Area: 7 mln. Kv km

General description:

Area: 7.7 mln. Kv. km

Population: 18.7 mln. person

Capital: Canberra

Official language: English

Currency: Australian dollar (100 cents)

State system: Federal Constitutional Monarchy

Religion: Christian (Protestant, Catholic)

Key features of Australia. The dwarf, the lowest, the driest continent, the homeland of marsupials, a unique and unique sanctuary of the planet, in the middle of which passes the South Tropic, the homeland of the eucalyptus tree (2 m to 150 m in height), closed on the mainland in terms of basin area (60%), there is only one state - the Commonwealth of Australia, half of the population lives in two cities (Sydney, Melbourne).

Australia is a federal state of the Commonwealth led by the United Kingdom. The current Constitution of Australia was adopted in 1901. In terms of the form of government - a federation. The head of state is the King (Queen) of the United Kingdom, represented by the Governor-General. The legislature is a bicameral (House of Representatives and Senate) federal parliament. The House of Representatives (lower house) is elected for a term of 3 years, and the deputies of the Senate (upper house) are elected from each state for a term of 6 to 105 years. Half of the composition of the Senate is renewed every 3 years. The government, headed by the governor-general and the prime minister, exercises executive power. Each state in Australia has its own constitution, parliament and government. The majority of Australia's current population — descendants of immigrants from the British Isles — are British, Irish, and Scots, who make up the Australian nation (see Australians). Indigenous peoples and hybrids make up 1.5% of the Australian population; Ukrainians, Italians, Germans, Greeks, Dutch and others live there. There are several hundred Uzbeks. The official language is English. The average population density is about 2 people per km2. About 80% of the population lives on the east and southeast coasts of the continent; 2/3 of the population lives in large cities. Largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth. Until the 18th century, Australian aborigines lived under a primitive community system. The first Europeans to enter the mainland were the Dutch seafarers V. Jans-zon (1606) and A. Ya. Those who came from Tasman (1642). To explore the new continent, England sent several expeditions, including an expedition led by J. Cook (1770). In 1788, A. was declared a British territory. From the 1920s onwards, sheep-breeding flourished in A., and in the 1930s the first industrial enterprises appeared. Due to the "golden age" of the second half of the 19th century (1851-61), the number of immigrants increased significantly. The British government was forced to grant self-government to many of them in 1855 under pressure from the widespread popular movement that had begun in the colonies of A.D. (the Eureka Uprising of 1854 and other uprisings of gold diggers). In 1901, the colonies in A. were united into a federation of 6 states - the Commonwealth of Australia, and it gained dominion status. In 1906, it was annexed by the British colony of Pa-pua (southeastern part of New Guinea), and after World War I (in which A.'s troops fought as part of the British army) the former German colony of New Guinea (New Guinea). The north-eastern part of the island of Guinea) and the island of Nauru (as a territory under the mandate of the United Nations). During World War II, A. acted on the side of the coalition against the Hitlerites. Australia has been a member of the United Nations since 1945. After the war, A. became an independent state, remaining part of the British-led Commonwealth. After the war, a coalition of bourgeois parties, the Liberals and the Agrarians (National Agrarian Party since 1975), was almost always in power. It was not until 1949, 1972-75 and 1983 that the government was formed by Labor. The party has taken a number of steps to pursue an independent path in foreign and domestic policy. The A. government was forced to grant independence to Nauru (1968) and Papua New Guinea (1975). In 1991, diplomatic relations were established between A. and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Australian National Party, founded in 1916; The Australian Liberal Party, formed in 1944; A. the Labor Party, founded in 1891; A. The Democratic Party, founded in 1977. The Australian Trade Union Council was formed in 1927. It is a member of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. Australia is a highly developed industrial agrarian country. The economy is dominated by large monopolies, with foreign investment, mainly from the United States and the United Kingdom. A. Leading in the export of iron ore, bauxite, rutile, lead, wool, sugar cane, 106 Coal, zinc, copper, manganese, wheat, meat stands in one.. Australia is a large landowner. More than 80% of the land used is in the hands of large landowners. Farms are characterized by hardiness, mechanization and specialization. Livestock accounts for more than 60% of the value of Australian (state) production. 174 million sheep and 24.1 million cattle. forms the head. The main areas of sheep breeding are the south-east and south-west coast; the dairy region is the southeastern coast, and the meat region is the east and north of the country. Salkam 15 mln. hectares, of which 1.5 mln. hectares are irrigated. The main crops are wheat (average yield 14.3 million tons per year) and sugar cane, as well as barley, oats, sorghum, oats, rice, corn, potatoes, cotton, tobacco and grapes. , fruit trees. An average of 3.7 million a year. t. sugar raw materials, 3.7 mln. t. meat, 720 thousand tons. grows wool. Australian industry accounts for 30% of GDP. Its main industries are mining, metallurgy, chemistry, machinery, food and light industry. The main energy resources are coal and natural gas. Thermal power plants generate about 80% of electricity. 15–5 billion in 1994–95. kWh of electricity is generated. The largest iron ore basin is the Pilbara deposit in West A., non-ferrous metal ores, mainly Broken Hill (New South Wales) and Mount Ayza (Queensland), bauxite Waipa deposit (Queensland) and Gov (North). area). 1994–95 Ill mln. tons of iron ore, 202 mln. tons of coal, 32.9 mln. tons of oil, 20.7 bln. cubic meters of natural gas, 256 tons of gold mined. The predominant industries are mechanical engineering, metallurgy, chemistry, petrochemistry (gold-sulfuric acid, mineral fertilizers) and oil refining. In 1994–95, 6.2 million. tons of steel, 237 thousand tons of copper, 211 thousand tons of tin, 1.2 mln. t of aluminum and about 360 min of cars were produced. The food industry is more export-oriented (meat, flour, sugar, butter, cheese, beer, wine). There are textile, sewing and shoe factories. Major industrial centers: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth. Vullogong - Port-Kembla, Newcastle, Jilong, Quinana port-industrial complexes are formed. The share of agricultural products in exports is 30%, mineral raw materials 27.8% and finished industrial products 20%. Ready-made consumer goods, equipment, oil are imported. It mainly trades with Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. Currency - A. dollars. Australian literature is in English (aborigines do not have their own script). In the first half of the 19th century, the metropolis developed under the influence of literature. National realist literature emerged in the context of the socio-political upsurge of the 1990s. It was founded by T. Collins, H. Lawson, and others. The events of the First World War contributed to the development of A. literature. In the works of this period, oppression was exposed, the tragedy of the aborigines was reflected (K. S. Prichard, H. H. Richardson, E. V. Palmer, K. Tennant, B. Penton, and others). In the prose of A. Marshall, J. Morrison, in the poetry of B. Adamson, M. Gilmore, the shortcomings of society were criticized, and the ideas of national independence were glorified. Racial discrimination is an important topic for writers. These include FB Vickers's "Sarob" (1955), D. Kyuzek's "Sun in Persecution" (1955) and "Black Lightning" (1964), G. Casey's "Snowball" (1958), D. Stewart's "Yen-di" ( 1959), M. Durek's "Save Him, My Motherland" (1955) and other works are examples. In dramaturgy, contemporary problems are addressed: A. Turner, S. Locke-Elliot, K. Duncan, D. Kyuzek, O. Gray, R. Louler, M. Brand plays.

