English speaking countries

LECTURE 20: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

• Introducing the USA

• The Naming of America

• American History

• Formation of the USA

• The Growth of Big Business

Britain, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand are large English speaking countries. They are situated in various parts of the Globe and differ in many ways.

Each country has its own history, national holidays, traditions and customs. But they have a common language, English, the language of the people who left Britain to settle in new countries.

From the British Isles the English language spread all over the world, that’s why we can say that the United Kingdom is the major English speaking country.

The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, the States, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. It is the fourth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. It was formed in 1776.

For the people in Europe (Old World), America was a New World. Until the 15th century there were three parts of the world: Europe, Asia and Africa. After the voyages of Amerigo Vespucci along the coasts of what are today known as South and Central America the fourth part of the world be named after the explorer “America”. Vespucci participated as observer in several voyages that explored the east coast of South America between 1499 and 1502.

Christopher Columbus, an Italian sea captain, who had sailed to many European and African ports, wanted to find a sea route to Asia and believed that Asia could be reached by sailing west from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1492 Columbus and his three ships sailed from Spain. They sailed for six weeks and suddenly saw an island. The Spanish was sure that the island was in the East Indies, near Asia, and they called the people of the island the Indians. The islands Columbus found were in the Caribbean Sea, between North and South America, now called the West Indies. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean by Columbus, explorers from different countries made voyages to America.

In the 17th century for years English ships sailed along the coast of what is now the eastern United States. In 1606 three small ships set sail from England and headed for North America. In 1607 they started a settlement and named it Jamestown for King James I of England. The colony faced a lot of problems: hunger, living in a wilderness; the ruling of the colony belonged to the Virginia Company which did not give the colonists freedom to do what they wanted. In 1624 the English king took control of the colony away from the Virginia Company. A governor ruled the colony in the king’s name, but the settlers elected their representatives to help make laws for the colony. This self-government was very important for the further history of the USA.

The first black colonists – 20 Africans – were brought to Jamestown in 1619 by a Dutch ship. The first black colonists had to work for an owner for a certain number of years and then be given their freedom. However, in 1661 black people in Virginia were sold as slaves.

In 1620 the ship Mayflower with 102 passengers left England for America. They were Pilgrims, members of the radical wing of the Puritan movement, who were looking for a land where they could live in their own way, free from persecution. They came to America for religious reasons. The Pilgrims called their colony Plymouth. They suffered terribly through the cold winter. Nearly half of them died. Finally, with the help of friendly Indians, the Pilgrims were able to build houses and raise food crops. To show how they felt about the Indians’ help, they invited the Indians to share their first Thanksgiving feast.

In 1630 more colonies were started. Colonial towns and cities were centres of trade and government. The large farms grew food. Nine out of every ten people lived on farms or in small villages. Settlers needed new places; they moved to the west into the Indians’ hunting grounds, cleared trees and built log cabins. The Indians burned their cabins and crops, hoping to stop the settlements. This Native American population was greatly reduced.

At that time Britain was the most powerful country in the world. Tensions between American colonials and the British led to the war that became known as the American Revolution or the War for Independence fought from 1775 through 1781. George Washington of Virginia was chosen to be the army’s commander. The rebellious states defeated the British Empire in the American Revolution. After six long years of the War a peace treaty was signed. In the treaty, Great Britain agreed that the thirteen colonies would be independent. The new nation was called the United States.

The United States was founded by thirteen British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard. On July 4, 1776, they issued the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration said that “these United Colonies are free and independent states”. The Declaration was mostly written by Thomas Jefferson. The purpose of the government, he said, was to protect the rights of the people. Jefferson wrote in the Declaration, “All men are created equal”, all men have certain rights. Those rights include “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

In each state a new plan of government was written. The plans were called constitutions. The new nation had problems that needed to be handled by a strong government.

After the Revolution, George Washington was troubled by the weakness of the new government. He and his friends decided to convene a meeting in Philadelphia. Long debates were caused by differences in opinions. People from the large and the small states had different ideas about the system of representation of members in Congress. It was accepted that Congress should be divided into two parts. In one part, called the Senate, each state would have two votes. In the second part, called the House of Representatives would be set according to the number of people in each state. Congress would make laws for the nation. The President would see that the laws were obeyed. The new Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. Today the United States uses this Constitution. The first election for President was held in 1788. George Washington was elected the President.

