Australia

 Australia is the largest Island in the world. The Australia continent is in the southern hemisphere and its seasons are the opposite of the northern hemisphere. The capital is Canberra. Summer in Europe and North America is winter in Australia. Apart from Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent. The driest parts of Australia are the interior. The people mainly live in the cities along the coast. Most of Australia is empty and this is because most of it is desert. This desert region is located mainly in the centre of the country and it is called the Outback.  The children in the Outback don’t go to school. They get their lessons through the radio and via the Internet. The doctor also visit by plane. They call him “flying doctor”. Australia has a tropical, temperate and dry regions, with different weather conditions for each region. In winter, the weather is very mild compared with Europe or North America and snow is very rare except in the mountains of Tasmania and South Eastern Australia.

Aborigines.

Aborigines originally came from Asia. Aborigines lived in tribes of about ten of fifty people, but they didn’t live in one place: they were nomads. Aborigines spoke about 500 different languages, but only around 30 exist today.  Today modern Aborigines are allowed to preserve their culture. They have their own flag. It is black and red with a yellow circle.  

Sporting life.

 The mild climate also means that Australians can do sport all the year round. The most popular games that people take part in are golf, tennis, netball, soccer and swimming. Cricket and rugby are also a popular spectator sports.

Life’s a beach.

People say that in Australia life is a beach. This is because most of the population lives about twenty minutes’, drive away from one of the 7000 beaches in Australia. Australian beaches are usually sandy and white. The most famous beach is Bondi Beach. It is just outside Sydney, and it is famous for its surfers and volunteer lifeguards.

Christmas the Australian way.

Christmas in Australia is in the middle of the long, hot summer. Christmas is in the middle of the school summer holidays. Christmas in Australia is very different to Christmas in Europe. On Christmas Day, many families have a barbecue on the beach. December 26^th, or Boxing Day, is a day of sport. There is always an international cricket match as well as rugby and Australian Rules matches.

Erika :D