Australia

A guide to the country/continent

By: Fin

Welcome• Australia is mostly either deserts, plains, or mountains. That

area is called the Australian Outback. The Australian Outback covers about 80% of Australia. The other 20% is urban.

• Australia has a constitutional monarchy as it’s government. Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is Australia’s leader. Australians that are 18 or older must vote or else you will be fined by the government.

• Australia became a country on January 1, 1901 and on that day British colonies in Australia became the Commonwealth of Australia. The British came to Australia in the 1770’s. The British claimed the land. The British came to Australia and tried to dig gold.

• Most Australian’s work by farming, in factories, lumber, fishing , markets, or offices.

When you go to Australia make sure to bring shorts instead of pants. In Australia, it’s usually 60 to 100 degrees. When it’s warm, people like to surf. If you’re not going to the coast, you might as well swim in a local swimming hole.

In Australia, people speak English but in a deep accent. If you go to Australia, you might not understand people because of their accent.

In Australia, people don’t have the religion. People are Christian, Hindu, Jewish, or Islam. Most people in Australia are Christian.

If you come to Australia in the summer, you might as well go to the Foster’s Melbourne Cup in Melbourne. The Foster’s Melbourne Cup is like the United States Kentucky Derby.

Map with Key

Government• Australia’s prime minister is named Julia Gillard.• Australia’s government is called constitutional monarchy.• People in Australia are happy with their government.

• People in Australia can vote for the prime minister but not the king or queen. In Australia you have to be 18 or older to vote. If you don’t vote you will be fined by the government.

You want a new law.

Parliament suggests

bills for the law.

Prime Minister signs the law.

If not.

Governor General signs the law.

If not.

Queen or King makes

the new law.

History/Culture• Since World War II people have come to Australia. People come from

Europe, Asia, and more to be safe in Australia.

• People in Australia speak English but in kind of a British accent. People who live in the Outback are usually wearing cowboy or cowgirl clothes. People who live on the coastline wear clothes just like us.

• A very popular food in Australia is called Vegemite. Vegemite tastes very salty an a little bitter.

• One holiday in Australia is called Australia Day. It is celebrated on January 26. It is the date when the first British settlers first arrived. Anzac Day is also a popular holiday in Australia. It is every April 25. It honors the soldiers that died in the Battle of Gallopi during World War I.

EconomicsNatural Resources/Products

• In Australia , people export iron, coal, gold, diamonds, copper, petroleum, and natural gas. In Australia, people export resources in either trucks, planes, or boats.

Someone makes an item. It gets on a truck.

It either gets shipped or flown.

Their item gets sold in stores.

Australian’s also sell gold, metals, and minerals to other countries. Their money is called Australian Dollars. About one dollar in the US is one and a half Australian Dollars. In 1997 Australia was almost bankrupt. But when the 21st century began the economy went up.

Flag• The Australian flag has the United Kingdom flag on the upper left side of

the flag. The large seven pointed star on the lower left corner of the flag is the Commonwealth Star. It stands for the 7 original Australian colonies. The other stars stand for the Southern Cross constellation.

Fun Facts

• Australia is the biggest island in the world!• Australia is about the size of the United States.• Australia is about 20% urban and 80% open space.• The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is about 2,000 miles long!• In the Australian Outback people live in small houses called

bungalows.

This is the Australian National Anthem “ Advance Australia Fair” 1. Australians all let us rejoice, 2. Beneath our radiant Southern cross For we are young and free; We’ll toil with hearts and hands; We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil; To make this Commonwealth ours Our home is girt by sea; Renowned of all the lands; Our land abounds in Nature’s gifts For those who’ve come across the seas Of beauty rich and rare; We’ve boundless plains to share; In hist’ry’s page, let ev’ry stage With courage let us all combine Advance Australia Fair. To Advance Australia Fair. In joyful strains then let us sing In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair. Advance Australia Fair.

This is a popular song for kids in Australia “ Sing Like A Bird’’Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.Merry merry king of the bush is heLaugh, Kookaburra! Laugh, Kookaburra! This is an Australian recipe called Damper.Gay your life must be! 2 ½ Cups self- rising flour 1 teaspoon saltEating all the gumdrops he can see. 1 teaspoon butterStop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra! 1 teaspoon sugarLeave some there for me! 1 cup milk

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. This is an Australian recipe called Pavlova Counting all the monkeys he can see. 3 egg whitesStop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra! 1 pinch of saltThat’s not a monkey that’s me! ¾ cup castor sugar ¼ cup white sugar 1 tablespoon corn flour 1 teaspoon lemon juice ½ pint cream kiwi, fruit, or strawberries.

Fact File

• Australia’s capitol city is Canberra.• Australia’s population is 19,913,144 people.• The size of Australia is 2,967,863 square miles.• The kind of government is constitutional

monarchy.• They use Australian Dollars for money.• The official language of Australia is English.

Say it in…Tourist Guide

Amazing Plants & Animals• Australia’s most well known landmarks are the Sydney Opera House, the

Harbour Bridge, and Bondi Beach. All of them are located in Sydney. The Harbour Bridge has the highest top in the world. People can walk up stairs to get to the top of the Harbour Bridge.

In Australia, lots of different animals roam the Outback. Kangaroos, Koalas, Lizards, and different kinds of birds live in Australia. The Kookaburra is the most popular bird. Different plants live in Australia also. A tree that grows in Australia is called a gum tree. Birds of every size love to live in gum trees.

hello G- Day guh- Day

friend mate Mayt

what Ay Eye

Oh my Blimey Bly- mee

Thank you ta tah

See you later Hooroo Hoo-roo

Bibliography

Book Title Author Year

Q and A Australia Nathan Olson 2005Welcome To Australia Mary Berendes 2008Australia Discovering Cultures

Sharon Gordon 2005

Fact Monster

Culture Grams

National Geographic

Grolier

Google

Wikipedia