6._AUSTRALIA

- mining: coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, lead zinc

- money: basic unit - Australian dollar

- major exported goods: coal, wheat, wool, petroleum products

- major imported goods: industrial machinery, electrical appliances, telecommunications aquipment

* BRIEF HISTORY

- 17th century: Australia was discovered by the Dutch (Abel Tasman) Captain James Cook,

an early name for Australia was New Holland

- 1770: Captain James Cook explored the eastern coast of Australia

- 1788: the first Europeans settled in Australia with the arrival of about 1000 colonists from Britain

(most of them were convict)

- Australian Aborigines originally survived by gathering and hunting using boomerangs and other similar instruments

for hunting

- Australia was a prison colony and many of the first permanent settlers were ex-convincts

- Aborigines understood and loved their land but the Europeans wanted it and to get it they persecuted Aborigines ->

-> many of them died -> now there live about 200 000 Aborigines - they live in reserves or in some cities

- in the middle of 19th century - the discovery of gold attracted many immigrants and the population increased rapidly

- after coming to Australia, the first colonists usually bought some sheep, hired a few men, found a place in the bush,

they built a house -> these early farmers were called squatters

- in the second half of the 19th century - many of them became rich and their farms were patrolled by soldiers,

they employed migrants workers to work for them

(the song “Waltzing Matilda” become an unofficial Australian anthem)

- Waltzing Matilda - it means dancing with a sleeping blanket*

*Advance Australia Fair is official Australian Anthem

- 1901 - a new British Dominion known as the Commonwealth of Australia was formed

- September 2000 - Australia hosted the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney

- the Olympic also directed national attention to many unresolved issues concerning Aboriginal

* 26th January - Australian Day, it commemorates the establishment of the first colony in Australia by British

* SPORTS, PASTIMES, FAMOUS PEOPLE

- sport: rugby and Australian football are extremely popular, as well as cricket, tennis, swimming, surfing, scuba diving

- pastime: hiking, bushwalking, surfing, ball competitions on the beach, they love horses and cricket, make barbecue

famous people

Nicole Kidman - an Australian actress, model and singer

- she is known for her films like Moulin Rouge, The Hours, Cold Mountain, Happy Feet, Australia

- she is also known for her marriage to Tom Cruise

Mel Gibson - actor, film director, producer and screenwriter

- born in New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney when he was younger

Cate Blanchett - Australian actress and theatre director

- she came to international attention in film Elizabeth, in which she played Elizabeth I of England

Kylie Minogue - Australian pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actress

- she has own bronze statue in Melbourne

- she performed at the Sydney Olympic Games closing ceremony