Status - a Federal Republic union of 50 states

Area - 9,364,000,000 square kilometers

Population - 232,000,000

Capital - Washington

Languages - English is the official and main language. Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Russian and others are also spoken in the USA.

The United States is one of the largest countries in the world.

The full name of the United States is The United States of America. For short the country is often called the USA. There are fifty states and the district of Columbia. The states differ very much in size population and economical development.

The United States of America lies in the central part of the North American continent between two oceans: the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Friendly Canada to the north and friendly Mexico to the south are the only countries bordering the United States.

The USA is a country of great diversity. This is due to its geography, the weather, the landscape and the way of living.

The world’s longest rivers are the Mississippi and the Missouri.

There are many large cities and towns in the USA. New York, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles are the biggest of them.

The United States developed from English colonies. After a long eight years struggle (1775-1783) the colonists gained their independence. The American colonists were led by a talented soldier, George Washington, who later became the first president of the USA. The capital was named after the first president.

The USA is a highly developed industrialized country. It has very efficient industries, advanced technologies and advanced science. Electronic and electrical engineering, transport, communication and machine-tool industries can be found in almost all large cities of the USA.

The USA is a federal republic.

The Government of the USA is composed of three branches - executive, legislative and judicial. The legislative branch makes new laws. And the judicial branch makes sure that the laws and actions of the other branches agree with the Constitution.

The president whose official residence is the White House carries out his many duties as head of the executive branch of the government. He appoints cabinet members, each of which becomes the head of a very important governmental department.

Not far from the White House stands the Capitol. Here the Congress, the legislative branch of the government, meets to make laws to govern the country. The Senate and the House of Representatives form the Congress.

ТЕХT: THE MAPLE LEAF COUNTRY

It is known that the maple leaf is the national emblem of Canada - is the United States' neighbour to the north (mainland North America), larger than the U.S. Canada is the second largest country in the world even though its population is much smaller than that of the United States. It has a total area of nearly 10 million square kilometers. Canada has nearly 26 million inhabitants, more than 40 per cent of whom are of British origin, about 30 per cent of French origin, over 20 per cent of European origin other than French and about 300000 are Eskimos and Indians. Most of northern Canada has sub arctic or arctic climates, with long cold winters with snowfalls lasting 8 to 11 months, short sunny summers and little precipitations. In contrast, the populated south has a variety of climatologically landscapes.

Canada is divided into ten provinces and two northern territories. English and French are both official. French is spoken mainly in the province of Quebec (the largest province in Canada) and in New Brunswick. These two languages have equal status, rights and privileges as to their use in all governmental institutions.

Canada has nearly 15 per cent of the world's fresh water surface. There are so many lakes here that they have never been counted. Its largest lakes are four of the Great lakes, which Canada shares with the USA -Ontario, Superior, Huron and Erie.

The Niagara Falls (Niagara means «roaring waters») on the Niagara River between lake Erie and lake Ontario is the best known natural wonder, one of the most splendid sights in the world which attracts tourists from all continents. The most important cities in Canada are Ottawa - is the capital of the country, Montreal - is the largest city in Canada, the second largest French-speaking city in the world, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Hamilton.

Canada is a self-governing federal state and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Formally the Head of the state is the King or Queen of England represented by the Governor - General. The leading figure in the political life of the country is the Prime Minister, the head of the Government. The Canadian Parliament is composed of two Houses, the Senate and the House of Commons. The civil law follows English common law everywhere except in Quebec, where it follows the Napoleonic Code.

Like the United States, Canada began as an agricultural country. Today, however, it is one of the world's leading industrial countries. Many of the industries are heavy industries such as steel making and automobile manufacturing. Among Canada's wealth of natural resources are minerals and forests. Canada's large forests are the source of a major lumber and paper industry. In fact, Canada is the world's largest manufacturer of newsprint. Another of Canada's natural resources is fishing. The country ranks fourth in the world in the value of its fish exports.

ТЕХT: AUSTRALIA

Australia is the 6th huge country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil. It is the only country that occupies a complete continent. The original name was Terra Austral is - The Southern Continent. The Aborigines were the only inhabitants there when the Dutch came and named the land New Holland. In 1770 Captain Cook stopped at Botany Bay (not far from modem Sydney city) discovered the East Coast and named the land New South Wales. It was founded as a penal colony so that many of the first settlers were convicts or soldiers.

Almost half of the Australian population lives in the two largest cities: Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney has 3.3 million inhabitants, while Melbourne (2.9 million inhabitants).

English is the national language and is taught in all schools. The Aborigines had 250 languages but only 50 survived. Australian English uses many words that are expressions of Australia's unique culture. To say someone is moving fast, one might use the phrase like a possum up a gum tree (eucalyptus). His blood worth bottling - he is a very good person.