At that time New York was the nation’s capital. In 1801 Washington, D.C., was a new capital. The United States grew rapidly. By 1820, ten new states had been formed. The first half of the 19th century saw the rise of factories and thus the beginning of mass production, the growth of businesses and the inflow of immigrants. Immigrants, mostly the Europeans, kept moving to the new nation. The 1850s were years for railroad building.

North and South grew apart in other ways. The North had more industry. The South was mostly farms. In 1854 a new political party, called the Republican Party, started the discussion that slavery must not be allowed. The Democrats wanted to allow slavery. In 1860, the Republicans Abraham Lincoln won the election.

Disputes between the agrarian South and the industrial North over the expansion of the institution of slavery provoked the American Civil War of the 1860s. The North's victory led to the end of legal slavery in the United States. For both North and South, the Civil War was long and hard. More than half a million soldiers lost their lives.

Five days after the war ended, Abraham Lincoln was shot in the theatre by an actor. The nation gained peace but has lost a great President.

The Civil War helped transform the nation’s economy and the way of life. The years after the war are called Reconstruction. The most important effect of the war was the end of slavery. Slavery was abolished everywhere in the United States. Blacks were promised the same rights as whites. About four million black slaves had been freed by the war. But the ex-slaves had no money to live and to buy a farm. By the early twentieth century in the South states blacks and whites were separated in schools, parks, trains, hospitals, and other public places.

The time from 1870 to 1890 was the time of the last Indian wars. Some Indian leaders wanted to live at peace with the newcomers, and they signed treaties, agreeing to stay on land set aside for them – in the so-called reservations. But the treaties were ignored by settlers who wanted land or were looking for gold and silver.

At the end of the 19th century new businesses got started. More people had extra money to invest trying to make a profit. Giant corporations were formed. Companies sold stock and people invested in stock becoming stockholders. Thomas Edison invented a practical light bulb. Edison formed an electric power company to sell his inventions. It had a station that supplied electricity for homes, businesses, and street lights. Soon one city after another started to put in electric power. Edison’s power company later became General Electric.

By 1900 most of the steel used in the country was made in Andrew Carnegie’s steel empire. John D. Rockefeller got control of most of the country’s oil business. In the 1920s America became a nation on wheels. Almost every family was buying a car. The most popular car was the model, made by Henry Ford. A new idea in American business was the producing cars (and other goods) on the assembly line at Ford’s factories.

In 1867 the Senate approved buying Alaska from Russia. The price was a little over seven million dollars. Alaska became an American state.

Theodore Roosevelt, who became the President in 1901, was one of the most popular Presidents in American history. People called him Teddy or TR. A popular toy, the Teddy Bear, was named for him. Theodore Roosevelt had an idea to build a canal through the narrow land that connects North and South Americas for expanding the US power. With such a canal, the United States Navy could move more easily between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal was planned across Panama. In 1914 the work was complete, and the Panama Canal was open to ship traffic.

The World War I confirmed the country's status as a military power. It emerged from the World War II as the superpower with nuclear weapons. The United States had lost 300,000 members of its armed services in the World War II, there had been no fighting or bombing in North America. So, the United States was in much better position than the Soviet Union and other countries fighting with Germany.

The country accounts for two-fifths of global military spending and is a leading economic, political, and cultural force in the world.

Topics for discussion:

• The Native Americans

• The First Europeans who went to America

• The Role of Slavery in the Development of the Nation

• The War for Independence

• A New Constitution

• Political Parties

• The Role of Immigration in the history of America

Task:

Prepare presentation about any American State.

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LECTURE 21: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TODAY

• Geographical Situation

• The System of Government

• The American Capital

• New York, the country’s largest city

• Public Holidays and Other Special Days

The United States of America lies in the central part of the North American continent, where its forty-eight states are, with the Atlantic Ocean to the East, the Pacific Ocean to the West, Canada to the North, and Mexico to the South. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent. The state of Hawaii is in the mid-Pacific. The country’s total area is over 9 million sq. km.

The USA is washed by 3 oceans – the Arctic, the Pacific and the Atlantic. There are many rivers in the country. The longest of them are the Mississippi (called “the father of waters”), the Missouri and some others. The US also has many lakes, with the Great Lakes included.

The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera. Due to the large territory, the climate conditions are rather different.

The USA is rich in various mineral resources: oil, gas, coal, and different metals.

The United States is one of the most highly developed industrial powers in the world. Its main industrial branches comprise aircraft, rocket, automobile, radio-engineering, textile, electronics, chemical and others.

The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2009 GDP of $14.3 trillion (a quarter of nominal global GDP).

The Americans are made up from nearly all nations and races of the world. Due to immigrants its population is now over 300 million. The USA is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations.

Officially the country comprises 50 states and one District Columbia. The states differ in size, population and economic development. Each state has its own capital. The capital of the USA is Washington. There are many large cities in the country: New York, Chicago, San-Francisco, Los-Angeles, Boston, Detroit and some others.

The official language of the state is English. More than eighty languages are now spoken in the USA. Spanish is the second most common language, after English.

The main national symbol of the country is its flag called “Stars and Stripes”, having 50 white stars on the dark blue field and 13 white and red stripes. The 13 stripes typify the original 13 States; the 50 stars represent the 50 States.

The USA is a federal state headed by the President. The legislative power belongs to the Congress consisting of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate represents the states and the House of Representatives – the population. The chairman of the House of Representatives, the Speaker, is elected by the House. The executive power belongs to the President and his Administration – the Vice President and the Cabinet of Ministers. The President (any natural-born citizen over 34) is elected for a term of four years and can only be re-elected for one more term. The President, the Cabinet cannot be members of Congress.

There are several political parties in the USA. The largest and most influential of them are the Republican Party, symbolized by a donkey, and the Democratic Party, symbolized by an elephant.

Washington is the capital of the USA. It is situated in the Federal District of Columbia on the banks of the Potomac River.

The city was named after its founder – the first American President George Washington. It became the capital of the USA in 1800.

The USA capital is not very large. But it is the most important city of the country; its political, cultural and administrative centre.

Washington is one of the most unusual and beautiful cities in the country. There are no skyscrapers in the US capital. The Capitol, where the Congress sits, is the highest building in the city. There is a law against building structures higher than the Capitol. The Capitol is the centre of the city. It is situated on Capitol Hill, the highest point in the city. Not far from the Capitol there is the Congress Library – the largest nation’s library. It includes three buildings.

The White House is the official residence of the US Presidents. Every President except Washington lived and worked there. The White House has now 132 rooms.

There are also many beautiful parks, squares, monuments and memorials in the American capital. The most known of them are the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument. There are five Universities in it.

There are several museums and galleries in the city. The most attractive of them is the Smithsonian Complex consisting of 18 museums, among them the Museum of American History, the Natural History Museum, the National Gallery of Fine Arts, the Air and Space Museum and others. The Smithsonian Institution was established as a result of a gift from an Englishman James Smithson who never saw America in his life and left his fortune to the USA.

The Arlington National Cemetery is the nation’s famous burial ground. It is the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

New York, the country’s largest city, is popularly called the “Big Apple”. New York City, the most populous city in the United States, is known for its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing centre and for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States. It is located on a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast.

New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790.

The Statue of Liberty, standing at the entrance of New York harbour, greets everybody who comes to New York by sea.

The first skyscraper was put in 1888. It had only thirteen stories. The Empire State Building has 102. It was opened in 1931.

The World Trade Centre had 110. Its crash in 2002, September 11, will forever remain the symbol of tragedy for the country.

Rockefeller Centre is an architectural ensemble of a number of skyscrapers, houses offices, theatres, music halls. The 39-storey skyscraper of the United Nations Organization is situated on the bank of the East River.

Broadway, the longest street in the city, is a major center of the world's entertainment industry. The famous Wall Street is known for its banks, companies, big offices governing financial life of the nation and the world. The New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange are both in the Wall Street area.

New York City is the home for world-class Columbia University.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of financiers, industrialists, and art collectors. The Museum’s collection of American art is the most comprehensive in the world. The Central Park is considered New York’s greatest piece of architecture. It was opened in 1876. The park is the green space within an urban area.

Most of those who were born and live now in the USA are energetic, enterprising, pragmatic and too talkative. They are often simply fixed at making money and career. Almost all of them adore various receptions and banquets. The Americans are really interested only in their own country, and their own success. They are very proud of their country.

Holidays commonly celebrated in America include the group of celebrations known as the Big Six: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas.

The first settlers came to America from various parts of the Globe and they brought with them their national traditions and holidays.

