Enlglish-speaking country. Topic for Conversation #21

Enlglish-speaking  country


1. What do you know about the USA/Canada?Australia?

The United States of America  

The United States of America is the world's third largest country in size and nearly the third largest in terms of population. Located in North America, the country borders with Canada in the North and Mexico in the South. The country is divided into 50 states and the District of Columbia. The states have quite a lot of power. They can make their own laws and set their own taxes. 

The USA has a relatively short history. It all started with Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492. After his arrival a series of European visitors appeared on the continent, including the Spanish, French, Dutch and British and the first settlement was set up already in 1565. For centuries native peoples lived across the territory that would become the United States. In the early 17th century, settlers moved from Europe to the New World, established colonies, and moved the native peoples away.

The settlers fought for their independence from Britain in the late 18th century and formed a union of states based on a new constitution. The nation continued to expand to the West and although the country is a relatively young nation, it has become a global power since declaring independence from Britain on July 4, 1776. This is exactly the date when all the Americans celebrate Independence Day.

The USA has been a nation of immigrants throughout history. The Native American people, who lived in the USA before Europeans came, now form a minority of only about 1% of the population. The rest is made up of people whose families were immigrants and African-Americans whose families were originally brought to the United States from Africa to work as slaves. Other immigrants came to the US mostly in the 19^th century and early 20th centuries from all over the world seeking refuge or a better way of life.

The landscape varies across the large country from tropical beaches in Florida to peaks in the Rocky Mountains, from rolling prairie lands and barren deserts in the West to dense wilderness areas in the Northeast and Northwest. Interspersed throughout are the Great Lakes, the Grand Canyon, the majestic Yosemite Valley, and the mighty Mississippi River.

The wildlife is as diverse as the landscape. Mammals such as bison once roamed freely across the plains, but now live only in preserves. Black bears, grizzlies, and polar bears are the largest carnivores. There are over 20,000 flower species and most came from Europe. There are nearly 400 areas which are protected and maintained by the National Park Service, and many other parks in each state.

The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States and is a protected species.

The United States is a federal republic. The Government is divided into three branches: legislative (the US Congress), executive (the President and his Administration) and judicial (the US Supreme Court). There are two main political parties in the USA: the Democratic and the Republican.

The flag of the USA is called "Stars and Stripes". The 50 stars — white on a blue field — represent the 50 states, 18 stripes represent 13 original English colonies, which in 1776 became independent of England.

The capital of the United States is Washington. It was named in honor of the first president whose name was George Washington. The biggest cities of the USA are New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and other.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It is rich in mineral resources, such as aluminum, salt, zinc, coppers, and others. The country is rich in coal, natural gas, gold and silver, too. It holds one of the first places in the world for the production of coal, iron, oil, natural gas. Such industries as machine-building, ship-building are highly developed in the country. American agriculture produces a lot of food products: grain, fruit, vegetables.

The USA has been a leader in science since the late 19^th century. The inventions of the telephone, the light bulb, radio and the first movie camera have been made by Americans. The USA is also one of the best in space technologies and computers. The proof is such names as Apple Inc., Microsoft Technology and IBM.

Australia

Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is one of the largest countries on Earth. Although it is rich in natural resources and has a lot of fertile land, more than one-third of Australia is desert.

Most Australian cities and farms are located in the southwest and southeast, where the climate is more comfortable. There are dense rain forests in the northeast. The famous outback (remote rural areas) contains the country's largest deserts, where there are scorching temperatures, little water, and almost no vegetation.

Aboriginal people arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago. They may have traveled from Asia across land bridges that were exposed when sea levels were lower. The hardy Aborigines have learned to live in the harsh conditions of the outback.

Dutch explorers first landed in Australia in 1606, and the British began to settle there in 1788. Many settlers were criminals sent to live in Australia as punishment. For a short time, the newcomers lived peacefully with the Aboriginal people. But soon, fighting broke out over who owned the land.

In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. A rush to find riches brought thousands of new immigrants, and by 1859, six separate colonies existed. In 1901, these colonies joined to form a British commonwealth.

Running around the eastern and southeastern edge of Australia is the Great Dividing Range. This 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) stretch of mountain sends water down into Australia's most important rivers and the Great Artesian Basin, the largest groundwater source in the world.

Australia is one of the world's most ethnically diverse nations. Nearly a quarter of the people who live in Australia were born in other countries. They come from the United Kingdom and other European countries, but also from China, Vietnam, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Australia's warm, sunny climate and abundance of open spaces gives the population a love of the outdoors. The people are also passionate about sports, including swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, and their own invention, Australian rules football.

As a commonwealth of the United Kingdom, Australia's head of state is the British monarch. Many Australians think the country should end its ties to Britain and become a republic. In a vote in 1999, Australians decided against separating from the UK, but the vote was close, and the debate continues.

Australia is an important exporter of agricultural goods like wool, wheat, beef, fruit, and wine. The country is also rich in minerals and metals and is the world's fourth largest producer of gold.

2. Do you think that people speaking the English language are similr in character?

3. What questions will you ask your foreign friend about his/her country?

4. Give me a piece of advice on what to choose from a tourist guide to do when planning a visit to the USA/Canada?Australia.

5. If you have a chance to travel to any country in the world, which one will you choose to visit? Why?