# Australia 🇦🇺
### 1. Basic Facts & History

- **Geography:** Located in the south-eastern hemisphere. Surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Tasman Sea.
    
- **Size & Capital:** 7.7 million km² (about 100x larger than Czechia). The capital city is **Canberra**.
    
- **History:** It is a member of the British Commonwealth. Interestingly, it originally started as a prison colony for British criminals.
    
- **People & Language:** 26 million people (Caucasians, Asians, and native Aborigines).
    
    - _Trivia:_ Aborigines have a deep spiritual culture and are believed to communicate with the stars.
        
    - _Language:_ There is actually **no official language** de jure, but English is the de facto language.
        

### 2. Political Division & System
- **Political System:** A federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
    
- **Separation of Powers:**
    
    - **Executive:** King Charles III (represented by the Governor General) and the Prime Minister.
        
    - **Legislative:** The Parliament, divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate (76 senators).
        
    - **Judicial:** The Supreme Court and independent federal/local courts.
        
- **Division:** Divided into **6 States** and **3 Territories**.
    
    - _States:_ Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.
        
    - _Territories:_ Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Jervis Bay Territory.
        

### 3. Landscape & Climate

- **Landscape:** Mostly lowlands and coastline. The central part is flat and dry (the Outback), while highlands are in the west.
    
- **Mountains:** Located along the eastern seashore (The Great Dividing Range), with the highest peak being **Mt. Kosciuszko**.
    
- **Climate:** Varies heavily.
    
    - **Central part:** Subtropical, very dry, and hot (deserts).
        
    - **North:** Very wet and tropical.
        
    - **Tasmania (South):** Moderate climate, similar to Europe.
        

### 4. Economy & Points of Interest (POIs)

- **Industry:** Heavy focus on mining, energy, and production.
    
- **Agriculture:** Massive exporter of **wool**. They farm sheep, cattle (dairy), cotton, crops, and fruit.
    
- **Famous POIs:**
    
    - **Sydney Opera House:** Famous for its unique roof that looks like white sea shells.
        
    - **Uluru (Ayers Rock):** A massive, sacred red rock formation right in the middle of the Australian desert.
        

**Speaking Strategy for the Exam:**

Start with the "penal colony" fact—teachers love historical trivia. Then, transition smoothly into the political system. You can literally say: _"Just like Canada, the political system is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, which means..."_ and list the three powers. Finally, mention that most of the population lives on the coastline because the centre is an uninhabitable desert with Uluru in the middle.