New Year’s Day is one of the greatest national holidays. At midnight most Americans go outside, ring bells or blow automobile horns and set off fireworks. At home they exchange presents and good wishes. The Americans gather in homes or in restaurants or other public places the night before to enjoy food and beverages and to wish each other a happy and prosperous year ahead.

Memorial Day, celebrated on the 30th of May, is a great national holiday. On this day the Americans honour all those who gave their lives in the past wars, holding memorial services in churches and cemeteries. This holiday is also marked with parades and sports competitions.

One of the greatest holidays in the USA is Independence Day celebrated on the 4th of July. On this day, in 1776, the declaration of Independence was signed and the country became an independent state. The holiday is usually marked with parades and fireworks. Most people go to picnics to the countryside.

Labour Day is a holiday of recreation. It is marked on the first Monday in September to honour all the working people of the country.

Thanksgiving Day is a favourite national holiday, celebrated on the last Thursday in November, to honour the first settlers. It is a great family holiday when the Americans have their traditional dinner with a fried turkey.

Christmas Day is the most important religious holiday celebrated on the 25th of December to glory the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also a joyful family holiday; people exchange presents and enjoy themselves. Because it is a religious day, it is not an official holiday. But most businesses are closed and most workers have the day off. They attend special church services.

At Christmas time for most stores there is a sharp increase in sales. Christmas shopping is a major activity of many Americans in December. Gifts are given to children, members of the family and close friends. Some people bake cookies or other special food treats for friends and neighbors. Many businesses give their workers a Christmas “bonus” – gifts of extra money – to show appreciation for their work. The decorating of homes for Christmas is very common. Most Americans who observe the holiday have a Christmas tree in their homes. This may be a real evergreen tree or an artificial one. The tree is decorated.

Easter is a religious holiday marked in memory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Americans attend the church services on this day. They exchange gifts and give chocolate eggs, rabbits and chicks to children. Many households organise Easter egg hunts, in which children look for dyed eggs hidden around the house or yard. The President of the United States even has an annual Easter egg hunt on the lawn of the White House the day after Easter, known as “Easter Monday”.

The federal holiday Veteran's Day is celebrated on the 11th of November to honour all the nation’s veterans, both living and dead.

Lincoln’s Birthday is marked on the 12th of February to honour the 16th President of the US, Abraham Lincoln, who managed to keep the nation together and free the slaves.

Washington’s Birthday is marked on the 22d of February to commemorate the first President of the USA, George Washington, who led the American Army to victory in the War for Independence and who was called “the Father of the Nation”.

Some other US holidays are not national holidays; they include St. Valentine's Day, Halloween and April Fools’ Day. St. Valentine’s Day is marked on the 14th of February as a holiday of love and friendship in honour of St. Valentine, all sweethearts’ patron. Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October, on the eve of All Saints’ Day. On this day most Americans just have a good time and make merry.

Topics for discussion:

• Geographical Survey of the USA

• The Main Parties

• The Capital of the Country

• Sightseeing in New York

• Traditions

Task:

Prepare presentation about: a) the outstanding historical figures; b) famous American writers.

Video (DVD): New York (Chill Culture) («Нью-Йорк»)

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LECTURE 22: INTRODUCING CANADA

• The Discovery of Canada

• The Union of Canada

• Canada Today

• People and Languages

• The Main Cities

• Culture and Traditions

Canada is the world’s second largest country that occupies the northern part of the North American continent.

Originally the country was inhabited by the Aboriginal people, who are known in Canada as “the First Nation” (10 000 years ago). The word “Canada” originated from “Kanata” that means “a settlement or a village”.

A thousand years ago men from Norway called Norsemen, voyaged to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and when they returned home they told of visiting the land. It may have been the United States or Canada, but one thing is certain – they discovered America five centuries before Columbus.

500 years later John Cabot, Italian explorer, living in England, sailed from England to the shores of Canada, seeking a new way to China. Cabot was disappointed with the rocky coast which he found and returned to England. In the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and settled, along the Atlantic coast.

In the first half of the 18th century fighting between the British and French colonies in North America was started. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years’ War. Britain became dominant in Canada.

In 1867 the three colonies were united under the British North America Act as the dominion of Canada. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom. This widening autonomy was culminated in the Canada Act of 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament.

