1. Basic facts
| Official title | the Commonwealth of Australia |
| Capital city | Canberra |
| Currency | Australian dollar |
| Area | 7,618,000 km2 |
| Population | 22,620,600 |
2. Significant characteristics
- the sixth largest country in the world;
- one of the most sparsely populated countries;
- one of the most urbanised countries: most people live and work in a city or town;
- comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania + numerous smaller islands.
3. Key dates
| 40,000 years ago | The Aborigines migrated from Asia and settled in Australia. |
| 1770 | Captain James Cook discovered Australia and claimed it for England. |
| 1788-1853 | The British transported convicts to Australia. The first white settlers in Australia were convicts, their guards and tradesmen. |
| 1901 | the six Australian colonies federated to form a single Commonwealth. |
4. Key concepts
The 'Stolen Generation' is the term used to refer to the tens of thousands of aboriginal and half-caste children who were forcibly removed from their families by the Australian government between 1900 and 1972. The aim was to 'civilize' them by raising them in white foster families(1) where they worked as servants or farmhands.
The Australian government has since made an official apology.
The Australian government has since made an official apology.
Exercice n°1
1. Sydney is the capital of Australia.
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2. Australia is comprised of a single country.
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3. Australia has a lot of uninhabited territory.
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1. Although Sydney is better known than Canberra, it is not the capital.
2. The Commonwealth of Australia = mainland Australia + Tasmania + other islands.
2. The Commonwealth of Australia = mainland Australia + Tasmania + other islands.
Exercice n°2
1. Thomas Cook discovered Australia for Great Britain in 1770.
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2. The Australian government is guilty of destroying Aborigine families.
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1. Thomas Cook is the name of a multinational tour operator – not to be confused with the 18th century explorer James Cook.
Exercice n°3
1. Where did Aborigines originate from?
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2. What are 'convicts'?
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3. The Stolen Generation were:
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4. Tasmania is:
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At the end of the 18th century, British prisons were overpopulated and it was decided to ship convicts (prisoners) to Australia – as a punishment, but also to establish a British presence on this territory so far from home.
