The countries whose language I am learning

Vypracovala: Mgr. Katarína Šovčíková

Canada

• It is the second largest country in the world

• It is bordered by the USA in the south, the Pacific Ocean and Alaska in the west, the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Atlantic Ocean in the east.

• There are a lot of lakes in some parts of Canada, e.g. Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Great Bear Lake

• There are also a lot of rivers, e.g. St. Lawrence River, Columbia, Yukon

• Canada is divided into seven regions, each with a very different landscape and climate:

The Pacific Coast – it has the most moderate climate

The Cordillera – there are the Rocky Mountains, the Coast Mountains and there are Canada´s highest peaks

The Prairies – there are the richest grain-producing regions

The Canadian Shield – it includes a huge inland sea called Hudson Bay

The Great Lakes – it contains Canada´s two largest cities Montreal and Toronto

The Atlantic Provinces – are the richest fishing areas in the world

The Arctic – it is no longer inaccessible, the winters are long, bitterly cold and dark

• Ottawa is the capital

• Other cities: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec

• Official currency is Canadian dollar which has 100 cents

• English and French are spoken languages

Political system

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, a federal state and parliamentary democracy with two official languages and two systems of law: civil law and common law. The Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state. She is represented by the Governor General. The Parliament is composed of the Senate and the House of Commons.

Interesting places to visit:

Niagara Falls – the most popular tourist attraction, lie on the border between Canada and the USA, Canadian part of Niagara Falls is bigger than one in the USA

Montreal – is the world´s second largest French speaking city

Lake Louise – is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world

Quebec city – has the part called Old Town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Toronto – is a trendy city with great entertainment, restaurants and several attractions

Commonwealth of Australia

(Austrálsky zväz)

• is the world´s smallest continent situated between the Pacific and the Indian oceans

• along the east coast there is the Great Barrier Reef which is the biggest coral reef on the Earth

• Tasmania, Flinders Island are the nearest islands

• The surface of Australia is mostly flat

Parts:

The Great Western Plateau - there are 3 deserts in central Australia – the Great Sandy Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Great Victoria Desert.

The Central-Eastern Lowland – it is mostly covered by the tropic forests and savannah, rivers and lakes like Lake Eyre, Lake Torrens.

The Australian Cordilleras – they are along the eastern coast

• There are six states and two territories in Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, island state Tasmania and territories: Australian Capital Territory, Northen Territory

• Australia has some animals not to be seen in the rest of the world (koala, kangaroo, dingo, Tasmanian devil, ...)

• Aborigines are Australian´s native inhabitants

• The existence of the continent is set in 13th century

• Canberra is the capital

• Other towns: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth

• Currency – Australian dollar which has 100 cents

• The official language is English, there are also Aboriginal languages spoken

Political system

Australia is an independent sovereign nation within the Commonwealth (Britské spoločenstvo národov). The head of state is the Queen Elizabeth II and is represented by governor general.

The parliament consists of two chambers: Senate and House of Representatives.

Australia is divided into several states and territories (e.g. New South Wales,Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, ...). Each state has its own constitution, governor, executive and legislative and judicial system.

Interesting places to visit:

The Opera House in Sydney – it has its typical architecture

Sydney – it is the oldest and largest city in Australia

Great Barrier Reef – coral reef, is the top Australia´s attraction, it is the world´s largest feature

Red Centre – it is a reddish rock that is the world´s largest monolith

Melbourne – it is considered to be the most stylish of Australian cities

New Zealand

• It consists of two main islands, the North and the South.

• In area it is almost the same size as Italy.

• It lies in the Southern Hemisphere and is surrounded by the Pacific ocean and the Tasman sea.

• Wellington is the capital.

• Other main towns are Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

• The country is mainly rolling and hilly but with several lowland areas.

• There are several mildly active volcanoes (e.g. Ruapehu)

• There are several lakes, and Taupo, which is in the North Island, is the largest.

• Maoris are New Zealand´s native inhabitans.

• Population consists of mainly British and Polynesian.

• Valid currency is New Zealand dollar which has 100 cents.

• Official language is English but Maori is also spoken.

Political system

New Zealand is an independent member of the Commonwealth. The monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is represented by a Governor General. The political system is democratic and was modelled on that of Britain. The head of government is the Prime Minister.

Interesting places to visit:

Fiordland National Park – it is one of the largest in the world with deep fiords and steep mountains

Abel Tasman National Park – there are many white sandy beaches

Queenstown – is the home of bungee jumping and jet boating

Použitá literatúra:

Chudý, T., Chudá, J.: Some basic facts about English speaking countries, Príroda, Bratislava, 2001

http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/travel/top10.shtml