Australia and Oceania

Purpose Games

• Australia Political Map Quiz• Australia Physical Map Quiz

The Land Down Under

• Australia is a continent below China in the Pacific Ocean

• It is a member of the British Commonwealth

• Population: 21,575, 341 (2013)

• It is an island country

Size and Settlement

• Australia is almost as big as the U.S. (excluding Alaska) and 2 times bigger than Europe!

• Australia was settled by Aboriginal tribes

• Later under British control they put convicts on the islands when their prisons were full

Physical Geography

• Most people live near the coastline

• Mot of the interior is desert

• The Great Barrier Reef: The world largest coral reef – over 132,000 miles

Mountains

• Mt. Kosciuszko is the highest peak in Australia

• The most famous terrain is Uluru. A large sandstone rock formation

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbbyGSmCyMY

Murray River

• Australia’s longest river beginning in the Australian Alps and running to the Southeastern corner of the country

Major Cities

• Canberra: Capital of Australia• Sydney: Contains 20% of Australia’s

population, 4.5 million people– Home to the Sydney Opera House http://

panedia.com/virtualtour/content/1842

• Melbourne: Second largestcity in Australia ; ranks among the most livable cities in the world

Australia’s Past

• Folklore– Read the assignment quietly please

Australia today

Government• A federal

parliamentary bi cameral system (two parts) with a Prime Minister as an executive power– House– Senate

• Officially part of the British Commonwealth– What is a

commonwealth?

Australia by the numbers• 25% Roman

Catholic

• 4th highest life expectancy

• 1606: Year found by Europeans

Australia Quiz

• Two day notice – –Quiz will be on all information

related to Australia we have learned

Boomerangs

• Read the article silently please and complete the requirements in full.

Animals of Australia• Echidna: http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHjdIXN9v2g

• Platypus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ptN_5BWCc

• Sugar Gliders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ptN_5BWCc