The United Kingdom
Location
- the UK is situated in the west of Europe surrounded by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean, the La Manche Channel
- it is only 35 km away from France, linked by a tunnel under the English Channel
- it is possible to get to England by plane (favourite airports near London are Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton or Stansted)
- if you go by car, you can use the Eurotunnel train or ferry (trajekt)
Population
- 327 million, 80% live in cities (mainly in the North-East), 3rd most populous country in the world behind CHN and IND
- a lot of immigrants => population is very diverse (různorodý)
- more than 80% of the population is white with European ancestry; 13% is African American, then Hispanic, Asian
- language: official is English, other: Spanish (California, Texas, N. Y. – there are many bilingual schools)
- religion and the freedom of religion play an extremely important role in the USA
- 69% Christian, 24% Not connected to a religion, 3% Unknown, 2% Jewish, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 1% Hindu
Irish flag (colours + symbolism)
Irish flag – a tricolour of green (represents Catholics and the emerald island), orange (symbolises Protestants) and white stripes (peace between them)
Basic facts (size, capital, flag)
- the 2nd largest country in the world after Russia
- but many people who visit Canada have the small-town feeling yet
- the capital is Ottawa (has only a population of about 1 million)
- total area of land: almost 10 mil. km2 (9 984 670)
- 6 time zones, the easternmost part is 3,5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the westernmost 8 hours
- national flag – since 1965, with maple leaf in the middle (because of big production of maple syrup)
Location
- the smallest continent in the world, located between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans in the southern hemisphere
- total area: 7,68 mil. km2 (6th largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada, China, USA and Brazil)
- neighbouring countries:
- Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north
- the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east
- New Zealand to the south-east
Climate and Weather
- mild and humid, influenced by the Gulf Stream => quite warm, rainy, average temperature 4°C in winter, 16°C in summer
- summer is the best time for visiting GBR; March-June are considered to be the driest months of year, extremes are quite rare
New York (Basic facts + parts + population)
Basic facts
- the biggest city (over 8 million people), an important seaport, financial, business and cultural centre
- often called as „the city that never sleeps“
- the cultural, financial and media capital of the world with a significant impact upon commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports.
- Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy
- New York has 5 boroughs (čtvť, [:bərou:]) – Manhattan, The Bronx, The Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island
- home to the largest ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city.
Basic facts (division, location)
- the 3rd largest island in Europe and the 20th in the world, 275 km wide and 486 km long, it lies to the north-west of continental Europe
- separated from Great Britain by the North Channel and the Irish Sea, surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets (ajlet, ostrůvek)
- the island is named after the Celtic goddess Ériu and Germanic word land
- the island has had an interesting political history, struggling (usilovat) to gain independence form the UK
- since 1921 divided into parts: a) the Northern Ireland – capital Belfast
b) the Republic of Ireland (called Eire) – this part covers five-sixths of the island
The most popular sport in Canada + basic rules + teams
ICE HOCKEY- team sport played on ice, in which skaters use their sticks to hit a puck into the opponent´s net
- it is the official national winter sport of Canada, where the game enjoys enormous popularity
- first organized indoor game played in 1875 in Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal
- game invented by British soldiers and immigrants of Canada, influenced by stick-and-ball games of natives
- NHL started there and later expanded to the USA, today there are 6 teams of Canada and 24 from the USA
- Montreal Canadiens, Otawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers
- Montreal has won the most Stanley Cups (24), 2nd Toronto (13), 3rd Detroit
Population (number + native inhabitants)
- about 25 mil. inhabitants (around 50th in the world)
- in total, Australia has one the lowest density in the world (only 3 people per 1 km2), on 236th place in the world
- the highest density is on the eastern coast in urban (městský) areas due to better climate
- it is estimated that around 70% of the population is of European origin (mostly British)
- Australia's population has grown due to numerous waves of immigration
- although Australia has no official languages, English has been as a national language since European settlement.
