 |
| Ayers Rock |
Australia is the largest island in the world but it is the smallest continent. Its population is about 20 million, living mainly along the coast, where the capital city –Canberra- is located. Most of Australia is a big desert called the Outback. In this central area we can find Ayers Rock, a particular kind of rock that changes colour according to the weather or the part of the day. The mountain was sacred to the Aborigines, the native population of Australia.
They lived in small tribes and had a nomadic way of life called the “Walkabout”. Essentially hunters, they hunted kangaroos with a particular weapon, the boomerang. They also spoke 500 different languages, of which only 30 survive today. Moreover, they were persecuted by the European settlers who came here in the 18th century. Nowadays only 2% of the population is Aborigine.
Australia has three types of climate:
· Tropical in the North, with a lot of rain
· Desert in the centre, with temperatures of 40% daily, but very cold nights.
· Temperate in the South.
Important figures in Australian history were James Cook and Ned Kelly.
James Cook was a British sailor and explorer who arrived in Australia almost by chance onboard the “Endeavour” in 1770. He reached the southeastern coast of Australia, and stopped in a beautiful bay that he called “Botany Bay” because of the strange animals and plants he found there. Cook also discovered Hawaii but was killed by some natives in 1779.
Ned Kelly is a sort of Australian Robin Hood. When he was young, he used to steal horses with his brothers. Then he formed a gang and started robbing banks throughout the country. He stole from the rich to give to the poor, but he was eventually captured and hung.
