CANADA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND
CANADA
settlement – osada
currently – v současné době
power – moc, síla
representative – zástupce
Governor General – generální guvernér
centred – soustředěný
maple leaf – javorový list
consist – skládat se
covered – pokrytý
forest – les, zalesněná krajina
mostly – převážně
divided – rozdělená
continental – pevninské, kontinentální
dominion – nadvláda, moc
stuffing – nádivka
include – zahrnovat
Canada is the second largest country in the world. Canada is located in the north of the continent of
North America. The name Canada comes from the Iroquois Indian word ,,kanata´, which means village or settlement. Canada has a relatively small population of 30 million. It is a multicultural country with two official languages, English and French.
Canada is constitutional monarchy because was a British colony from 1867. The monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Queen Elizabeth II., is ceremonial head of state, but she has little power. Her representative is the Governor General. Canada has a federal system of government. Leader of the government is called the prime minister.
Canada is a member of British Commonwealth of Nations.
The flag consist of two vertical bands red with a white square between them and a red maple leaf centred in the white square.
Canada’s national holiday is the 1st of July known as Canada Day. It marks the founding of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. Thanksgiving, celebrated on the second Monday in October, is traditionally a time to give thanks for the harvest and enjoy meals of roast turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
Now something about geography. Canada is bordered by the USA to the south and the north-west (Alaska). The country is divided into ten provinces. The southern part of the country is covered in forest. The northern part is mostly tundra. The Canadian Rocky Mountains lie along the west coast. The highest mountain is Mont Logan. There are also many lakes and rivers, the Mackenzie and St Lawrence rivers are the longest. The Great Lakes are in the South. Canada mostly has a continental climate with cold snowy winters and warm summers. The far north has a polar climate.
The capital city is Ottawa. There are parliment´s buildings. Toronto is the largest city. Toronto’s attractions include the CN Tower, the world’s tallest tower. Montreal is the second largest city. Tourist can see a lot of buildings with modern architecture. Vancouver is also a popular destination. It hosted the Olympic games in 2010.
The biggest attractions for people and tourist is ice hockey because it is Canadian national sport and in Canada is a lot of famous team f.e. Calgary, Vancouver or Motreal.
A lot of famous people come from Canada f.e. writer Margaret Atwood, singer and poet Leonard
Cohen, my favourite actor Jim Carrey, my favourite pop singers Nelly Furtado and Celine Dion.
AUSTRALIA
made up of sth. – být tvořen čím
settled – usedlý
lead – vést
to take place – konat se
to go on – dít se
surroundings – prostředí, podmínky, okolí
Australia is the world’s largest island and smallest continent. It is the only continent which is a single
country. It is located south of Asia between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Australia is made up
six states and two territories. The official language of Australia is English however more than
200 languages are spoken throughout the country. There are about 20 million people.
Australia is constitutional monarchy because James Cook, the British explorer, claimed Australia for Britain in 1770. Australia was originally settled as a prison colony. In the 1850s gold was discovered and many people moved to Australia. Australia became an independent nation in 1901. Formally, the head of state is monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Queen Elizabeth II. Her representative is the Governor General. Canada has a federal system of government. The federal government is led by the prime minister.
Australia is a member of British Commonwealth of Nations. The Australian flag is dark blue, with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper left hand corner. The lower left hand corner contains a
seven pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star.
Australia’s climate is quite different from the rest of the world. It is the driest inhabited continent on earth, and the centre of the country has one of the lowest rainfall rates in the world. Thanks to the climate and geographical isolation of the continent there are unique animals such as marsupials like the kangaroo, the koala bear, the Tasmanian devil or the platypus. Countryside in Australia is very nice and tourist can visit national parks. The most famous landform is Uluru in the centre of the country.
The capital city is Canberra. It is political centre of Australia. Sydney is the largest city. There is the most popular building in Australia. It is the Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th century buildings in the world. The building and its surroundings form a typical Australian image. Melbourne is the second biggest city with a population of 4,3 million. There is always something going on. Many festivals, such at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, take place there. Also the city is home to many famous sporting events – including the Australian open – one of the four tennis Grand Slams in the world).
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is island located in the South Pacific. About 4 million people live there.
English and Maori are both the official languages of New Zealand.
New Zealand is a part of the British Commonwealth. It is a constitutional monarchy and the head of state is the monarch of the United Kingdom. His / her representative is the Governor General. The head of government is the prime minister.
Maori first settled in New Zealand in the 13th century. Before that, there was no human settlement.
New Zealand is consists of two main islands and several small islands. The North Island has a sub-tropical climate. The North Island has a lot of volcanic activity. There are volcanoes. The South Island is much more mountainous. The South Island is larger than the North Island but has only one quarter of the country’s population.
New Zealand has many species that are unique to the islands. For millions of years New Zealand has been isolated and unique birds, animals and plants have developed there. The most well-known are flightless birds such as the kiwi. This bird is the symbol of the country.
The North Island boasts two of the country’s most important cities: Auckland in the north and Wellington in the south. Wellington is the country’s political capital and the third largest city by population. The parliament of New Zealand is located here. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city.