It is also the driest continent in the world. About one third of the land is desert. Australia has 4 main deserts. Some dunes measure 320 km long. The king of Australian animals is the kangaroo (or "roo"). There are lots of varieties, from the red or giant grey kangaroo, taller than a man to the kangaroo rat, which only attains a height of 30 sm.

Australia has a strong economy and is self-sufficient in food production. Australia exports many minerals, including iron ore, bauxite, diamonds, coal, gold, arid copper.

Australia is the world's leading exporter of wool and beef, it also ranks high in sheep production. Australia also exports wheat, meat, cane sugar, fruit, ores and concentrates, hides and skins, butter, flour, barley and lead.

Australia imports machinery, vehicles, fertilizers, textiles, petroleum products, chemicals and paper. The country's manufacturing industry supplies domestic and export demand.

Australia has a variety of tourist attractions. They include wild life, sandy beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, the Australian Alps and many points of historic interest. Over million tourists visit Australia every year.

The head of the state is the Governor-General, the representative of Queen Elizabeth II. Parliament consists of the House of Representatives, similar to the British House of Commons, and the Senate, based directly on its American counter-part.

ТЕХT: NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is situated in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, 1000 miles at Australia on two large islands: the North Island and the South Island. It has active volcanoes and that is why the Maoris (The Maoris, Polynesian people are the aborigines of New Zealand) called it the "Land of Long White Cloud". English and Maori are both official languages. Maori People also speak English, 10% of Pakeha (Europeans) speak Maori. The capital of the country is Wellington (350.000 citizens). This seaport, financial, commercial and transportation center was founded by British settlers. There are some educational and cultural institutions in Wellington.

New Zealand's population is about 4 million people.

The more populous North Island has fertile agricultural land, the largest man-made forest in the Southern Hemisphere, and a few isolated snow-capped volcanoes. It also boasts hot springs, mud pools, and geysers in its thermal region. On South Island, the Southern Alps provide opportunities for skiing and mountaineering. There are many glaciers, lakes, and rivers. Both Islands have many sandy beaches. NZ has 400 earthquakes a year, but only 100 of them are strong.

New Zealand national emblem is the kiwi. These grayish brown birds have nearly died out and only sometimes can be seen at a zoo. Many years ago kiwi were hunted for food. Now the government doesn't permit the hunting of kiwi. This bird lives in dark forests in thick bushes, it is nearly blind and prefers to live in the dark. It has a long, flexible, sensitive bill, which is used to find food. It has no wings, so it cannot fly. Kiwi is so popular that it became a nickname for a New Zealander. Small children are often called kiwis.

NZ is a self-governing state within the British Commonwealth. The Governor - General represents Queen Elizabeth II. He is appointed for a five-year term. The Parliament consists of one House only, The House of Representatives. The Head of the Government is the Prime minister. (What is interesting- this is the first country that gave women the right to vote.)

NZ has a modern economy. 5% of the population is employed in agriculture. NZ has million dairy cattle, 5 million beef cattle and 6 million sheep. The country is the world's largest producer of kiwi fruit. NZ farmers produce chicken and eggs, deer, goats and pigs. Chief crops are barley, potatoes and wheat. NZ exports wool, lamb, pork, mutton, and beef, fruit (including apples, bananas, apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, and strawberries), fish and cheese. (New Zealanders believe their cheeses and ice- cream are the best in the world)

Tourism is a vital economic sector. New Zealand draws many thousands of tourists to its shores because of the beauty, diversity, and compactness of its natural attractions. Yachting along the coast is a popular activity. Fishing for barracuda, martin, shark or swordfish, rock lobster is popular too.

TEXT: TRAVELLING

sightseeing визначні місця

picturesque мальовничий

prescription рецепт

emergency непередбачений випадок

prevail переважати

cautious обережний

obey покорятися

Modern life is impossible without travelling. Some people travel to see other countries and continents, modem cities and ruins of ancient town, some on business, some in search of health. Many people travel "for pleasure", because they are fond photographs of themselves in picturesque places. It is always interesting to discover new things, different ways of life, to enjoy exotic food, to listen to different musical rhythms.

Travel is the name of a modern disease which started in the mid-fifties and is still spreading. Nowadays travelling abroad is very popular, and before you go abroad:

Learn about the places you plan to visit. Familiarize yourself with local laws and custom in those areas. (Consult your library, a travel agent, airline, or the tourist bureaus of the specific countries you plan to visit). Keep track as well of what is being reported in the media about any recent developments

Don't take anything you would hate to lose. Leave at home all unnecessary credit cards, expensive jewelry, or irreplaceable family objects.

Pack an extra set of need in your carry-on luggage. Take along a copy of the prescription for necessary medicines and the generic name of the drug.

Lock your luggage and put your name and address inside each piece.

Leave a copy of your route with family or friends at home should they need to contact you in an emergency

Normal common sense should prevail when travelling abroad, just as it would at home. Be especially cautious in, or avoid situations where you are more likely to be victimized such as crowded subways, train stations, market places, festivals.

Find out about local rules and obey them.