- Australian English has a distinctive accent and vocabulary, and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling
the Aborigines (also known as Indigenous Australians)
- the original inhabitants of Australia, they arrived from Asia more than 40,000 years ago,
- now they live in reserves, they used boomerangs for hunting
- the majority lives in the south-east, centred along the Murray River
- today, they have high rates of severe physical disability, (3 times more than non-Aboriginal Australians)
- obesity and smoking rates are higher among Aboriginals, which are contributing factors or causes of serious health problems
- Aboriginal people today mostly speak English, with Aboriginal phrases and words being added to create Australian Aboriginal English
Name 4 parts of the UK + their capitals + interesting info
Wales
- the capital = Cardiff; languages – Welsh and English, Wales is attractive four tourists who like walking
- mountains – the Cambrians (Snowdon); Eisteddfods – Welsh festivals of music and dancing;
- many castles
Scotland
- the capital = Edinburgh (historical city with famous castle), the biggest city – Glasgow
- languages – English and Scottish Gaelic [:gejlik:], typical instrument – pipe, hilly country with many lakes
- typical dress - pleated tartan kilt (tartan – woolen cloth with a chequered pattern) + sporran – small leather pouch
Northern Ireland
– the capital city – Belfast, in history this part tried to separate from the UK (IRA – terrorist organization)
- the coast of this country is well known for its spectacular (působivý) cliffs (útesy) and coastal scenery
England
- the capital is London
Economy (agriculture, industry, products, currency)
- The US has the strongest economy in the world, the American dollar is used for trade in countries across the globe
- The US is a leading country in agriculture, in the chemical, machinery industries and cars and in minerals and raw materials; other branches (odvětní) are service sector providing services in tourism, banking and transport
- agriculture – plays a major role in the US economy, the quality of soil (půda) is excellent,
- main products: corn, soybeans, tomatoes, oranges, apples and tobacco
- a lot of mineral resources – gold, silver, platinum, petroleum [:petrolijəm:], natural gas, coa
- American companies: Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, Ford, McDonald´s, Intel, Dell, Boeing, HP, Disney etc.
Population (number, language, appearance, famous people)
- 4,6 million inhabitants (but more than other 20 million Irishmen live in other ENG-speaking countries, mainly the USA)
- the Irish are mostly fair-skinned, red-haired people; 87% are roman catholics
- language: English, Irish (=Irish Gaelic /gaelština, geijlik/) - it is taught at school, but only 130,000 people speak Irish every day
- ethnic groups: 87% Irish, 7,5% other white (English, Polish, other), 1,3% Asian, 1,1% Black...
- famous people from Ireland: Colin Farrell, Bono, Pierce Brosnan, Sinead O´Connor, James Joyce, Liam Neeson, Oscar Wilde
Climate
- climatic variation – ranging from arctic climate in the north (full of tundra and ice) to moderate climate in the south
- most of the population live within 300km of the southern border
- mild springs, hot summer /sometimes 35°C and pleasant autumn = 7 months),
- in winters the temperatures falls down to 25°C
Cities (2 cities + capital)
Canberra
– the capital city, name of aboriginal origin with meaning “meeting place”; 400,000 inhabitants
- it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall.
- although Canberra is the capital and seat of government, many federal government ministries have secondary seats in state capital cities, as do the Governor-General and the Prime Minister.
- Canberra was selected as the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities.
- located and planned outside of any state, similar to Washington, D.C. in the United States
Melbourne
- the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in Australia and Oceania.
- it has a population of approximately 5,000,000 (19% of the population of Australia)
- today, it is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region
- "cultural capital" of Australia, the city is home to many of the largest and oldest cultural institutions in the nation such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Royal Exhibition Building
- huge sport events take place there, such as Formula 1 race or tennis tournament Australian Open
Sydney
■ Basic facts
- the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania.
