Australia

AUSTRALIA

1.The world's longest continuous fence is 'The Dingo Fence' in Australia – how long is it? Why was it built? Illustrate.
A: the fence is 5,614 km long, and it was built to keep dingoes out of the relatively fertile south-east part of the continent (where they had largely been exterminated) and protect the sheep flocks of southern Queensland.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo_Fence

















2. Which world's largest reptile can be found in Australia? Give the details of the species and illustrate.
A: Saltwater Crocodile. An adult male saltwater crocodile's weight is 600 to 1,000 kilograms and length is normally 4.1 to 5.5 metres, though mature males can be 6 metres or more and weigh 1,300 kilograms or larger. This species has the greatest sexual dimorphism of any modern crocodilian, with females being much smaller than males. Typical female body lenghts in the range of 2.1 to 3.5 metres. The largest female on record measured about 4.2 metres. Source: http://www.australianfauna.com/largestreptile.php


3.What kind of goverment does Australia have? Who is the present Prime Minister?
A: Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy ander a parliamentary democracy. Australia was declared a federation in 1901, and now has a Federal Government, six State Governments and two Territories which are largely self-governing. The present Prime Minister is Kevin Rudd.
Source: http://www.about-australia.com/facts/government/

4. Which lake is the deepest lake in Australia and which is the longest river there?
A: The deepest lake in Australia is Lake St.Clair which is 190 deep. The longest river is The Murray River which is 2520 km long.
Source: http://www.australianexplorer.com/interesting_facts.htm

5.Provide the name of Australian national anthem.Who is the composer of the anthem and how did the anthem become official in Australia?
A:‘Advance Australia Fair’ is the national anthem of Australia. The composer is Peter Dodds McCormick. The anthem became official in Australia through voting.

Australian National Anthem - Advance Australia Fair

Source: http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/nat_anthem.html

6.Describe the history and design of Australian national flag. What symbols are used in the design and why?
A: Australian National flag's original design was chosen in 1901 from entries in a worldwide competition held following Federation. A sightly different design was approved by King Edward VII in 1902. Over the next few years the exact specifications of the flag were changed several times both intentionally and as a result of confusion. The current specifications were formally gazetted in 1934, and in 1954 the flag became recognised by parliamentary statute as the ''Australina National flag''.

The flag is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton (upper hoist quarter), and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter. The fly contains a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_flag

7.Describe the history of the name"Australia". Where does it come from and when was it first used in English?
A: The name Australia is derived from the latin australis, meaning ''southern''. Legends of an ''unknown land of the south'' date back to to Roman times and were commonplace in medieval geography but were not based on any documented knowledge of the continent. The first recorded use of the word Australia in English was in 1625 in ''A note of Australia del Espíritu Santo, written by Master Hakluyt'' and published by Samuel Purchas in Hakluytus posthumus.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia

8.Why is the plant 'golden wattle' so significant in Australia? What do Australians celebrate on the 1-st of September?
A: The plant "golden wattle" is Australia's national floral. The golden wattle is a symbol of unity. Wattle is ideally suited to withstand Australia's droughts, winds and bushfires. The resilience of wattle represents the spirit of the Australian people. In recent times, the golden wattle has been used as a symbol of remembrance and reflection. On national days of mourning, for example, Australians are invited to wear a sprig of wattle.

The first day of September is National Wattle Day. It builds on a long unofficial tradition of wearing the wattle blossom on 1 September. The day was introduced in 1913 by an association called the Wattle Day League and formally recognised on 23 June 1992.

Australians can celebrate their floral heritage each Wattle Day by planting wattles.

Source: http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/symbols/flora.cfm

9.What kind of pet is 'litoria caerulea' in Australia? Where does it live? Characterize and illustrate the species.
A: It's an Australian tree frog. The Australian tree frog is a fascinating creature that can survive both on land as well as in water.
Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/australian-tree-frog.html


10.What is the name of the famous Australian rock band, which was founded in 1973 and is still successfully performing? Illustrate.
A: AC/DC.

Example of their music - AC/DC - Back In Black

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC