English speaking countries

English speaking countries

The USA

The United States of America is the forth largest country in the world (after the Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometers. The USA boarders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are Rocky Mountains, Cordillera and Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are largest and deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of the Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country. It’s one of the worlds leading producer of copper and oil and the world’s second producer of iron ore and coal. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, radio and television sets, armaments, furniture and paper.

Through mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans.

The largest cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.

The United States is federal union of 50 states, each of which has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, DC. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative exercised by the Congress, and the judicial. The Congress consists of the senate and the House of Representatives.

There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic, though there’s hardly any difference between their political lines. 

Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244, 000 square kilometers.  
 
The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland, and Wales does not include Northern Ireland. But in everyday speech “Great Britain” is used to mean the United Kingdom. The capital of the UK is London.  
 
The British Isles are separated from the continent by the Northern Sea and the English Channel. The Western Coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.  
 
Shakespeare called Britain a “precious stone set in the silver sea” because of its natural beauty. It has a varied countryside where you can find mountains, plains, valleys and sandy beaches. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain, but it is only 1343 meters high.  
 
There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest one and the most important one.  
 
The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild all year round.  
 
The UK is the one of the world smallest countries. It’s population is over 58 million. About 80% of population live in cities.  
 
The UC is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.  
 
The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen. In practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Australia

If you go to Australia it will seem to you rather an upside-down world. The seasons are the other way round. Summer is from December to February, autumn from March to May, winter from June to August, and spring from September to November. New Year is at midsummer, midwinter is in June. Hot winds blow from the north; cold winds blow from the south. The farther north you go, the hotter it gets.

You will be dazzled with magnificent landscapes and unusual plants. It will seem strange to you that trees lose their bark, not their leaves and a lot of flowers have no smell. Even stranger than plants are the animals. Many of them are found nowhere else in the world. There live kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, platypi and a lot of rare birds.

Australia is the world’s largest island and its smallest continent. People often call Australia the «land down-under»  because it lies entirely south of the equator.

Australia is the oldest of all continents. Its mountains are the worn and ancient stumps that were once higher than the Himalayas; its desert sands rose from the waves of the sea millions of years ago and still fossils of the marine creatures that formerly swarm over them. Its animals are ancient and unique. Its wandering aboriginal tribes still live like the men of the Stone Age.

Australia is the driest continent on earth. The four great deserts of central Australia cover 2,000,000 square kilometers. There are few rivers there. Australian lakes which look impressive on the map, are usually little more than clay and salt pans.

Australia is the flattest of all continents. Unlike any other continent, it lacks mountains of truly alpine structure and elevation. Its most significant mountain chain is the Great Dividing Range running down most of east coast. Because of its overall flatness and regular coastline, Australia is often called a «sprawling pancake».

An island continent, Australia was cut off from the rest of the world for millions of years. As a result, it was the last continent to be discovered and settled be Europeans.

Australia is the only continent that is also a country. As a country, it has the sixth largest area in the world after Russia, Canada, China< the United States and Brazil.

Australia is the least populated of the continents. Only 0.3% of the world’s population live here. However, Australia is the most urbanized country in the world. Two out of three of its citizens live in eight largest cities.

The capital of Australia is Canberra.