Australia

Geography
Australia is the flattest and lowest continent in the world, and the second driest after
Antarctica with nearly 20 percent of the country being desert. Much of the landscape
is unsuitable for agriculture without intense irrigation. Coastal areas, particularly
in the east of the country, are mostly very fertile and hilly. The most substantial
mountain range in the country is the Great Dividing Range, which forms a natural
barrier between the eastern coastal areas and the dry plains and desert of the
Australian Outback. Mount Kosciuszko, in the Snowy Mountains, attains a height of
2,228m and is the highest mountain in Australia. Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is the world's
largest free-standing rock. It is a massive outcrop of red sandstone in the centre of
the country. Many aboriginal people revere it as a sacred site. It is also an important
tourist destination. The Great Barrier Reef runs for approximately 1,240 Km along
the Queensland coast and is the largest area of coral islands and reefs in the world.
Total landmass of Australia is 7.7 million km2.
Population in Australia in 2020 is 26 million and focused in the southeast of the
country. This prosperous region is the most economically stable, industrialised and
ethnically diverse. Around 70 percent of the population lives in approximately 27
percent of the land area, and over 87 percent of the population live in urban areas.
The centre and west of the country are sparsely populated. The major population
centres are on the coasts: Perth on the west, Adelaide and Melbourne on the south
and Sydney and Brisbane on the east. Travelling around the country is easy despite

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its size. Flying is the quickest option and there are well developed air transport links.
Prices are kept down by plenty of domestic competition. Australia also has a vast
network of well-maintained roads and rail networks.

Climate
Australia has diverse climatic zones. It is tropical in the north, arid in the interior and
temperate in the far south and Tasmania. Overall, it is an arid country with half of the
country receiving less than 300mm of rain per year. Tasmania is the exception
experiencing abundant rainfall all year round. The tropical north of the country is
typically warm in all months. The Southern states are wetter with summers which are
mostly hot and dry with sea-breezes along the coasts. The south coast experiences
cold winters but rarely has temperatures below zero. Snow falls on the higher
mountains during the winter months, enabling skiing in southern New South Wales
and Tasmania.
When the wind blows hot dry air from the interior to the coast, almost anywhere in
Australia can experience very high temperatures, often in excess of 40C. Only
Tasmania escapes extremes of temperature. Serious bush fires are a consequence
of prolonged heat waves and drought. The climate in Australia, as in the rest of the
world, is changing. Temperatures have risen by about 1C since the middle of the last
century. There has been an increase in the frequency of heat waves and changes to
rainfall patterns, with rainfalls increasing in the northwest of the country over the last
50 years, and decreasing in the east and far southwest.

History
For thousands of years, Australia has been the native home of the Aboriginal people
and the Torres Strait Islanders, who inhabited the islands between Australia and
Papua New Guinea. The different Aboriginal clans spoke many distinctive languages
and had different cultures and beliefs. Aboriginal society is believed to be one of the
world's oldest civilisations. When the continent was discovered by Europeans the
native aboriginal people numbered around one million. Captain James Cook charted
the east coast of Australia and claimed the land for Britain in 1770. Since then the
history of the country has been dominated by immigration. New South Wales was
settled as a penal colony. The jails in the United Kingdom were overflowing and
Australia offered somewhere to send criminals, many of whom had committed very
minor offences.
Many Aboriginal people were displaced by the new settlements. Much of their
traditional way of life was disrupted by the loss of land as well as illness and death
resulting from introduced diseases. News of Australia's cheap land and bountiful
work brought numerous boatloads of adventurous migrants. This put continued
pressure on indigenous ways of life as the newcomers moved deeper into Aboriginal
territories. The migrant's enthusiasm and the gold rush of the mid-19th century
continued to expand the new settlements. By the end of the 1850s there were six
separate Australian colonies: New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia,
South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. Originally the colonies were governed
independently.

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The Commonwealth of Australia was formed on 1 January 1901. The six states
unified to become an independent nation under a single constitution, with Queen
Victoria as the head of state. For many years Australia was dominated by its colonial
past. The two world wars of the 20th century had a huge impact on the country. In
1914 there were less than three million men in Australia and more than 60,000 were
killed and many more injured in the First World War. In World War Two, Australian
forces made a significant contribution to the Allied victory. Post war Australia has
seen the arrival of immigrants from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In
modern Australia, indigenous people make up 2.4 percent of the population.

Politics and Government

Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy following the
Westminster system of government and law inherited from the British. The centre of
federal government is in Canberra. There are two main and several minor political
parties and each state and territory has its own government. The constitution states
that the reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is also the Australian monarch.
She is represented in Australia by the Governor-General.

