Explained: Australian Geography
Last week, we talked about Canadian geography (can I get a cheer for the free geography lesson?). This week, we've got Australian geography to learn about. (My goodness, I sound like a teacher. (I'm so sorry.))
So! Australia, like Canada, is part of the British Commonwealth. (Sort of. Like Canada, it's kind of confusing because while we officially recognise the Queen as our figurehead she can't make any laws or basically do anything.) We're part of the Oceania/Australasia continent which includes Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papa New Guinea, East Timor, Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
We have six states (Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australian and Western Australia) and two territories (Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory). (The ACT is kind of weird. The capital of Australia, Canberra, is there. From what I understand, when Australia became a country there was a massive argument about whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the capital. They created a territory in the middle and called Canberra the capital as a result. Yeah, Australia is weird.)
The official language is English, but we've also got cool stuff like Mandarin, Japanese, Italian, Arabic, etc. In school, they usually offer Mandarin, Japanese or French (or some combination of the three) which I think is pretty awesome.
As in Canada, the weather can be pretty extreme and on opposite sides of the scales. Cyclones, the Outback, rainforests, snow, oceans, lakes and droughts that can last a decade.
So there you go, geography sorted. *drops mike* What's one geography thing people always mess up about your country? Do you get extreme weather? What languages are spoken around where you live?
So! Australia, like Canada, is part of the British Commonwealth. (Sort of. Like Canada, it's kind of confusing because while we officially recognise the Queen as our figurehead she can't make any laws or basically do anything.) We're part of the Oceania/Australasia continent which includes Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papa New Guinea, East Timor, Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
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We have six states (Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australian and Western Australia) and two territories (Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory). (The ACT is kind of weird. The capital of Australia, Canberra, is there. From what I understand, when Australia became a country there was a massive argument about whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the capital. They created a territory in the middle and called Canberra the capital as a result. Yeah, Australia is weird.)
The official language is English, but we've also got cool stuff like Mandarin, Japanese, Italian, Arabic, etc. In school, they usually offer Mandarin, Japanese or French (or some combination of the three) which I think is pretty awesome.
As in Canada, the weather can be pretty extreme and on opposite sides of the scales. Cyclones, the Outback, rainforests, snow, oceans, lakes and droughts that can last a decade.
So there you go, geography sorted. *drops mike* What's one geography thing people always mess up about your country? Do you get extreme weather? What languages are spoken around where you live?
I know virtually nothing about Australia, so this is informative! Also, the thing with creating a territory just for the capital is pretty much what the US did too. I don't think it's in a territory exactly, but Washington DC isn't in any one state which I think is intended to prevent the government from being biased toward a certain state.
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool, I didn't know that! You learn something new every day. Thanks so much for visiting, Karen!
DeleteUgh, I really hate when people say that Ireland is a part of the UK. It's NORTHERN Ireland that's a part of the UK!
ReplyDeleteExtreme weather? No. We complain about how cold it is but it really isn't THAT cold :/
Languages? Irish (ahahaahahaha) and English. I laugh about Irish because only few people can speak the language fluently. We are taught it in school, however since you start school.
I think it's awesome that you can learn Japanese, Mandarin or French. We can learn Japanese over her as well. And French. Of course xDD
*goes and hides in a corner* I didn't actually know that. BUT I DO NOW! So thanks :)
DeleteI dunno, from the little I know about Ireland it gets pretty cold, damp and windy. That would drive me insane.
Now that's pretty cool, I didn't know it was still a thing. (Except it isn't really, but still.)
That is so cool that you can learn Japanese as well. I think it's about time we Westerners started learning Asian languages.
Interesting! I've never had to learn much about Australian geography (mostly on account of the fact that we don't share a continent, is my guess) but it's interesting to see how the history and politics of Australia has shaped some of the geography! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's probably a reasonable guess :) Thanks for commenting!
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