Canada’s land territory is 9, 9 million sq. km. Its coasts are washed by the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. There are many plains and mountains on its territory. It is also a country of lakes and rivers. The Niagara River and the fall at Niagara are well-known all over the world.

The population of Canada is about 33 million. The capital of the country is Ottawa. The country consists of ten provinces and two territories.

Canada is a federative state within the British Commonwealth of Nations. It is governed as a parliamentary democracy and the formal head of the state is Queen of the UK Elizabeth II. The Federal Parliament consists of the Senate and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister, the leader of the party holding the majority in the House of Commons, is responsible for the policy conducted by the Canadian Government.

One of the world’s highly developed countries, Canada has a diversified economy that is reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade. The country is known for its rich resources of metal ores, oil and gas. Forests are the greatest wealth of Canada. The major industries of the country include machine-building, hydro-electric, automobile and ship-building. The country agriculture is highly mechanized. It produces wheat, meat and dairy products. Fishing industry occupies an important place in the country economy.

The population consists of either Anglo-Canadian or French-Canadian descendants with about 34% of the population of British origin, about 26% of French origin and also about 26% of other European origin. Canada is a bilingual nation, there are two official languages: English and French. 61% of the population speak English as their native, 24% speak French. Quebec, Canada’s largest province, its first settlers were French, and now French language is spoken most often here.

Ottawa, the capital of the country, is situated on the hills along the Ottawa River in the Western Ontario. Ottawa is an important political and cultural centre of the country. In 1854 Ottawa was chosen as the seat of government because it stood at the crossroads of French and English-speaking Canada.

The neo-Gothic Parliament buildings look like the Houses of Parliament in London. Ottawa has a green-belt within the city that provides recreation areas for walking, bicycling and for skiing in winter. Every spring, millions of tulips bloom, a gift from Queen Juliana of the Netherlands to the people of Canada for sheltering her and her family during World War II.

The largest Canadian cities are Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec and some others.

Canada’s largest city is Montreal, which is built around a mountain on a green island. It is a seaport, one of the most important in Canada. Montreal is a beautiful city with its parks, avenues and streets. You may visit old Notre Basilica, the Olympic Stadium and Botanical Gardens.

Toronto is the capital of the province of Ontario and the second city in Canada. The University of Toronto is the largest in Canada and is noted for its high academic learning.

Canada has become a cultural mosaic in which immigrant groups have been able to retain much of their ethnic culture. But in general, the way of life, family structure, cuisine, and dress of the Canadian people are closer to those of the United States than to those of Britain or France.

The Canadians enjoy sports and other recreational activities. Winter sports are widely enjoyed by the Canadians, including ice hockey, ice skating, and downhill skiing. From spring recreational activities include fishing, hunting, hiking, golf, and water sports.

Canada’s national holiday is Canada Day marked on July 1. It commemorates the formation of the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867. It is celebrated with parades, fireworks, and the singing of the national anthem, O Canada.

Topics for discussion:

• Sketches on History

• Geographical Survey of Canada

• A Bilingual Nation

Video (DVD): Canada («Канада 1000 мест, которые стоит посетить»)

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LECTURE 23: INTRODUCING AUSTRALIA

• Geographical Survey

• Sketches on History

• Australian Population

• Modern Australia

• The City of Sydney

• The Isle of Beauty

Australia is the only country in the world which occupies the territory of an entire continent. Australia is an island that separates the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. The territory of the country comprises the continent of Australia, the island of Tasmania and some smaller islands. The country’s official name is Commonwealth of Australia. The total area is about 8 million square kilometres.

The country consists of six states and two territories. The largest state is Western Australia. The major cities are Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra.

The word “Australia” means “southern land”. The continent is south of the Equator, so the seasons are opposite: summer is from December to February, winter from June to August.

There are several rivers in the country but they are not large. Australia is rich in energy and mineral resources such as iron, coal, zinc, copper, oil, nickel, gold and natural gas. It is the world’s largest exporter of coal and diamonds.

The isolation of the country from the rest of the world for many centuries has resulted in the development of Australian flora and fauna, found nowhere else. The symbols of Australia are its native animals: the kangaroo and the emu.

The first landing by Europeans took place in 1606. More than a century and a half later an expedition headed by the British explorer James Cook added the land to the possessions of the British Crown.

Due to the War of Independence, the convicts could no longer be transported to the American colonies and penal settlements were established in Australia. So in 1788 over thousand English convicts and guards arrived there. For the following half century the deportation of convicts to Australia continued.