Economy
Australia has a free market economy which is the 13th biggest in the world. Despite
the recent financial crisis, economic growth, which has been continuous since 1992,
is forecast to continue for the next five years. The largest sector of the economy is
the service sector, which accounted for 71 percent of Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) in 2008. In 2019, the country’s GDP reached 1.4 trillion US dollars.
Traditionally much of Australia's economic success was based on its abundant
agricultural and mineral resources. While these sectors still very remain important,
Australia has increasingly become a knowledge-based economy driven by
information and communications technology. Australia is a member of the Group of
Twenty (G-20) which was established in 1999 to bring together important
industrialised and developing countries to discuss the key issues of the global
economy.

Tourism
Australia is an extremely popular tourist destination and the tourist industry makes a
significant contribution to the national economy. The country is popular with young
people who come to study, travel on a gap year or to take a career break. Many
tourists visit for the climate and outdoor lifestyle; making the most of the beaches,
exploring the ancient geology of the Outback, and diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
Australia is a popular choice for water sports enthusiasts with more than 10,000
beaches along its coast and it has a global reputation for good surfing. Australia has
17 World Heritage Properties, and the country is also home to famous buildings
including the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, which are popular
with tourists. Wildlife enthusiasts are drawn by the abundance of wildlife that is
unique to the continent.

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Part 1: General questions
1: In what year was the Commonwealth of Australia was formed?
2: What percentage of the country is desert?
3: By the end of the 1850s, how many separate Australian colonies were there?
4: In what year did Captain James Cook chart the east coast of Australia and claim it
for Britain? 5: What is the height and name of Australia’s highest mountain?
6: How much rainfall does Tasmania experience?
7: What was Australia’s GDP in 2019?
8: How much have temperatures risen since the middle of the last century?
9: What society is believed to be one of the world's oldest
civilisations?
10: How many beaches does Australia have?
11: How is the continent of Australia described in the text?
12: What is the population of Australia in 2020 and where is it focused?
13: What two past events in the 20th century, had a huge impact on the country?
14: How were Aboriginal people disrupted by the settlements?
15: What type of government does Australia have?
16: How large is the country’s economy?
17: How is the transport system described in Australia?
18: What was the problem with the jails in the United Kingdom?
19: What is the name of the most substantial mountain range in Australia?
20: What is the name of the world's largest free-standing rock?
21: How long is the Great Barrier Reef?
22: How much rainfall does half of the country receive?
23: What causes bush fires in Australia?
24: How many Australians were killed in the 1st World war of 1914?
25: What has Post war Australia seen?
26: What are the tourist activities and what popular places do they visit?
27: In what year was the G-20 established?
28: What was much of Australia's economic success traditionally based on?
29: How many World Heritage Properties does the country have?
30: What percentage of the population live in urban areas?
31: How many aboriginal people were there when the continent was discovered?
32: Who is the monarch of Australia?

Part 2: True – false – not given

1: Australia is an unpopular choice for water sports enthusiasts.
2: The centre of federal government is in Canberra.
3: Ayers Rock, is the world's second largest free-standing rock.
4: The gap between rich and poor has widened in Australia since 2008.
5: The Commonwealth of Australia was formed on 1 January 1901.
6: Since 1770, the history of the country has been dominated by wars.
7: Wildlife enthusiasts are drawn by the abundance of plants.
8: Australia is the driest continent in the world.
9: The different Aboriginal clans spoke many distinctive languages.
10: Almost anywhere in Australia can experience very high temperatures.
11: The largest sector of the economy is the agricultural and mineral sector.
12: Mount Kosciuszko, in the Snowy Mountains, attains a height of 2,228m.

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13: Rainfalls are decreasing in the northwest of the country.
14: The aboriginal people’s traditional way of life was disrupted by loss of land.
15: Only Tasmania escapes low temperatures.
16: Many aboriginal people revere Uluru, or Ayers Rock as a sacred site.
17: Six states unified to become an independent nation under a single constitution.
18: The Great Barrier Reef continues to grow longer and wider.
19: Australia can experience very high temperatures, often in excess of 50C.
20: Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is made from red granite.
21: The south coast experiences cold winters.
22: Australia’s fish stocks started to decline in 1992, so restrictions were put in place.
23: The centre and west of the country are very populated.
24: Queen Elizabeth II is the Australian monarch.
25: Uluru, or Ayers Rock is an important tourist destination.
26: Australia is a member of the Group of Twelve (G-12)

Part 3: Discussion
1: Have you previously learned about Italy at school or online?
2: What new information did you learn today and was it interesting?
3: According to the text, is Italy a successful country?
4: What are the main negative points according to the text?
5: Is Italy a country you would like to visit in the future? If so, why?

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