Grand Canyon,
revealing beautiful layers of rock. The towering, snow-capped Rocky Mountains in the west
contrast with the plains in the east, where wheat fields and cattle ranches can be found. Ancient
Native American cliff dwellings, as well as Spanish and Mexican settlements called “pueblos”,
tell the story of the past inhabitants of the region. Descendants of these peoples still live in the
Southwest, including the Navajo, Native Americans famous for their silver, turquoise jewelry,
and hand-woven rugs.
The West
The West is home to the country’s highest mountains and deepest canyons. Many national
parks are scattered throughout the Rocky Mountains as well as the Pacific states, where active
volcanoes and fault lines make this a changing landscape. Valuable resources – gold, silver, and
oil – have long lured residents to the West. Many westerners raise sheep and cattle and grow
crops like wheat and potatoes. Vast forests in Oregon and Washington provide jobs in the timber
industry, and California is known for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables.
Alaska
Although Alaska is quite large in area, its population is relatively small. Hunting and fishing
using traditional methods are still practiced by natives, such as the Inuits. Mt. McKinley is
located in Denali National Park and it’s the highest peak in the United States, standing at 20,320
ft.
Hawaii
Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii is almost 2,500 miles from the U.S.
mainland. The state is actually a chain of 132 volcanic islands, although only eight of these form
a majority of the territory. The islands are known for their rugged sea cliffs, tropical beaches, and
beautiful flower.
Control Questions:
1. What is the total area and population of the country?
2. How many states does the USA consist of? What do you know about their capitals?
3. Speak about the regions of the United States of America.
4. What fields of industry and what natural resources can be found in every US region?
5. What is the difference between “Migration” and “Immigration”?
6. What ethnic groups of American people do you know?

Lecture 5
Government of USA
Plan:
1. Three Branches of Government of USA
2. State and Local Government
3. Two- Party System
4. The Democratic Party
5. The Republican Party

Three Branches of Government

Within then national government, power is divided among three branches: the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches.
The legislative branch consists of Congress, which has two parts - the House of
Representatives and the Senate. Congress's main function is to make laws. There are 100
senators (two from each state) and 435 representatives (the number from each state depends on
the size of the state's population).
The President is the head of the executive branch and the country. The executive branch
administers the laws (decides how the laws should be carried out). In addition to the President,
the Vice-President, and their staffs, the executive branch consists of departments and. agencies.
There are now 14 departments, including Treasury, State, Defense, and Health and
Human Services. Each department has different responsibilities. For example, the Treasury
Department manages the nation's money, while the State Department helps make foreign policy.
The President appoints the department heads, who together make up the President's Cabinet, or
advisers. The agencies regulate specific areas. For example, the Environmental Protection
Agency tries to control pollution, while the Securities and Exchange Commission regulates the
stock markets.
The judicial branch interprets the laws and makes sure that new laws are in keeping with
the Constitution. There are several levels of federal courts. The Supreme Court is the most
important, it has nine members who are appointed for life.
The system of checks and balances, established by the Constitution, is meant to prevent
any branch from having too much power. Each branch has certain controls over the other
branches. For example, Congress makes the laws but the president can veto, or reject, a law and
the Supreme Court can decide a law is unconstitutional.

State and Local Government

Each state has its own constitution. Like the national government, state governments are
divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches. There are state senators and
representatives and state court systems. Just as the President is the leader of the national
government, each state has a governor as its leader. Below the state level of government, there
are county and city governments.

