Australia, or the Commonwealth of Australia, as it is officially called, is a large country lying between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Australia is an island, like Britain, but unlike Britain it is vast. It is, in fact, nearly twenty-five times as large as the British Isles. Its area is about 8, 000, 000 sq. km. The population of Australia is about 18 mln. Most of Australia is semi-desert. People cannot live where no water is, and so most of people in Australia live in the richer south-east. The name Australia is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern". The first Australian people were dark-skinned Aborigines, and though the coming of the white settlers destroyed their tribal lives, some sixty thousand still survive in Australia today. They are about 1 percent of the population. They may be found in the island areas of the country. Some live in modern cities but it is not really easy for them. They have to fight for their rights. The first Europeans to land in this country were Dutch sailors. From 1787 to 1867 Australia was a place where criminals were sent from Britain. That is why the official language of Australia is English. Historically it was a part of the British Empire and now - a member of a Commonwealth of Nations. Formally the chief of the state is the British Queen Elizabeth II represented by the Governor General. The Head of the Government is the Prime Minister. Australia has six states and two territories: South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. Each state and territory has a capital city. The capital of Australia is Canberra, which became the capital only in 1927. It is located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in the southeast corner of New South Wales. It is not very large with the population of about 300, 000. It was specially designed and built as a capital. The new Parliament House was opened in 1988. Canberra is a “natural capital” without industry so the air here is fresh and crisp. Australia’s national sights and museums are located in Canberra. There are National Gallery, the National Science and Technology Centre and so on. Australia is a very urban country. About 70% of the population lives in 10 largest cities. The oldest and largest is Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. It is leading industrial city. Nearly a quarter of all Australians live here. It hosted 2000 Olympics. Sydney is surrounded by national parks has a large zoo, impressive galleries, museums. Founded in 1835 by pioneers from Tasmania, Melbourne is Australia's second largest city and the capital of the state of Victoria. Its multicultural population of nearly 3 million comes from succeeding waves of immigrants. It is a lively, prosperous city with good public transportation, several major universities, and a growing financial and business district. Australian climate is dry and warm. Australia is situated in the Southern Hemisphere and that is why it has summer when we have winter. January is the hottest month in Australia. Australia is separated from many countries. The animals in Australia have developed differently. They are interesting. You can see the dingo, a wild dog that kills other animals at night, the kangaroo and many parrots there. Australia is an industrial country. It has coal, nickel, zinc and gold. Australia is one of the most important producers of metals and minerals. It exports wool production, meat, fruit and sugar. Задание 1. Answer the questions. 1. What’s the official name of the country? 2. What’s the capital of Australia? 3. Who were the original inhabitants of the country? 4. Where is Australia situated? 5. How many people live there? 6. Who’s the head of the state? 7. Canberra was specially designed and built as a capital, wasn’t it? 8. What city is the largest in Australia, Sydney or Melbourne? 9. Why does Australia have summer when we have winter? 10. What animals can you meet in Australia? 11. Why do you think the Aboriginal people lost their land? 12. Where else have white people taken land from the original inhabitants?