1.3. Did you know…?

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  • Australia is multicultural and multiracial and this diversity is reflected in lifestyle and culture.Australia has an important heritage from its indigenous people.
  • Australia is an island continent and it is the world’s sixth largest country. Its population reaches 22 million people.
  • Australia’s capital city is Camberra.
  • More than 40,000 years ago Australia was inhabited by the Aboriginal people. Nowadays,Aboriginal people account for only 2% of the population.
  • The first Europeans who lived in Australia were British prisoners. Australia was originally established as a penal colony, but by the 1830s the number of free settlers started to increase.
  • Australia’s fauna is unique:there are at least 1,500 different species of spiders, 20 of the most dangerous species of snakes live there, and Australia’s most popular animals are koalas and kangaroos.
  • Koalas are active at night, and usually spend 16-18 hours a day sleeping.
  • Kangaroos use hopping as a means of locomotion. The word Kangaroo comes from the word Gangurru.According to a legend, ‘Kangaroo’ was the answer that Aboriginal people gave James Cook and his explorers when they asked the natives for the name of that creature. Kangaroo is supposed to mean ‘I don’t understand you’.

Curiosidad

Have a look at the Australian National flag:


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CC

 

Can you see anything that looks familiar to you?

On the left top corner there is the Union Jack . Right below, there is a seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star. On the right hand side there are five stars that represent the Southern Cross, which is the smallest of all modern constellations.

If you would like to find out more about the meaning of these symbols on the flag, visit the following site.

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