The discovery of gold in 1851 marked the increasing of the population as a result of immigration. The transportation of convicts stopped. The economic and political effects of the gold rush were considerable. New settlers demanded a distribution of lands. The struggle between squatters and small farmers started. Development of trade unions began and they gained considerable rights. In 1870s the Australian workers were the first in the world to gain an eight-hour working day.

The natural conditions of the country encouraged the development of sheep breeding and grain growing. A great number of sheep stations were established there.

In 1901 the separate colonies in Australia merged together and became the States of the Commonwealth of Australia, which acquired the status of a dominion of Great Britain.

In the beginning of the 20th century, in Australia’s economy there was expansion of exports of wheat, meat, sugar and fruits.

In 1986 the Australian Act gave the country full independence from Britain while it is still retaining its Commonwealth membership and the British Queen Elizabeth II is the official head of the state.

Australia is one of the least populated countries in the world. Its population is 20 million. The Australian population is subdivided into “the original Australians” (known as the Aborigines), “the old Australian” and “the new Australian”.

The word “aborigines” means “first inhabitants”. The Aboriginals’ ancestors are believed to have migrated to the Australian continent from South-East Asia at least 40,000 years ago. They were engaged in hunting and food gathering. During the colonization period a great many of the Aborigines were killed by the white men or were driven to the most unsuitable soils.

“The Old Australians” are people of Anglo-Saxon or Irish descent, born in Australia and speaking English as their native tongue. The descendants of convicts, guards, free settlers, landowners and pioneers made up this layer of the population of Australia.

“The New Australians” are post-war immigrants from various countries, mostly European. Now there are many nations in Australia speaking different languages, with English being the official language.

Australia is an independent federative state within the British Commonwealth of Nations. It is a parliamentary state. The legislative power belongs to the Federal Parliament consisting of two Chambers: the Senate (or the Upper House) and the House of Representatives (the Lower House). The Government is headed by the Prime Minister. The main political parties represented in the Australian Parliament are the Labour party, the Liberal party, the National party and some others.

The main industries include steel, oil, gas, chemical, motor vehicles, electronics, food, paper, textile and light engineering. Agriculture is the main occupation in Australia. It produces about 2/3 of the rural production exported. Sheep-breeding and cattle-farming are also highly developed.

Australian sea beaches as well as the country’s climate provide year-round opportunities for recreation and outdoor activities. Picnics and back-yard barbecues are popular.

Australia Day, marked on 26 January, has been celebrated by the state since 1988.

Canberra is Australia’s National Capital. Today it is an important political and cultural centre of the country. The Australians celebrate the Capital’s Day on the third Monday in March. The Day is marked with a great festival where people can enjoy Canberra’s beauty. As a national capital where Parliament first set Canberra was established in 1927. The capital is a beautifully planned modern city with thousands of trees and shrubs. It is often called “the Garden city of Australia”. Canberra is arranged around the artificial lake. Its notable sights are the National Gallery, the Parliament House, the National Botanic Garden devoted to the unique Australian flora, the Commonwealth National Library, the Australian War Memorial. The Australian National University, which stands in the north of the city, was founded in 1946. Sydney is the largest and the oldest city in Australia, the city of hills, built around the shores and ocean views everywhere. It was the site of the first settlement in Australia.

The world-famous Sydney Opera House looks like waves when they break on the beach. It was designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utson. The famous Harbour Bridge is also very impressive. Within the famous Aquarium of Sydney there is the tunnel through the transparent walls of which visitors can see huge ocean fishes and even sharks.

Melbourne is the financial and cultural heart of the country. Melbourne is the centre of the Melbourne Cup, a horse race; and the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Tasmania is a beautiful, wild island – the sixth state of Australia. Agriculture is its main industry, but 6 per cent of its land is devoted to national parks. Tasmania’s coasts are unusual. The eastern coast is pretty and green, while the western one is wild. Tasmania is called “the Isle of Beauty”, “the Isle of Mountains”, “the Apple Island”, and one more name Tasmania has been given is “Holiday Island”.