Two- Party System

The United States has two main political parties - the Democratic and Republican parties.
Many other smaller parties play little if any role. Voters elect the president, as well as senators,
representatives, governors, etc.
A voter can choose candidates from different parties (e.g., vote for Republicans for President and
vice-president and a Democrat for senator), so the President does not have to be from in fact,
voters have tended to choose Republican presidents and Democratic congresspeople.
There are not clear differences between the Republican and Democratic parties. The
Republicans tend to be more conservative and to have more support among the upper classes,
while the Democrats tend to be more liberal and to have more support among the working
classes and the poor.
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United
States, along with the Republican Party. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered
center-left in the U.S. Political spectrum. The party boasts the lengthiest record of continuous
operation in the United States. The party contains the most registered voters of any political
organization in the world as of 2004, with 72 million voters. Polls taken over the last decade
indicate that roughly 35% of American voters self identify as Democrats.
Since the 2006 general elections, the Democratic Party has been the majority party in
both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Democrats also hold a majority
of state governorships and control a majority of state legislatures. Barack Obama, the current
President of the United States, is the 15th Democrat to hold the office.

The Republican Party is one of the is one of two major contemporary political parties in
the United States, along with the Democratic Party . Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists
in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the
two major parties. The party's platform is generally considered right of center in the U.S.
political spectrum.
The Republican Party has the second most registered voters as of 2004 with 55 million,
encompassing roughly one-third of the electorate. As of mid-2010, Republicans fill a minority of
seats in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, hold a minority of state
governorships, and control a minority of state legislatures.
Control Questions:
1. What are the branches of the US Government?
2. How many chambers does the Congress of the USA consist of?
3. What are the main political parties in the USA?
4. Who is responsible for the state policy?
5. What are the differences in function and composition between the American Congress
and the Senate?
6. How is the American Government elected?

Lecture 6
Canada
Plan:

1.The geographical position

2.History

Canada is situated in the northern part of the continent of North America. It does not in-
clude Alaska.
Canada has an area of nearly ten million square kilometres. It is the second largest country
in area after Russia.
Its land boundaries are along the United States of America in the South and along Alaska
(USA) in the North-West.
Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its eastern coast is washed by the At-
lantic Ocean. In the North it is washed by the Arctic Ocean. And through the Arctic Ocean
Canada stretches to the North Pole. This makes Canada the northernmost country in the world.
The country is very big and occupies the territory from the Great Lakes in the South to the
Arctic Circle in the North. So, it has many different types of land: arctic tundra, mountains,
forests, central plains and vast prairies, high plains, fjords, lakes and rivers, islands and even a
desert.
There are many islands in the North — the best known is Victoria Island.
Canada is so big that a former prime minister of Canada, Mackenzie King, once said that
Canada had "too much geography"... And he was certainly right.
The Rocky Mountains and the Coast Mountains run along the Pacific coast.
The Western Cordillera is famous for the country’s highest mountain, Mount Logan, 5,951
metres high. It is situated on the territory of Yukon.
In Labrador and parallel to the eastern coast of Canada there are also mountains. Labrador
is a peninsula on the eastern coast of Canada. Some mountains are also on the island of Baffin
Land.
Almost half of the territory of Canada is occupied by the Canadian Shield. It is a huge area
which has a shape of a horse-shoe. It stretches around the Hudson Bay from Labrador coast to
the St. Lawrence lowlands. The Canadian shield is:
 the largest natural region in Canada;
 the world’s largest freshwater island;
 the most sparsely populated territory in Canada.
Geographers gave this region its name because they thought its shape was like a shield.
It is peculiar that water is everywhere in Canada. This country contains more freshwater
than any other country — 25 per cent of the world’s resources.
 Apart from the oceans on its sides, Canada is a country of lakes. It has seven of the
world’s largest lakes (some shared with the US). The province of Ontario alone has 400,000
lakes, big and small, so many that we can hardly count them.
The Great Lakes are situated along the boundary between Canada and the USA. They
include 5 lakes:
 the Huron
 the Ontario
 the Michigan (this lake is on the territory of the USA)
 the Erie
 the Superior
For you to remember their names better, keep in mind the combination of letters — H, O,
M, E and S (HOMES) — where H stands for the Huron, O stands for the Ontario etc.
There are three larger lakes such as:
 Great Bear Lake
 Great Slave Lake
 Lake Winnipeg
In addition to the lakes Canada has three of 20 world’s largest rivers.
 the St. Lawrence River
 the Mackenzie
 the Yukon
All of them flow into three different oceans: the St. Lawrence River flows into the Atlantic
Ocean, the Mackenzie flows into the Arctic Ocean from the Rocky Mountains and the Yukon
flows into the Pacific Ocean.
Besides these three, there are also the Nelson and the Saskatchewan.
Niagara Falls are one of the most wonderful sights in the world. They are located on the
Niagara River between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the USA
(see page 89).
Since Canada is so big and stretches for thousands of kilometres it has many climatic re-
gions with their own weather conditions.
Winter in Canada lasts from four to five months with heavy snowfalls. There is much rain
in the east and west but less in the central area. The north of the country, near the Arctic, is tun -
dra with great forests to the South. The central plains form the prairies — a large area of grass-
covered land.
There are many trees in this country — forests cover around 25 per cent of its land. Plant
life is different and depends much on climate and land. Most common trees are sugar maple,
beech, balsam poplar, fir, yellow pine, hemlock and cedar.
The maple tree has become the most prominent Canadian symbol. Its leaf can be found on
the Flag of Canada, its coat of arms, coins and many other things.
The animals in the country have very much in common with those of Northern Europe and
Asia. There is the beaver, the sable, the wolverine, the brown bear, the elk, the polar bear, the
buffalo, the lemming and the grizzly bear.
The beaver became the official emblem of Canada in 1975.
The country has such mineral resources as iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, diamonds,
silver, coal, natural gas.
Forests (with timber) and rivers (with hydropower stations and fish) and its wildlife are
other important natural resources there.
Canada is one of the world’s largest exporters of agricultural products (wheat, meat, dairy
products, some kinds of fruit, especially apples.

