a whole continent. It's an island of 7.7 million
square kilometers. It is the sixth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, the United States of America and Brazil. It's located to the south of Asia, between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Australia is the flattest continent after Antarctica. It is also the world's driest continent.
Climate
The climate in Australia is varied, from tropical in the north to temperate in the south-east. Australia is situated in the southern hemisphere. That's why it has summer when we have winter.
The People
Australia has a population of about 18 million people. 70 per cent of the population live in its 10 largest cities. Canberra is the capital of Australia. It is not the biggest city. Sydney and Melbourne are much bigger. Australia is a multicultural society. People from about 200 nations live there. The Aborigines, the Australian natives, represent about 1.5 per cent of the population.
Language
Australia's official language is English. Australian English does not differ significantly from other forms of English, although some expressions are unique to Australia.
Birds and Animals
Australia's best-known animals are the kangaroo, the koala and the dingo (a wild dog). There are 50 species of kangaroo. Some stand as tall as a man and some are as small as a cat. They can often be seen in many of the forests and parks. The koala is the best loved of all Australian animals. The koala lives on leaves alone. About 400 species of birds in Australia are found nowhere else in the world. There are 55 species of parrots in Australia. They are very colourful. The emu is the most interesting bird in Australia. It is big and cannot fly. The kangaroo and emu can be seen on Australia's coat of arms. The kookaburra is another interesting Australian bird. It cannot sing, but laughs like a human! You can see images of animals in the end of a slide.
About of Australia
Захарова Антонина Егоровна МОУ "Александровская СОШ"