Topics for discussion:

• Geography and Climate

• Early Australia

• Australia Today

• The Places of Interest

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LECTURE 24: NEW ZEALAND

• Geographical Survey

• Some Facts from the History

• New Zealand Today

• Demographic Information

• Major Cities

New Zealand is an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations. It is sometimes called “Britain of the Pacific”. New Zealand, an island country, is bordered by the Tasman Sea on the west and the South Pacific on the east. Its nearest neighbour is Australia, some 1,900 km to the northeast. The country consists of 3 large isles (the North Island, the South Island and Stewart Island) and many small isles. Its territory is over 268 000 sq. km.

The word “New Zealand” means “the land of the long white clouds”; this name was given to the country by Māoris because of its active volcanoes. The country also has some other slang names: the Kiwiland, the Māoriland.

New Zealand is a beautiful mountainous country, the Southern Alps being the highest mountains in the country. There are many lakes, rivers and waterfalls in New Zealand. The climate is warm. It rains almost all the year round, creating favourable conditions for the country agriculture.

The scenery of New Zealand includes the beautiful lake districts, natural forests and snow-capped mountains. During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive flora and fauna dominated by birds. Some 84% of the country’s native plants are found nowhere else. Many of them are protected by law. Today’s forests are dominated by evergreen beech and conifers.

The natural resources are not very rich: timber, gas, coal, iron ore, building materials and fast rivers with hydro-electric stations. But the country produces quite enough various goods both for its own needs and for export.

The Māoris, a Polynesian people, are the aborigines of New Zealand. The Dutch were the first Europeans to arrive, in 1642, but the area remained unknown until the arrival of James Cook in 1769. New Zealand became officially British colony in 1840. In 1856 the country gained the status of a self-governing colony and obtained control over its internal affairs. In 1907 it was granted the new status of a dominion within the British Empire. In 1947 New Zealand became independent and an independent member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The country participated in several wars, including World War I and II.

Economically, New Zealand has been dependent on the export of agricultural products, especially to Britain, for much of the 20th century. The entry of the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community (EEC) in the early 1970s, however, forced New Zealand to expand its trade relations with other nations, and also develop its industrial sector.

Today New Zealand is a developed country. The chief industries are transport equipment, textiles and food processing, oil refining and some others.

New Zealand’s system of government is the Constitutional Monarchy. The formal head of the country is the British Queen Elizabeth II that is represented by the Governor General. The highest legislative power belongs to the country Parliament consisting of one House – the House of Representatives. The executive power is exercised by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Prime Minister heads the Cabinet and is responsible for the policy that is conducted by the Government.

The main political parties represented in the country Parliament are the Labour Party and the National Party of New Zealand.

The New Zealanders spend most of their spare time at home, and are mostly content with newspapers, TV and their hobbies. They like the simple sort of life, delight in gardening, keeping hens. They like sports, particularly those played out of doors. Rugby football and horse racing are popular spectator sports. Climbing, skiing and other winter sports are also very popular.

In numerous galleries and museums Māori art is displayed and it is familiar to the public.

The principal ethnic majority are the Whites who account for 82 % of the population and are of European descent while 9% are Māori. Many Māoris have left the land and work in various industries. But the most part are still countrymen, working in sheep and dairy farms for white landowners.

The population of New Zealand is over 3 million people. The official language is English. Māori, which is still a living language of the Polynesian group, is spoken among the Māori population.

The major cities of the country are Auckland and Wellington, the capital. New Zealand’s largest city is Auckland. It is the leading commercial and industrial city. It is the biggest sea port in the country.

Wellington is the capital city, the main political, commercial, cultural and industrial centre of New Zealand, the country government’s seat.

In 1839 a British officer bought the site of Wellington from the Māoris; he got it in exchange for blankets and some other unimportant things. In 1840 the first settlers arrived and called their settlement Britannia. By 1842 there were 3,700 colonists in the settlement and Britannia had become Wellington.

Built largely on hills, with deep harbour water reaching almost to their feet, Wellington is an attractive city.

Wellington is the world’s most southern capital. It was named after the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, the British General and statesman who was the British Prime Minister. It is also called “the Top Town” of the country.

The capital’s attractions include the National Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, the National Cricket Museum and the Museum of New Zealand. The country’s animals are represented in Wellington’s Zoo.

Topics for discussion:

• Geographical Peculiarities of the Country

• The stages of the formation of new Zealand’s state

• The Linguistic Situation in New Zealand

• Major Cities and Regions where they are situated

Task:

Prepare presentation about any English-speaking country.

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PART NINE