- located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis sprawls about 70 km on its periphery towards the Blue Mountains to the west
- residents of the city are known as "Sydneysiders; estimated metropolitan population is 5,130,000
Landscape
- mountains - the Highlands of Scotland – located in the north of Scotland
- the Grampian Mountains – located in Scotland, there is the highest peak – Ben Nevis (1343)
- the Cambrian Mountains [:kambriən:] - located in Wales, the highest mountain – Snowdon (1085)
- the Pennines [:pənajns:] – called backbone of England, located in north of England
- the Cumbrian Mountains, also known as the Lake District – national park, many lakes, inspiration for poets
- rivers - the longest is the Severn [:sevərn:] from central Wales through West England into the Bristol Channel (338 km)
- the Thames [:temz:], Avon [:ejvn:], Cam, Humber, Trent
- lakes - the Lake District is an area with many lakes, there is the biggest English lake Windermere [:windərmíər:]
- Loch Lomond - Scottish biggest lake, Loch Ness - British best known lake thanks to Loch Ness Monster, in Scotland
- nature - Britain is a beautiful country with many places to visit, there are very few forests
- there are a lot of moorlands (pustá pláň, vřesoviště)
- the UK National Parks contain more than 350 protected areas, the largest is the Cairngorms in Scotland
National symbols (at least 3)
- The national flag consists of 2 parts - smaller blue oblong (obdelník [:oblong:]) with 50 white stars symbolizing 50 states
- one larger oblong consisting of 6 white and 7 red stripes symbolizing the original 13 colonies
- The national anthem is called „The Star-Spangled Banner“ (Hvězdami posetá vlajka)
- The national motto - "In God we trust"
- National bird - Bald Eagle /bo:ld/ (orel bělohlavý) / National mammal (savec) - American Bison
Shamrock (description, symbolism)
Shamrock (trojlístek) symbolizing the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holly Spirit)
- the symbol was used by St Patrick (national patron) who could explain principles of Christianity to ordinary people
- St. Patrick was born in Wales, firstly he served in slavery, later he escaped to France where he was trained as a priest
- St. Patrick established monasteries, schools, churches and converted the Irish pagans to Christianity
- today, a shamrock is worn on St Patrick´s Day (17 March, when he died) on green clothes in huge parades and parties
Animals (5 animals + the national animal)
- bison, prairie dog, rattle-snake, moose, cougar (puma), musk oxen (pižmoň), bear, reindeer, wolves
- national animal is beaver because of their living in great numbers
- it is mainly nocturnal, large rodent (2nd largest in the world)
- this animal is known for building dams and canals
- the population of beavers has declined because of extensive hunting for fur
Administrative division
- the country comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands
- divided into: - 6 states and 2 territories (each has its capital city)
- states: Western Australia (Perth), Queensland (Brisbane), New South Wales (Sydney),
Victoria (Melbourne), South Australia (Adelaide), Tasmania (Hobart)
- territories (Northern Territory (Darwin), Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)
- each state has it own government
Government
- UK is a member of NATO, UNESCO and EU (the membership in the EU is different compared with other members: UK doesn´t belong to the Shengen Zone, they have own currency (pound) and not euro)
- The British Commonwealth of Nations – a voluntary association of UK and its former colonies around the world
- founded in 1931, 49 members, the Queen of England is the formal head in 17 dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand)
- UK is constitutional monarchy with the Queen Elizabeth II
Great Lakes
Great Lakes are collection of freshwater lakes located in northeast of the USA, on CAN-US border
- consisting of lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario
- they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, total surface 208,610 km2
- they hold 21% of the world´s surface fresh water
- Superior has the maximum depth (406 m), the least deep is Erie (64 m)
- between the Superior and the Ontario, there are famous Niagara Falls
- the lakes are connected to the ocean by the Saint Lawrence river
- use: heavy cargo boats; drinking water; recreation boating, tourism, cruises
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher - almost 1 mil. visitors a year go there to see this natural wonder (also from sea level from a ferry)
- at most maximum they reach over 200 metres above the Atlantic Ocean, around 8 kilometres long
- the name "Moher" comes from and old fort (pevnost) called Moher that once stood on southernmost point of the cliffs
- the dramatic coastline has appeared in the film Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Klondike Gold Rush (when, what, why)
Klondike Gold Rush also known as Yukon Gold Rush was a migration by around 100,000 prospectors (zlatokop) to the Klondike region of the Yukon between at the end of the 19th century
- Gold was discovered here in 1896 and after the news about gold, the migration started
- due to (kvůli) the severe conditions, not everybody reached the gold area
- only a few prospectors became rich, however, the majority remained (zůstala) unsuccessful
The Great barrier reef (what, where)
- the world´s largest reef system, it consists of over 2,900 individual reefs and islands, - it is on the list of World Heritage Site
- it spreads on the area of 2600 km, situated in the Coral Sea in north-east Australia
- it is visible from the space (the biggest structure made by living organism)
- the reef is made up of and built by billions of corals and tiny organisms (known as coral polyps), great diversity of life
- a large part of the reef is protected, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism
- however, the changing climate is destroying the reef (especially bleaching)