Australian national signs

Australian anthemAustralians all let us rejoiceFor we are young and free

We've golden soil and wealth for toil,Our home is girt by sea:

Our land abounds in nature's giftsOf beauty rich and rare,

In history's page let every stageAdvance Australia fair,

In joyful strains then let us singAdvance Australia fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,We'll toil with hearts and hands,To make this Commonwealth of oursRenowned of all the lands,For those who've come across the seasWe've boundless plains to share,With courage let us all combineTo advance Australia fair.In joyful strains then let us sing,Advance Australia fair.

GeographyAustralia's 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,299 sq. mi)

landmass is on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the

IndianN4 and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia

by the Arafura and Timor seas. Australia has 34,218 kilometres

(21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands) and

claims an extensive exclusive economic zone of 8,148,250

square kilometres (3,146,057 sq. mi). This exclusive economic

zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a

short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over

2,000 kilometres (1,250 mi). Mount Augustus, claimed to be

the world's largest monolith, is located in Western Australia. At

2,228 metres (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great

Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the Australian

mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Australian

territory of Heard Island is taller at 2,745 metres (9,006 ft).

enviromentBy far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid. Only the south-

east and south-west corners of the continent have a temperate climate.

Most of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline.

it includes a diverse range of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical

rainforests, and is recognised as a megadiverse country. Because of the

continent's great age (and consequent low levels of fertility), its

extremely variable weather patterns, and its long-term geographic

isolation, much of Australia's biota is unique and diverse. About 85% of

flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds, and 89% of

in-shore, temperate-zone fish are endemic. Among well-known Australian

fauna are the monotremes (the platypus and the echidna); a host of

marsupials, including the kangaroo, the koala, and the wombat; the

saltwater and freshwater crocodiles; and birds such as the emu and the

kookaburra. The dingo was introduced by Austronesian people who

traded with Indigenous Australians around 3000 BCE. Many plant and

animal species became extinct soon after first human settlement,

including the Australian megafauna;

landmarks

Sydney opera house

Construction of This landmark was started in 1959, completed in 1973

The Sydney Opera House is an expressionist modern design, with a series

of large precast concrete 'shells', each taken from a hemisphere of the

same radius, forming the roofs of the structure. The Opera House covers

1.8 hectares (4.5 acres) of land. The Opera House was formally opened by

Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on October 20, 1973, which a crowd of

millions attended. The opening was televised and included fireworks and a

performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

Inside:» Concert hall with 2679 seats

» Opera theatre with 1574 seats

» Drama theatre with 544 seats

» Playhouse with 398 seats

» Studio theatre with 318 seats

Harbour bridge

Construction of This landmark was started in 1923, completed in 1932

Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour,

carrying rail, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central

business district (CBD) and the North Shore, together with the Sydney

Harbour Tunnel. The bridge is locally nicknamed The Coathanger[1]

because of its arch-based design, although this usage is less prevalent

than it once was. The bridge was the city's tallest structure until 1967.

statistics:» Longest span: 503 metres

» Total length: 1149 metres

» Width: 49 metres

» Height: 139 metres

» Clearance below: 49 metres

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