Canberra

capital city - столица

location - местоположение

court - суд

agency - агентство

to derive - происходить

to cover - охватывать

bushland – пространство, покрытое кустарниками

scrubland – лесной район

suburb - окраина

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345, 000, it is Australia's largest city. The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. It is unusual among Australian cities.

As the seat of the government of Australia, Canberra is the site of Parliament House, the High Court of Australia and numerous government departments and agencies. It is also the location of many social and cultural institutions of national significance, such as the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Library of Australia.

The word " Canberra" is derived from the word Kanbarra meaning " meeting place" in the old Ngunnawal language of the local Ngabri people.

Canberra covers an area of 814.2 square kilometers and is located near the Brindabella Ranges. It has an elevation of approximately 580 meters; the highest point is Mount Majura at 888 meters. Other large hills include Mount Taylor, Mount Ainslie, Mount Mugga Mugga and Black Mountain. The surrounding bushland and the original bushland that Canberra was built in is a mixture of eucalyptus savanna, open grassland, scrubland, swamp and dry eucalyptus forests.

Canberra has a relatively dry continental climate with warm to hot summers and with cool to cold winters.

Canberra is a planned city that was originally designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a major 20th century American architect. The city is laid out on two perpendicular axes: a water axis stretching along Lake Burley Griffin, and a ceremonial land axis stretching from Parliament House on Capital Hill.

The urban areas of Canberra are organized into a hierarchy of districts, town centres, group centres, local suburbs as well as other industrial areas and villages. There are seven residential districts, each of which is divided into smaller suburbs, and most of which have a town centre which is the focus of commercial and social activities.

Canberra is home to many national monuments and institutions such as the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library, the National Archives, the Australian Academy of Science and the National Museum. Many Commonwealth government buildings in Canberra are open to the public, including Parliament House, the High Court and the Royal Australian Mint.

Exercise 28. Answer the questions:

1.What is the capital of Australia?

2.When was the location of Canberra selected?

3.Is Canberra unusual among Australian cities?

4.Canberra is the site of Parliament House, isn’t it?

5.What is the word " Canberra" derived from?

6.What area does Canberra cover?

7.How are the urban areas of Canberra organized?

8.How many residential districts are there in Canberra?

9.Canberra is home to many national monuments and institutions, isn’t it?