5 facts about Australia

Australia was separated from other continents 65 million years ago. Due to its isolation from other continents, it has created a world of flora and fauna that is not found anywhere else in the world. Yexidna and duckweed are rare mammals, kangaroos, koalas and vombatas are bag mammals, and Australia’s most famous tree is the eucalyptus. Now that you have a general idea of ​​Australia, let's talk about what you don't know yet.

1-fact. Breaking currents

As a first fact, we mention one of the biggest threats in Australia - disruptive currents. There are many scary stories about Australian sharks and jellyfish. But they are not a real threat. The real danger is disruptive currents. In general, such a flow can occur anywhere on the coast. They usually run in the opposite direction from the shore. There are many places on the coast of Australia where streams flow. Rescuers are aware of these flows and are marking dangerous areas.



On Sydney's beaches, it's best to swim between flagpoles, which rescuers say are currently safe. Rescue volunteers are on duty at the bathing areas and make sure that the swimmers do not leave the safe area. If you are careful and pay attention to the signs, the destructive currents will not endanger you.



2-fact. Wild rabbits

Don't be surprised if the second fact is that the rabbits are wild. In 1859, one of the Australian landowners, Tom Austin, argued that “releasing a few rabbits into the wild would not cause harm and would provide additional meat for the hunt”. Many farmers have done the same, listening to Mr. Baobro. In just 10 years, the number of rabbits has increased so much that killing two million rabbits each year (by shooting or trapping) has had no significant effect on the rabbit population. The spread of rabbits has been recorded as the fastest spread of mammals in the history of living things.

The fact is that the conditions in Australia are ideal for a sharp increase in the population of rabbits. Due to the warm winter, the number of rabbits increased by twelve months a year. The low, bushy plains are also ideal for rabbits. And rabbits don't have a natural enemy in Australia. The result was tragic. The rabbits ate the plants that the local wildlife ate. Due to rabbits, Australia has lost many species of native animals.

Unexpected measures have been taken to combat the expansion of rabbits. In 1907, a huge 1,833-kilometer wall made of wood, metal, and wire was built in Western Australia. Much of the century-old barricade has survived to the present day. Its official name is "Wall No. 1 for protection from rabbits." It has three levels and a total length of 3256 kilometers.

If you love rabbits, how many of them will have no effect on your life. The government and special services are taking all possible measures to control the situation.

3-fact. The sun shines all year round

The third fact is that the whole of Australia is sunny all year round, which makes you want to take off your clothes and bask in the sun. However, it is not recommended for anyone to do so, as Australia is subequatorial in the north, subtropical in the south, and only the island of Tasmania is in the temperate zone. Due to this geographical location, one of the main factors influencing the climate of the continent is the high total solar radiation, which in the northwest reaches 140 k / cal per cm2. That’s why they wear hats in Australia and recommend it to guests as well.



4-fact. Ozone hole

The next fact is the ozone hole, which causes drought in Australia.

Scientists believe that the ozone hole at the top of Antarctica is largely the cause of drought in Australia. Thus, researchers from Columbia University in New York found that the hole affects the strength and direction of the wind and, consequently, the distribution of precipitation.

In an article published in the journal Science, the researchers note that although this situation is observed throughout the southern hemisphere, the "hole effect" is particularly strong in Australia. Droughts have been raging in many parts of the country for years. Many farmers have suffered. City governments are forced to spend budget money on desalination plants.

In this regard, when choosing an educational institution, it is necessary to pay attention to the location of the continent. The good news is that most schools are located in large cities with no drought or food problems.



5 facts. Left-handed movement

The fifth fact is that in Australia, traffic is right-hand drive, which means cars are moving left. It was inherited from the British colonialists. The people of Albion give a very nice description of why the left-wing movement occurred. According to him, in medieval England, knights preferred to walk on the left side of the street to shake hands with an oncoming knight or to fight him.

After all, left-wing movement is common among Australians. So if you want to live and study in Australia, consider getting an international driver's license.

Australia is an attractive country for students from all over the world. If you have set a goal to study in Australia and are striving for that goal, we hope this article will help you study in a new country.