CANADA
Official name: Canada
Status: Independent
Federative State, a member of Commonwealth headed by the Queen of Great
Britain.
Capital: Ottawa
Population: 26,6
mln.
Nationality: Canadian
History:
French explorer Jacques Cartier is regarded as the founder of
Canada. But English seaman John Cabot sighted Newfoundland 37 years earlier, in
1497 and Vikings are believed to have reached the Atlantic coast centuries
before other explorers. Cartier and Champlain explored the interior. Champlain
established the first permanent settlements of Quebec (1608) and Montreal
(1642) and declared New France a colony in 1663. The French through the Quebec
act of 1774 retained the rights to their own language and religion. In 1791
Canada was divided into Upper Canada (English-speaking) and Lower Canada
(French-speaking).
Ethnic
composition: 40% of British origin, 30% of French origin, 1% of Indians,
Eskimos and other minorities. The “Open door” policy of immigration which began
in the 1890 has meant that Canada`s population is varied.
Languages: English and
French are both official languages.
20% speak only French, 13% speak both French and English.
NEW ZEALAND
Official name: New Zealand
Status: Independent
State within the Commonwealth.
Capital: Wellington
Population: 3,4
mln.
Nationality: New
Zealander.
History:
Polynesians settled on these islands in the X-XIV centuries.
In 1642 the islands were discovered by Abel Janszoon Tasman, the famous Dutch
navigator, but Maoris refused to allow him to land and in 1796 they were
discovered by captain James Cook. This was allowed by the British colonization.
The colony became the dominion in 1907 and as an independent member of the
Commonwealth. Before 1642 the islands have been discovered by Cupper. James
Cook was the first man who made a map of New Zealand. In the 19th
century there appeared European people.
Ethnic composition: European (mostly British)- 87%
Polynesian- 9%
Languages: English
is the official and predominant language.
Religion: Anglicans- 29%, Presbyterians- 18%, Roman Catholics- 15%.
THE USA
Official name: The United States of America.
Status: a Federal
republic, a union of 50 states.
Capital: Washington
Population: 284.700.000.
Nationality: American
of the United States.
History:
North America was discovered about 1.000. A.D. by Vikings,
but Europeans didn`t know of its existence, until Columbus sailed there in
1492. The first permanent English settlement in America was Jamestown.
Effective colonization in New England began in 1620, when the Pilgrim Fathers
landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts. In 1775 the 13 colonies rebelled against the
British Government and the United States of America was proclaimed (1776).
Nowadays there are 50 states and one independent district- the district of
Columbia in the USA. Also there are two main political parties: The democratic
Party ( a donkey) and the Republican Party ( an elephant).
Ethnic composition:
The nation ethnic diversity is chiefly due to large scale of
immigration, most of which took place before 1920. Through mainly European and
American in origin, Americans are derived from nearly all races and nations,
including Chinese, Arab, Polynesian, Eskimos and etc.
Languages: American English. Spanish is spoken in New York city.
Other minority languages include Italian, German, polish, Yiddish, Russian,
Chinese, Japanese.
Religion: about 2/3 of population- Protestants;
About ¼ of population- Roman Catholics and
Jewish
AUSTRALIA
Official name: Commonwealth of
Australia
Status: Independent Federative State within the Commonwealth.
Capital: Canberra
Population: 17 mln.
Nationality: Australian
History:
Australia was discovered by the Portuguese in the 16th
century. The Northern and Western coasts of Australia were discovered by the
Dutch in the early 17th century and named New Holland. Yanson was
the first man, who opened this land at the beginning of the 17th
century. Dampier was the first Englishman, who visited Australia in 1688 and
1699. The land was unattractive until 1770. The captain James Cook chartered
the entire coast, named region around it New South Wales and claimed it for
Great Britain. Flinder gave a new name to the continent- Australia. The
Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901. It comprises the six federative
states and two internal territories: the Australian Capital territory and the
Northern territory.
State
|
Capital
|
New South Wales (1788)
|
Sydney
|
Tasmania (1826)
|
Hobart
|
Western Australia (1829)
|
Perth
|
South Australia (1836)
|
Adelaide
|
Victoria (1851)
|
Melbourne
|
Queensland (1859)
|
Brisbone
|
Ethnic composition: the population is mainly of British
origin. There were a lot of immigrants since the World War II, most of them
from Greece and Italy. Aboriginal people didn`t practice agriculture or keep
domestic animals other than a dog. They believed that the land was granted to
the by God.
Languages: English, Aboriginal.
Religion: Anglicans- 36%, Roman Catholics- 25%, Protestants- 25%.
GREAT BRITAIN
Official name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland.
Status: A
sovereign state.
Capital: London
Population: 57,2
mln.
Nationality: British
History:
Great
Britain is situated on the British Isles and consists of three parts: England,
Scotland and Wales; together with the Northern Ireland it forms the UK. Celts
arrived to Britain 2.500 years ago. Their language survived in Welsh and
Cornish. England was added to the Roman Empire in 43 A.D. Church was separated
from the authority of the Pope in 1534. Under Queen Elizabeth I England became
founding the colonies in the New World. Later, most of these colonies got
independence. Nowadays Great Britain is the powerful industrial and cultural
State.
Ethnic composition: the population is mainly of British origin, Scottish, Welsh,
Irish, Ulster.
Languages: English-
81.5%, Scottish- 9.6%, Irish- 2.4%, Welsh- 1.9%, Ulster- 1.8%.
Religion: Church
of England- 19%
Roman Catholics- 8%.
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