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Текст для контрольного говоріння за ІІ семестр.
Текст для контрольного говоріння за ІІ семестр.
Australia
Australia, or the Commonwealth of Australia, as it is
officially called, is situated on the island continent. It also occupies the
Island of Tasmania and some minor islands round the coast of the continent.
It is a highly developed industrial-agrarian country.
Its area is about 8 million square kilometres. It is the only state in the
world that occupies the territory of a whole continent.
The capital of Australia is Canberra, which became the
capital only in 1927.
From 1787 to 1867 Australia was a place where
criminals were sent from Britain. That is why the official language of
Australia is English.
Almost one half of Australian territory is occupied by
deserts and semideserts. For quite a long period of time it was thought to be
useless for economic development. But it is rich in coal, iron ore, bauxites,
uranium, lead and many other mineral resources.
For almost a century the production and export of
sheep wool was the basis of the economy of the country. Now the most important
industries are oil, chemical, ore mining, radioelectronics, and food industry.
The country exports agricultural products and raw materials.
As for the nature, the commonest trees of Australia
are the eucalyptus and the Australian acacia or mimosa, the national emblem of
the country. Such unusual animals as a kangaroo or a koala-bear originate from
Australia.
Australia is one of the most unusual and exotic
countries of the world. A significant feature of modern Australian society is
the representation of a lot of cultures drawn from many lands by its people.
Historically part of the British Empire and now a
member of a Commonwealth of Nations, it is a relatively prosperous and
independent nation.
