My Report on AustraliaThe Land Down Under

By Garrett W. January 2006 Mr. Curry’s Class C

Introduction• The nation of Australia, the Land Down Under, has different people.

They have Aborigines (native people) and people who migrated from Europe. They have lots of different plants and animals. Australia has the same language as the U.S. Australia is similar to the U.S. in a lot of ways.

The People• The population of Australia is 20,090,437. Australia’s rank among the

most populated nations is the 52nd. The first people to live in Australia are called Aborigines. The people called Aborigines today are descendents of these first Australians. Originally there were about 500 Aboriginal tribes. Each of these tribes had its own language. The Aborigines made their own instrument called the Didgeridoo, it is made from a hollow tree trunk. When you blow into it, it makes a low sound humming sound. There is still a large group of these people today.

The Cities of Australia• The nation of Australia has a rural percentage of 99.6% and .4%

are urban.• The major cities are Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Australia’s

capitol is Canberra. If you look on a map,you’d notice that all the cities are on the coast. Uluru is in the Tjuta National Park.

Caucasian

Asian

The Culture of Australia• The main language is English, but they also have other languages

including: Chinese and Italian• The major ethnic group is Caucasian, but they also have other

Ethnic Groups including: Asian and Aboriginal • The main religion of the country are Catholic, but they also have

other religion groups including: Anglican, other Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim.

Geography• Australia is located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres on the

continent of Australia.• It is bordered by The Indian Ocean and The Pacific Ocean.• Australia has lots of plants.One of them is the Bottle Brush, another

plant is the Gum/Eucalyptus tree. • Australia has special Animals,they are called

marsupials. Marsupials are mammals that

raise their baby in a pouch until the baby is a

reasonable size and can fend for themselves.

Two marsupials are the Kangaroo and the

Wallaby.In the world, there are only two

species of Monotremes. Monotreme means

egg-laying mammal. The two species only

live in Australia. They are the Platypus and

the Echidna.

GeographyThe major landform is:• Ayers Rock/Uluru. It stands 1,132 feet tall and is 5.8 miles around

the base. Most of Ayers Rock is Underground! • Australia only has one lake: Lake Eyre. It also has the Pacific

Ocean and the Indian Ocean surrounding it.• Australia has different weather than the U.S. During our winter

here, they have summer there! During summer here, they have winter there! During the summer, sometimes it gets over 100 degrees. In winter it gets really cold. It gets so cold, it snows there! Sometimes, by the north coast, they get cyclones.

Economy• The main Natural Resources

are bauxite, gold, mineral sands, petroleum, coal, silver, lead, iron ore, uranium, zinc, copper, nickel, diamond, tin, tungsten, natural gas, and gemstone.

• The major crops are wheat, sugarcane, barley, and fruits. Australia also has a lot of livestock. They have cattle, poultry, and sheep. In Australia, fishing is big. They have lots of fish, lobster, crabs, etc.

Economy• The main products produced are wheat, sugarcane, barley, and

fruits. • The main industries are mining, food processing, and industrial and

transportation equipment,• The GDP is $ 611,700,000,000 which, compared to the US is

$12,370,000,000,000.

The Nation of Australia• The nation of Australia, the Land Down Under, is the most famous

for its animals. They have lots of unique animals. I like Australia for their animals and their nature. My favorite animals are the Dingoes, Wallabies, Kangaroos, Koalas, and Rosellas. These animals are so cool!!!!!!!!!!

The Nation of Australia• The nation of Australia, The Land Down Under, had a lot of major

events. In World War I and II, Australia supported Great Britain. Australia also helps the U.S. during wars. Australia is helping the U.S. in Iraq right now.

• In Australia, long term events include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

HistoryThe earliest civilization in Australia

was the Aborigines. Aboriginal settlers arrived about 4,000 years ago from Southeast Asia. There were between 300,000 and 1 million aborigines that inhabited Australia.

Willen Janz, a Dutch navigator, was the first European known to set foot on Australia. In 1606 he landed on what now is Cape York Peninsula in the Northeast.

Captain James Cook was on a secret mission for Great Britain’s Royal Navy In 1770, he sailed a ship into a bay on Australia’s east coast which later they named Botany Bay. Cook Claimed all of eastern Australia for King George III of England. He named it New South Wales.

HistoryDuring the colonial era, (1490-1960) Australia was a colony of Britain.

During the early part of the 20th century, legislations were passed to segregate and protect Aboriginals. This involved restrictions on where they could live and work and families being broken up.

History - Timeline• The History of Australia.

4,000 years ago

Willem Janz, the first to set foot on Australia

1606

Captain Cook landed on Botany Bay and claimed Eastern Australia

1770 18/19th century

Six colonies were created

1490-1960

Australia was a colony of Britain

1920’s

Queen Elizabeth II, the head of Great Britain and Australia

1910’s

Australia helped Great Britain in World war 1 and 2

Today-2000

Today Australia is highly populated and well known

Aboriginal settlers arrived

GovernmentForm of Government In Australia, the government is Democratic.LeadershipThe Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II. She Also

is the head of Great Britain. She is the nominal head of state.Australia’s head of government is John Winston. Australia has three branches, the Executive Branch, the legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. The Executive Branch is the Prime Minister (head of government)and the cabinet ministers. The Legislative Branch is the senate, the House of Representatives, and the Federal Parliament. The Judicial Branch is the High Court of Australia.

The role of the military is to protect Australia and help Great Britain and the U.S.

Every 18 years or older HAS to vote or they get fined. If you want to be elected, you have to be an Australian citizen.

Modern Australia• The nation of Australia still has a lot of

Aborigines. Today they have a large group of these people. Today in Australia, they have Asians, Europeans,Caucasians, and Aborigines.

Modern Australia• Some of the major

challenges of life in Australia today include gas prices, taxes, finding jobs, and getting enough money to make a living.

Conclusion• The Nation of Australia is a lot like the

U.S. Australia and the U.S. both have mining industries, oil, the same technology, and they both have native people living there.

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Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service.16 Oct. 2005  <http://www.britannica.com/eb/atlas>.

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