New Zeland

History
Australia was discovered by Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch navigators. Capt. James Cook explored the eastern coast in 1770 and landed at Botany Bay, but actual colonization started 14 years later, in 1784, when a fleet of ships, bought the first settlers and convicts from England. The first colony was called New South Wales. It was a penal colony at first. The discovery of gold in the middle of the 19th century attracted many immigrants and the population increased rapidly. There were six sepa-rate colonies.

Towards the end of the 19th century the people desired federation, which resulted in the formation of a new British Dominion known as the Commonwealth of Australia, in 1901.

Six states : New South Wales ? Canberra
Victoria ? Melborne
South Australia ? Adelaide
Queensland ? Brisbane
Western Australia ? Perth
Tasmania ? Hobart
Two territories:the Australian Capital Territory?Canberra and the Northern Territory-Darwin.

Geography
Australia is about as large as the continental USA. The population is concentrated on the coast, in the south-east.

Relief
Aust.is the flattest of the continents:The western part is a flat plateau/the Great Western Plateau/. In the east there is a chain of highlands known as ? Great Dividing Range which runs close to the easterncoast. The south-eastern top is known as the Australian Alps. The highest point is Mount Kosciusko. Between the Great Dividing Range and the eastern coast there is an area of fertile plain, where most Australians live. The Great Barrier Reef in the north is one of Australia?s greatest tourist attraction.

Rivers and Lakes
The largest river is the Murray with its tributary the Darling

Climate
The south-east coast has a pleasant type of climate with warm summers, mild winters and good rainfall all the year round. The tropical north has hot, wet summers and warm, dry winters. The interior has a continental type of climate with insufficient rainfall. One third of the continent is desert or semi-desert.

Natural resources:
The mineral resources are: iron, coal, bauxite, lead and zinc, nickel, gold and silver
The main deposits are in the coast and south. The main source of timber is the eucalyptus tree.

Population and towns:
The population of Aust.is about 14 milion. The Aborigines are just over 200 000. The federal capital is Canberra, situated in the A.C.T. Each state has its own state capital.

The national economy
General characteristics
Australia is self-supporting in many manufactured products and some of them are exported. But the economic basis of Australia remains agriculture.

Agriculture:
Branches: sheep-raising/Aust.is the greattes producer of high quality wool in the world. Cattle-raising
Crop production:wheat, barley, oats, maize, sugar-cane.
Industry :
The main industries are:Mining,The food industry,Textile industry and Enginnering

Austr. exports : wool, meat, dairy, products, wheat, flour, fruit, sugar, chemicals

System of government
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of six states. There is a Federal Government and Constitution.

New Zealand

NZ covers an area of about 269 000 square kilometres. It has two islands ? North Island and South Island. NZ is situated in the south-west Pacific Ocean. Australia lies to the west of New Zealand.

In NZ we can find mountains and plains. Very large is Cantenbury Plains on South Island. North Islands is known for its volcanic plateau. NZ is know for its glaciers.

Population:
Population of NZ is about 3 milion. There are only 12 people to one square kilometre. The majority of people are of European origin. The official language is English language but a lot of people speak Maori language.

History:
The first inhabitants were Maori and Polynesian people. They held NZ during the 14th century. The first European who landed on New Zealand?s coast was a Dutch sailor. Finally Captain James Cook landed on the coast of New Zealand and Britain held this country. New Zealand is an idependent member of the Commonwealth now.

System of government:
The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II represented by Governor General, but the actual head of the executive is the Prime Minister. NZ consist of several counties. The capitol city is Wellington.

Economy:
In NZ are these products: textiles and wooden products. Only minimum of land is suitable for growing grain. Its natural recources are: oil, iron, gas?