Brief History

Indigenous peoples inhabited Australia for thousands of years before the Dutch and British arrived there. These people are commonly referred to as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Dutch and British explorers first arrived in the seventeenth century, and Captain James Cook arrived in 1770. He mapped the east coast and claimed it for Great Britain. The first British settlement was established eighteen years later in 1788. The country has been called New South Wales, New Holland, and was changed to Australia in 1824.  It is commonly known that convicts helped settle Australia. These people were usually skilled tradesmen and farmers and their crimes were trivial. They helped settle the new colony, and they were often given plots of land to farm. Australia is a large country with six states and a diversity of land and people.

National Flag

The national flag of Australia has a blue background with the Union Jack in the upper lefthand corner. A seven-pointed star lies below the British flag. Six of the points represent Australia’s six states, and the last point stands for the country’s territories. The five stars to the right are in the shape of the Southern Cross constellation.

Geography

Australia is the only country that covers a whole continent, and is the sixth-largest country in the world. Australia is located below the equator in the southern half of the world. It sits between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Australia’s neighbors are New Zealand to the southeast, and Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to the north.

World Land Mass Ranking: 6th
Highest Mountain: Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m (7,310 ft.)
Longest River: Murray River, 2,375 km (1476 miles)

 

 

Main Languages

Australian English

Australia Population: 24.6 million (as of 2017)
Capital City: Canberra
Capital City Population: around 452,000 (as of 2019)

Climate

Due to the large size of Australia, it has a wide variety of climates. Northern Australia is more tropical, it is hot and humid in the summer, and warm and dry in the winter. Southern Australia is a little cooler, with mild summers and cool winters that are sometimes also rainy.

Key People

• Chris Hemsworth
• Don Bradman
• Bruce Petty
• Nicole Kidman

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  Cuisine

  A typical meal in Australia would be made up of meat, potatoes, and vegetables. These types of foods are the result of British and Irish influence. “Bush Tucker ” was the food eaten by the Aboriginal Austrailians, the original inhabitants of Australia. Today Bush Tucker can be classified as any food that is native to Australia. Some famous Australian dishes include Lamingtons (square sponge cakes dipped in chocolate and coconut), Vegemite on toast, Grilled Kangaroo, Meat Pies, and Pumpkin Soup.

  The picture is a picture of a Lamington, a popular dessert in Australia.

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  Sports

  A wide variety of sports are enjoyed in Australia, partly due to the warm, sunny climate. The most popular sports are Cricket, Football, Rugy, Basketball, and Swimming. Another very popular sport is Netball, which is similar to basketball and mostly played by women. Australia is ranked number 1 in the INF (International Netball Federation). Australia has hosted the summer Olympics twice: in 1956 in Melbourne and in 2000 in Sydney. Australia has competed in all of the summer Olympic games and all but one of the winter Olympic games.

  The Picture is a picture of the Men’s Cricket Team in Australia.

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  Culture

  Many people have migrated to Australia from around the world, making the culture very diverse. Much of Australia is sparsely populated desert and semi-arid land. Most of the population lives on the east and southeast coasts. These coastal areas are metropolitan and include the famous opera house in Sydney. This opera house hosts many performances and is an attraction for the many tourists that visit Australia. Australians are known for being down to earth, friendly, and humorous. Important parts of Australian culture include humor, music, art, and sports. The most prominent religion in Australia is Christianity.

  Sport is really important to the Aussie people, and makes up a big part of the culture. Also a very important part of Australia’s heritage and culture is the lands indigenous people. Aboriginal Australians.

  The picture is a picture of the Sydney Opera house.

  Australia is a beautiful country with wonderful people.

   

  Download questions about the Australia here: Australia (answers are on this page)

  Teachers. For more in depth work sheets on Australia. Click on Kidskonnect Worksheets

  For further reading and more info on the Australia visit https://kids.kiddle.co/Australia