History
The first inhabitants of Canada were native Indian peoples, primarily the Inuit (Eskimo). The
Norse explorer Leif Eriksson probably reached the shores of Canada (Labrador or Nova Scotia)
 in 1000, but the history of the white man in the country actually began in 1497, when John
Cabot, an Italian in the service of Henry VII of England, reached Newfoundland or Nova Scotia.
Canada was taken for France in 1534 by Jacques Cartier. The actual settlement of New France,
as it was then called, began in 1604 at Port Royal in what is now Nova Scotia; in 1608, Quebec
was founded. France's colonization efforts were not very successful, but French explorers by the
end of the 17th century had penetrated beyond the Great Lakes to the western prairies and south
along the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the English Hudson's Bay Company
had been established in 1670. Because of the valuable fisheries and fur trade, a conflict devel-
oped between the French and English; in 1713, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Nova Scotia
(Acadia) were lost to England. During the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), England extended its
conquest, and the British general James Wolfe won his famous victory over Gen. Louis Mont-
calm outside Quebec on Sept. 13, 1759. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 gave England control.

Lecture 7
Plan:
1. Education in New Zealand 

The educational system in New Zealand is extremely varied and is one of the best in the
world. According to scores, it has the highest levels of literacy, mathematics, and sciences in the
country. The public educational system is one of the best funded in the world; New Zealand of-
fers the highest percentage of public funding in education in the world. Several indices rate New
Zealand as the number one country in the world for education.
So what makes New Zealand so unique? What makes it different than all of the other developed
countries that provide education to their children? It is based on several things; first, because
New Zealand natives believe in giving everyone the education that they deserve. There are many
private schools, but because the country is so great at giving their public schools the monies they
need, many parents are just as happy using the public system.
The other reason is because the educational system focuses on both practical and academic
achievement. Instead of sticking to a regimen that no one really understands and doesn’t really
tell us anything, the New Zealand public education system focuses on being open-minded and
letting children explore, thus allowing them to learn in the best way that they can. This gets them
ready for college or the workplace upon finishing their secondary education.

