Australia and New Zealand

21.4.1. Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It is the smallest continent and sixth largest country (in area) on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian oceans. The capital city is Canberra. Australia has three major physiographic regions. More than half of its land area is on the Western Australian plateau. A second region, the Interior Lowlands, lies east of the plateau. The Eastern Uplands, which include the Great Dividing Range, are a series of high ridges, plateaus, and basins. The country's highest point is Mount Kosciusko in the Australian Alps, and the lowest is LakeEyre. There are many islands and reefs along the coast, including the Great Barrier Reef, Melville Island, Kangaroo Island, and Tasmania. Australia is rich in mineral resources, including coal, petroleum, and uranium. The country's economy is basically free enterprise; its largest components include finance, manufacturing, and trade. Formally a constitutional monarchy, its chief of state is the British monarch, represented by the governor-general.

21.4.2. The country has a population of about 20, 345, 000 citizens. Most Australians are descendants of Europeans and speak English, Australian official language. Christianity (mostly Protestant; also Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, other Christians), Buddhism and Islam are the major people’s religions. The largest nonwhite minority is the Australian Aborigine population. Australia has long been inhabited by Aborigines, who began arriving at least 50,000 years ago. Widespread European knowledge of Australia began only with 17th-century explorations. The Asian portion of the population has grown as a result of relaxed immigration policy. Among the famous Australians are such people as Paul Kelly (a notable song writer, entertainer, and folk singer), Kylie Minogue (internationally famous pop singer), Cate Blanchett (movie star and Academy Award winner), etc.

21.4.3. New Zealand, with the capital city in Wellington. is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean comprising two large islands (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands. The country is notable for its geographic isolation, being separated from Australia to the northwest by the Tasman Sea, some 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) across. New Zealand was, successively, a crown colony, a self-governing colony (1856), and a dominion (1907). It is a member of the Commonwealth of former British dependencies.

New Zealand is a land of great contrasts and diversity. Active volcanoes, spectacular caves, deep glacier lakes, verdant valleys, long sandy beaches, and the spectacular snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps – all contribute to New Zealand’s scenic beauty. The country is the sole home the long-beaked, flightless kiwi, the ubiquitous nickname for New Zealanders.

The country’s isolation has played an important part in its development. Nevertheless, since the early 20th century New Zealand has been involved in international affairs, being an active member of both the League of Nations and the United Nations. Tourism has played an increasingly important role in the economy, though this sector was hit hard by the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.

21.4.4. The population is mostly of European immigrant descent, with the indigenous Maori being the largest minority. The social and cultural gap between these two main groups has decreased since the 1970s, though educational and economic differences between the two groups have remained. Immigration from other areas – Asia, Africa, and eastern Europe – has also left its mark, and New Zealand culture today reflects these many influences. Minority rights and race-related issues continue to play an important role in New Zealand politics. The list of famous New Zealanders includes Edmund Hillary (first man to conquer Mt Everest with Nepalese Sherpa Tensing Norgay), Ernest Rutherford (physicist famous for splitting the atom and pioneering nuclear science), Harold Williams (“Voice of the world”, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s greatest linguist, said to have spoken over 58 languages fluently), Russell Crowe and Sam Neil (actors) etc).

Дата добавления: 2014-01-04