澳洲概要(英语社会文化课课件).pptVIP

A Collection of Fast Facts of Australia Australia is an island that is also a continent. It consists of two land masses: the mainland and Tasmania. In area it is the 6th largest country and the smallest continent. Its area is 7,682,300 square km, about the size of the mainland states of the United States, excluding Alaska, and approximately 24 times the size of the British Isles. Australia lies southeast of Asia between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Capital Canberra, specifically built as a capital city,is located in the Australian Capital Territory (A.C.T.) which is itself totally enclosed by the state ofNew South Wales. National Flag The Australian flag is dark blue with the Union Jack (the flag of the United Kingdom) in the upper corner of the hoist. This symbolizes Australias historical links with Britain and its present-day membership of the British Commonwealth. Underneath is a large white seven-pointed star, known as the Commonwealth Star. Six of its points represent the six original states and the seventh represents the territories. On the right side of the flag are five white stars in the shape of the Southern Cross, bright star groups in the southern skies at night. Languages With hundreds of aboriginal languages and dialects spoken by indigenous people, English is the predominant and official language of Australia. As a variety of English, Australian English has an accent similar to dialects of the South-East of England. Its grammar and spelling are largely the same as those of British English. Australians use many words that they consider unique to Australian English. Religions Australia has no state religion. Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the constitution. The population is primarily Christian; of those 26.6%were Catholic, 20.7% Anglican, and 20.7%other Christian denominations. The number of people who say they have no religion is on the rise. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism numbers are increasing. Currency The unit of currency is the Au