Primary and Secondary Schools

Almost all primary and secondary schools have a set schedule, usually from 9 AM to 3:30 PM.
They go to school throughout the year, with four different terms spread out evenly. The terms are
as follows:
 Term 1: February to mid-April
 Term 2: Late April to early July
 Term 3: Mid July to late September
 Term 4: Mid October to mid-December
There is a two-week break between terms one and two, two and three, and three and four. Be-
tween term four and the following term 1, there is a 6 week summer break, lasting part of De-
cember and all of January.
There are three types of primary and secondary schools that you will see.
–          State-funded, or public, schools. These schools are free, with minor costs for books,
school supplies, and uniforms (if they are used; most New Zealand schools have them). The
school that a child attends is based on where they live
–          State-integrated religious schools. There are a number of schools that are religious in na-
ture (Catholic) which have been integrated into the public school structure. These are, of course,
options for those who wish for their children to have a religious education. These schools are
free, with minor costs for books, school supplies, and uniforms.
–          Private schools cost anywhere from $4,000 to $28,000 a year. These may be religious,
but they can also be more academically intense or provide options according to what a parent
may want.
There are differences between primary and secondary school, but students must attend school
from the age of 6 until they are 16. Here are some of the differences you will see.
–          Primary school. From ages 6 to 12, a child attends primary school. Most primary
schools have 23 to 29 students per teacher, sometimes less if it is a private or state-integrated
school. Primary schools may include preschool, but there are also preschools that work on their
own. Preschool is not required.
–          Secondary school. Referred to as “high school” or “college,” secondary school has one
teacher per 17 to 23 students; sometimes it is as low as 10 if it is a private or state-integrated
school. Each secondary school uses a practical curriculum to help students get prepared for either
the work world or higher education, and the curriculum is regulated by the Government’s Educa-
tion Review Office. Some secondary schools will allow their senior students to take the Cam-
bridge International Exam or the International Baccalaureate, which grant them credits and
recognition in higher education programs worldwide.

Higher Education
Higher education is incredibly important, and we will explore it more in our sections that focus
on the higher education systems. There are eight universities throughout the country, along with
18 technology institutions and over 600 training schools which help with specialized skills. Five
of the universities in New Zealand are considered to be in the top 50 of the world’s universities
according to the QS World Top 500 rankings. New Zealand is known for its business, technol-
ogy, engineering, medicine, and biological sciences, and the schools are world class. The higher
education program is subsidized by the New Zealand government for permanent residents.
Like you would expect from the Kiwis, New Zealand’s higher education system is also quite
laid-back. Even though you have to meet vigorous requirements and have to do particular tasks
in order to stay on a student visa, it is nowhere near as intense as going into an Ivy League
school in New England or the Group of Eight in Australia. You will get a great education with-
out the cost of your mental health in the process, which is a great advantage no matter who you
are.

