A. is situated in the south-west of the Pacific Ocean, occupying the continent of Australia and a number of islands, the largest of which is Tasmania. The area of the country is about 3,000,000 sq. miles. It includes six states and two territories. 18 mln people live in A.

     The federal capital of the country is Canberra. The official language is English.

     A. is the flattest of the continents. The Great Western Plateau covers the whole western part of the continent. East of it is a great lowland known as the Central-Eastern Lowlands. The Eastern Highlands, more commonly known as the Great Dividing Range stretch from Cape York to Tasmania. The south-eastern area is known as the Australian Alps. The highest peak is Mount Kosciusko (7,328 feet high).

     The largest lake Lake Eyre is nearly 12 m below the sea level. The main rivers are the Murray and the Darling.

     The climate of A. Is relatively warm and dry, comfortably mild in the south and hot in the central interior and in the north.

     It's believed that A's geological isolation has resulted in many species not found elsewhere. Early in the world's history, A. was separated from the other continents, and its animals have developed differently. The most peculiar feature is the pouch where the female carries her young. Such animals are called marsupials. The best known are the kangaroo, the wallaby, the koala bear and the possum. The other animals are: the primitive duckbilled platypus that lays eggs, the wild dog dingo, the rabbit. There are about 800 varieties of birds, among them are: eagles, hawks, parrots and cockatoos. The emu a large Australian bird which cannot fly and the kangaroo are represented on the national emblem of A. Australian wildflowers include the waratah - the national flower of the country, flannel flower, kangaroo paw and the others. The best known native trees are the gum (eucalyptus) and the wattle (acacia).

      A.'s first settlers were the dark-skinned aborigines who arrived from Asia at least 38,000 years ago probably by the bridge then linking the two continents. The continent was discovered for the Europeans by the Dutch in 1606, who called it New Holland. In April 1770 Captain Cook made his first visit to A*Then Captain Matthew Flinders proposed the name of Australia in 1804.

     Now A. is a self-governing state and a member of the Commonwealth. The Queen is represented in A. by the Governor-General and six State Governors. The Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives (the lower chamber) and the Senate (the upper chamber). The main political parties are The Labour Party and The Liberal Party.

     A. is among the major producers of minerals and metals. It is rich in coal, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium and gold. A. leads the world in wool production and it is a significant producer of grains, dairy products, meat, sugar, and fruit.

     The industry is mostly concentrated in big cities such as: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. These cities are also the country's main ports.

     Canberra was specially planned as a capital. The layout of the city was suggested by the architect Griffin and the construction was started in 1913. In 1927 Canberra became the capital of Australia. Now 264,000 people live in Canberra.