Архив2 / курсовая docx200 / Australia

Australia

Capital: Canberra

Population: 21 million.

Language: English

Religion: Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims

Currency: Australian Dollar

Geography

Australia - the only country in the world, occupying the whole continent. It is the smallest terrestrial continent, which, in combination, is also the most flat, driest, most urbanized and most protected. The total area of ​​7.7 million km of the continent. Most of the country is desert and the vast plains of the south-east - the small mountain. Only two percent of the territory are above one thousand meter mark, and the highest point - Mount Kosciuszko has a height of only 2,228 meters, so a list of "most-most" in the Australian mainland characterization can be easily added and "lowest". In the central-western part of the continent for more than 50% of the land - the desert: the Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert and Gibson Desert. In the northeast, tropical forests have direct access to the coast. In the mountains in the south-east, and on the island of Tasmania, and sometimes it snows. The beauty of the world famous Great Barrier Reef, the largest living coral colony in the world, but its future is far from rosy.

Climate The Australian continent is within the three major warm climatic zones of the southern hemisphere: subequatorial (in the north), tropical (central part) and subtropical (south). Only a small part of the island of Tasmania is within the temperate zone. In the winter, which is in June, July and August, sometimes it snows, but it is not stored for a long time.

Sub-equatorial climate of northern and north-eastern part of the continent, a steady progress of different temperatures (for the average air temperature 23 - 24 degrees) and high rainfall (1000 to 1500 mm., And sometimes more than 2000 mm.). The further south, the more noticeable the change of seasons. In central and western parts of the continent in the summer (December-February), the average temperature rises to 30 degrees, and sometimes higher, and in winter (June-August) are reduced to an average of 10-15 degrees. In the center of the continent in the summer daytime temperature rises to 45 degrees at night drops to zero or below (-4-6 degrees).

Flora and fauna 

Approximately 85% of plants, 84% of mammals, 45% of birds, 89% of freshwater fish - endemic (found only in Australia)  Australian fauna include monotremes - the platypus and echidna, a variety of marsupials, including koalas, kangaroos, wombats, and birds such as emus, cockatoos and Kookaburra.  Dingoes were brought to the Indonesians, who traded with the natives from 4000 BC. e.  Melbourne - the second largest industrial and financial center of the country, here are the largest oil refineries.

Language

Australia has its own dialect of English, known informally as "strayn" (English strine). It is much more close to the British sound and spelling than the U.S.

religion

Roman Catholic - 26% Protestant - 20%, 26% Anglican, Orthodox - 4%, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists