Canada, Australia, New Zeland

Canada

Canada is the second largest country in the world (after Russia). Its area is about 10 milion sq km and the population is about 30 milion people. In Canada lives the majority, which is of European origin (mostly of French or English origin), but we can find North American Indians and Inuit there too.
The capital of Canada is Ottawa, the other bigger towns are Montréal, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto etc. The people pay with Canadien dollars in this country.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy, a federal state and a parliamentary democracy with two official languages – French and English – and two systems of law: civil law and common law.
The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II represented by the Governor General, the head of government is the Prime Minister.
Canada is divided into two territories and ten provinces. The people speak English there, but only in province Québec live French speaking population.
The history of Canada is younger than the American history. The country was claimed for English Crown by John Cabot in 1497. In 1534 Jacques Cartier planted the flag of France on a Gospé promotory. But then came big controversies between French and English population. Just in 1763 was founded the Treaty of Paris. This agreement gave the British all French territory east of Mississippi. In 1774 Britain passed the Québec Act, which guaranteed religious and linguistic freedoms to French.
Education in Canada comprises ten provincial and two territorial systems, including public schools, separate schools and private schools. There are kindergartens, highschools and universities in Canada too.
Canada belongs to G-7 countries, this is the Group of 7 leading industrialized countries. This land is rich in raw materials (for example uranium, zinc and sulphur) and agricultural products (wheat). Very imporatant is export of wood and fishing too.
The surface of this country is very varied. There is a lot of lakes there, for example the lakes shared by the USA and Canada – Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are the well-known Niagara Falls. The other lakes are Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake and Lake Winnipeg. The important rivers are Mackenzie, St. Lawrence River. There are Rocky Mountains in the west and we can find the highest top Mt. Logan there.
Canada is divided into seven regions with a different landscape and climate. The sign of Canada is maple leaf, which we can see on the flag.

Commonwealth of Australia

Australia is the Earth´s smallest continent and is on the big island. In Australia live about 20 milion people, mostly of British origin, but there live native inhibitants – Aborigines – too. That people are trackers and hunters with a black skin. They hunt for kangaroos and use the weapon, which is called bumerang. The area of Australia is about 8 milion sq km.
The currency is Australian dollar. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II represented by the Governor General, the head of government is the Prime Minister.
The capital s Canberra, but the biggest city is Sydney with the well-known Opera House. The other important towns are Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. The people here speak English or Aboriginal languages. The population is situated on the coast, because in the inland there are only deserts. The country isn´t very hilly, the highest peak is Mt. Kosciusco.
The first people, who were this country discovered, were Willem Jansz, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, William Dampier and Dirk Hartog, but the wave of immigration began, after Captain James Cook had claimed New South Wales as a British colony in 1770, but the most of these people were the criminals, the convicts.
Now is Australia a member of British Commonwealth, the executive is drawn from the Federal Parliament, consisting of two chambers: Senate and a House of Representative. Australia is divided into eight territories.
System of education isn´t unified, because each state decides about its own education in its territory, but the school attendence is compulsory from the age of six until fifteen.
Australia belongs to the highly developed countries of the world. Very important are developed industries and agriculture, but Australia is rich in mineral deposits too (for example coal, iron).
In Australia live various kinds of animals, we can named these: kangaroos, dingo, platypus, Tasmanian devil and koala, which feeds almost entirely on eucalyptus shoots.

New Zealand

New Zealand are two islands – North and South -, which are separated by narrow Cook Strait. The area is about 300 000 sq km and the population is 3,5 milion people, mostly of British origin, but there live a minority of Polinesian, who are called Maori.
The capital is Wellington, the other big towns are Auckland, Christchurch and so on.
New Zealander pay with New Zealand dollars and speak English or Maori.
The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II represented by the Governor General, the head of government is the Prime Minister.
New Zealand was discovered by the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman in 1642, many years later was getting Captain James Cook there.
New Zealand is an independant member of the Commonwealth, the political system is the same as in Australia.
This country is highly developed and very important is breeding of sheeps and so there is a lot of pastures in New Zealand. On the South island we can find the highest peak of the country Mt. Cook. In New Zealand we can admire geysers and boiling pools. The sign of New Zealand is the bird kivi, which has a long beak and is very big and so it can´t fly.