Lecture 8
Plan:
1. Geography of Australia
2. Australia in Brief

Australia comprises a land area of almost 7.7 million square kilometres (sq km). The bulk
of the Australian land mass lies between latitudes 10 degrees 41 minutes (10° 41′) south (Cape
York, Queensland) and 43° 38′ south (South East Cape, Tasmania) and between longitudes 113°
09′ east (Steep Point, Western Australia) and 153° 38′ east (Cape Byron, New South Wales).
The most southerly point on the mainland is South Point (Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria) 39°
08′ south. The latitudinal distance between Cape York and South Point is about 3,180 kilome-
tres (km), while the latitudinal distance between Cape York and South East Cape is 3,680 km.
The longitudinal distance between Steep Point and Cape Byron is about 4,000 km. In a jurisdic-
tional and economic sense, however, Australia extends far beyond this land mass.
The state of Tasmania includes numerous small islands and extends to Macquarie Island which
lies approximately 1,470 km south east of the main island. The territories of Australia include
the Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands, Heard Island, the Mc-
Donald Islands, Norfolk Island, the Coral Sea Islands, Ashmore Island, and Cartier Island. In to-
tal there are some 12,000 islands. While most of these islands are small, the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea allows Australia jurisdiction over large tracts of the ocean
and seafloor that surround them.
Australia has an Exclusive Economic Zone that is 200 nautical miles wide (370.4 km). This is
measured from the lowest astronomical tide – the lowest level that sea level can be predicted to
fall to, under normal meteorological conditions. The Exclusive Economic Zone gives Australia
jurisdiction over a marine area of some 10 million sq km.
The land area of Australia is almost as great as that of the United States of America (excluding
Alaska), about 50% greater than Europe (excluding the former USSR) and 32 times greater than
the United Kingdom.
Australia is the lowest, flattest and, apart from Antarctica, the driest of the continents. Unlike
Europe and North America, where some landscapes date back to around 20,000 years ago, when
great ice sheets retreated, the age of landforms in Australia is generally measured in many mil-
lions of years. This gives Australia a very distinctive physical geography.
Much of the centre of Australia is flat, but there are numerous ranges (e.g. Macdonnells, Mus-
grave) and some individual mountains of which Uluru (Ayers Rock) is probably the best known.
Faulting and folding in this area took place long ago. The area was worn to a plain, and the plain
was uplifted and then eroded to form the modern ranges on today’s plain. In looking at Uluru,
one remarkable thing is not so much how it got there, but that so much has been eroded from all
around to leave it there.
The Australian landforms of today are thus seen to result from long continued processes in a
unique setting, giving rise to typical Australian landscapes, which in turn provide the physical
basis for the distribution and nature of biological and human activity in Australia.

Australia in Brief
Australia is an independent Western democracy with a population of more than 22 million. It is
one of the world’s most urbanised countries, with about 70 per cent of the population living in
the 10 largest cities. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the
south-eastern corner of the continent.
Australia’s lifestyle reflects its mainly Western origins, but Australia is also a multicultural so-
ciety which has been enriched by over six million settlers from almost 200 nations. Four out of
ten Australians are migrants or the first-generation children of migrants, half of them from non-
English speaking backgrounds.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people totalled 410 003 at the last census, nearly 2.2 per
cent of the population. Two thirds of the indigenous people live in towns and cities. Many oth-
ers live in rural and remote areas, and some still have a broadly traditional way of life. It is gen-
erally thought that Aboriginal people began living on the continent 50,000 to 60 000 years ago,
and some authorities believe their occupation may date back 100,000 years.
Australia is the only nation to occupy an entire continent. Its land mass of nearly 7.7 million
square kms is the flattest and (after Antarctica) driest of continents, yet it has extremes of cli-
mate and topography. There are rainforests and vast plains in the north, snowfields in the south
east, desert in the centre and fertile croplands in the east, south and south west. About one third
of the country lies in the tropics. Australia has a coastline of 36,735km.
Isolation of the Australian island-continent for 55 million years created a sanctuary for the flora
and fauna. Marsupials were saved from competition with more highly developed mammals.
Birds unique to Australia also survived, and distinctive trees and plants developed. Australia’s
best-known animals are the kangaroo, koala, platypus and spiny anteater. Of more than 700 bird
species listed in Australia, 400 – including the large, flightless emu – are found nowhere else.
Australia has 20,000 species of plants, including living fossils such as the cycad palm and the
grass tree, and brilliant wildflowers such as the waratah, Sturt’s desert pea, the flowering cones
of banksia trees, and the red and green kangaroo paw. The continent has 700 species of acacia,
which Australians call wattle, and 1,200 species in the Myrtaceae family which includes euca-
lypts or gum trees.
Australia’s national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, is a revised version of a late 19th-century
patriotic song. It was declared the national anthem in April 1984, replacing God Save the
Queen, which was designated the royal anthem. In the same year, Australia officially adopted
green and gold as its national colours.
Australia’s official language is English, by common usage rather than law. Australian English
does not differ significantly from other forms of English, although some colloquial and slang
expressions are unique.

