Australia "The Land Down Under"
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It lies in the Southern Hemisphere between 11 and 44 south latitude and 113 and 154 east longitude. The entire area of land is about the same size as the continental United States, or about one and a half times the size of Europe. The mainland of Australia has an area of 2,967,909 square miles. The country is divided into six states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. The geological activity that created the country's mountains, plains, and rivers ceased millions of years ago. Earthquakes are very rare and the last volcanic eruption occurred more than 5,000 years ago. The highest mountain in Australia, Mount Kosciusko, is only 7,310 feet above sea level. Australia experiences a wide variety of climates. In the north, the continent's immense interior gives way to hot, wet monsoonal tropical regions. The southeast coast, where most of Australia's population lives, is cooler and drier. The southwest is very hot and dry in the summer, but milder and wetter in the winter. The climate is very similar to the Mediterranean countries of Europe, or to California.
In the federal government, power rests with the elected political party that holds the majority in the House of Representatives. *Government* Australia's form of government has been described as a constitutional monarchy, in which the queen of England is the nominal head of state. The smorgasbord of events spans Aussie Rules (Australia's own fast-scoring brand of football) and the more traditional Rugby, soccer and cricket. Fitzroy is now a magnet for the urban cool, cafe dwellers and property renovators, but was once the working-class heart of Melbourne. Australia echoes to the sound of high-octane festivals: catch the Telstra Rally Australia in Perth, Honda Indy 300 on the Gold Coast or V8 super cars roaring through Adelaide. Australia has spawned more than its share of tennis champions. Considered one of the world's natural wonders, it is the most extensive reef system and the biggest structure made by living organisms on earth. *Points of Interest* There are many points of interest in Australia. These people traveled to the Australian continent about 40,000 years ago. The Aborigines brought two useful items from their original homeland: the dingo and the boomerang. Not to mention golf!*Money* The exchange rate of a US dollar to an Australian dollar is as follows: 1 US dollar = 1. The star attractions are the 130 or so koalas. The Rocks is a historical tourist precinct, full of cobbled streets, colonial buildings and stuffed koalas. Aborigines were nomads living in family clans, each with its own territory where it could camp, hunt, and fish.
Common topics in this essay:
House Representatives,
California Summer,
West European,
Southeast Asia,
Queensland Considered,
Ironman Triathlon,
Mount Kosciusko,
Bondi Beach,
Rules Australia's,
Sanctuary Brisbane,
lack rain,
wide variety,
political party,
legislative assembly,
bondi beach,
commodity prices,
house representatives,
|