The Land Down Under

Book: Cultures of the World - Australia
Author: Vijeya Rajendra
Page #: 1-140 (finished)

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       Australia is one of the world's 7 continents, and it's own country. It's climates come in variety such as; tropical, humid, dry, and cool. Their goverment is also very close to the United States, as well as a similarity in diversity they have. Like the rest of the world they suffer from global warming but they are trying to use more energy efficient sources. Many indegious people also live there and still speak their native languages. Howevever, Australia has different types of foods, sports, and animals. Overall, Australia is an interesting country/continent to learn about and it's very similar to the United States.

       This book was a very interesting book because I've always loved Australia and it always drew my attention.  I never really realized the differences between Australia and the United States, nor the similarities. One similar thing they have in common is their goverment, they have a legislative assembly (House of Representatives) and a council of review (Senate). However, there voting system is a little different, "...voting in Australia is compulsory for all adults 18 years and above." This means everyone must vote and if they don't they are fined!

       I also pictured Australia to be just desert but it actually contains a lot of urban cities, and it gets really cold in the winter and snows! The climate comes in a large variety. In the book it states, "The continents desert interior gives way to tropical regions...where most of Australia's population lives, is cooler and drier..in the south of the country, temperatures drop considerably in the winter and frosts are common..." This shows the climate in some parts of Australia, we also have many of these different areas and temperatures.

       Overall, the book Australia is very interesting and factual. I'd recommand this to any person that loves to travel or is fascinated with different parts of the world. I strongly suggest to learn about other countries and become familiar with our world.