The Australian National Flag

The flag of Australia is the only one to fly over a whole continent. The small Union Jack repre -
sents the historical link with Britain, the large seven-pointed star represents the six States and
the Territories, and the small stars form the Southern Cross – a prominent feature of the south-
ern hemisphere night sky.
 

Australia’s coat of arms – the official emblem of the Australian Government – was granted by
King George V in 1912. The arms consist of a shield containing the badges of the six States.
The supporters are native Australian fauna – a kangaroo and an emu. A yellow-flowered native
plant, wattle, also appears in the design.
 
Australia’s national day, Australia Day, on 26 January, marks the date in 1788 when Captain
Arthur Phillip, of the British Royal Navy, commanding a fleet of 11 ships, sailed into Port Jack-
son (Sydney Cove). Phillip formally took possession of the eastern part of the continent for
England and established a settlement, now Australia’s largest city, Sydney.
Air travel and the great variety of Australia’s attractions are combining to bring more interna-
tional tourists to Australia every year. Overseas tourists are drawn by Australia’s sunshine,
sandy beaches, the vast outback, rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef, unique flora and fauna, the
Gold Coast of Queensland, and the attractions of the cities, Australia’s friendly, multicultural
society, and the safe and welcoming environment. Tourism is one of Australia’s largest and
fastest-growing industries. In 2007, 5.6 million international tourists visited Australia, tourism is
an $81 billion industry that employs around 500,000 people.
One of the earliest exports was wool, from which the expression ‘Australia riding on the sheep’s
back’ was born. Today, a more diverse export industry has grown incorporating manufacturing
products, services such as education and tourism, and high quality food and wine
In 2007, Australia’s largest export markets were Japan, China, the United States, Republic of
Korea and New Zealand.
Australia’s exports of goods and services grew by 3.8 per cent to $218 billion in 2007, about 20
per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). On average, Australia’s exports have grown by 8.7
per cent per annum over the past five years.
While Australia’s largest export sector is minerals and fuels, manufacturing is also a major part
of the economy. Advanced manufactured items accounted for around 60% of Australia’s total
manufactured exports. Many of the companies producing these goods are integrated into global
supply chains, one of the key manufacturing trends of the new millennium.
The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) is the Australian Government’s international
trade promotion and facilitation agency. Austrade assists international buyers of goods and ser-
vices to develop trade connections with Australia and assists Australian businesses to increase
their exports. Austrade also helps companies to reduce the time, cost and risk involved in doing
business internationally. Austrade is represented in Australia and in more than 140 overseas lo-
cations in over 60 countries.
Australia welcomes foreign investment. It recognises the important role foreign investment
plays in boosting economic growth, developing competitive industries, creating jobs and in-
creasing exports. The stock of foreign investment in Australia at 31 December 2007 totalled
$1.6 trillion.
Similarly, investment offshore is vital to the development of regional and international market-
ing strategies of Australian firms and enables access to global business networks. The stock of
Australian investment abroad was worth $884 billion.

Литература

1. Основная:
1. Burlakova V.V. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. – Leningrad.
1977.
2. A Book of Britain. - Leningrad. 1977.
3. Кертман Л.Е. География, история и культура Англо-говорящих стран. – М., 1981
4. Венявская В. М. Английский язык. Страноведение. - Ростов н/Д: Феникс, 2009. -
444с.
5. Мельникова Е.В. Культура и традиции народов мира (этнопсихологический аспект).
- М.: Диалог культур, 2006. - 304с.
6. Ощепкова В.В. Шустилова И. И. Лингвострановедческий словарь Canada, Australia,
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2. Дополнительная:
7. Tenson I.A., Voitova Y.A. Habits and ways in Great Britain and in United Statеs –
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8. The World Book Encyclopedia – Chicago, 1993
Периодическая печать Казахстана