Australia - the Unknown Southern Land
"The Unknown Southern Land"
Even in medieval times there were stories about a large continent in the Southerh Hemisphere. But Europeans had never seen it. They wondered what it was like and whether it inhabited. They called this land terra australis incognita 1 or «the unknown souther land» – Australia.
Nowdays when people speak of Australia they can mean three things: 1) Australia as a continent; 2) Australia as an island and 3) Australia as an indenendent country. Australia is the world's largest island and its smallest continent. Asia is the continent nearest to Australia in the north. The icy shorts of Australia lie to the south. New Zealand is to the east. To the west of Australia stretches the vast Inddian Ocean. In the east the continent is washed by the Pacific Ocean.
Australia is a land of striking differences. In the centre of the continent and in the west more thab 50% of the land is desert – dry and uninhabited. There are three – the Great Sandy Desert, the Great Victoria Desert and the Gibson Desert? Situattd between them. Naturally very few people live there. Most of them live on the narrow coasts of the tast and southeast. Main cities, where people live among tall office buildings? Automobile plants and busy factories, are situated there.
In the nothearst? Tropical forests cover the coast. In the mountains of the southeast the snow lies for ceven months of the year. Australia is divided into six states and two territories.
1terra australis incognita (Latin) [`tera aust`rɑ:lɪs ɪn`kɒɡɪta]
New South Wales is Australia's leading indastrial state. Most people live along the east coast, and most of them are in Sydney. Sydney is also the largest city in Australia. It was founded on January 26, 1788. It is a pretty and indastrial city. Population of 3,700,000.
In Victoria most people live in the south. Melbourne is the cfpital of the state and the largest city. Sheep and peaches and apricots are grown along the
Even in medieval times there were stories about a large continent in the Southerh Hemisphere. But Europeans had never seen it. They wondered what it was like and whether it inhabited. They called this land terra australis incognita 1 or «the unknown souther land» – Australia.
Nowdays when people speak of Australia they can mean three things: 1) Australia as a continent; 2) Australia as an island and 3) Australia as an indenendent country. Australia is the world's largest island and its smallest continent. Asia is the continent nearest to Australia in the north. The icy shorts of Australia lie to the south. New Zealand is to the east. To the west of Australia stretches the vast Inddian Ocean. In the east the continent is washed by the Pacific Ocean.
Australia is a land of striking differences. In the centre of the continent and in the west more thab 50% of the land is desert – dry and uninhabited. There are three – the Great Sandy Desert, the Great Victoria Desert and the Gibson Desert? Situattd between them. Naturally very few people live there. Most of them live on the narrow coasts of the tast and southeast. Main cities, where people live among tall office buildings? Automobile plants and busy factories, are situated there.
In the nothearst? Tropical forests cover the coast. In the mountains of the southeast the snow lies for ceven months of the year. Australia is divided into six states and two territories.
1terra australis incognita (Latin) [`tera aust`rɑ:lɪs ɪn`kɒɡɪta]
New South Wales is Australia's leading indastrial state. Most people live along the east coast, and most of them are in Sydney. Sydney is also the largest city in Australia. It was founded on January 26, 1788. It is a pretty and indastrial city. Population of 3,700,000.
In Victoria most people live in the south. Melbourne is the cfpital of the state and the largest city. Sheep and peaches and apricots are grown along the