Australian Cities and Towns. ГородаАвстралии

The capital of Australia, Canberra, is a young and comparatively small city. It was founded in the 20th century and now has a population of about 260 000 people.

The centre of Canberra is a small hill. Several streets run from that hill. Special charm is given to Canberra by an artificial lake in the centre of the city. A fountain more than 100 metres high is in the western part of the lake. At night powerful lights illuminate the water. It is the Captain Cook Fountain, one of the main places of interest in Canberra. Another one is a memorial military museum. The building of the Australian Academy of Sciences is quite unusual in form — it is like a huge overturned bowl.

Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia. It was the capital of the country till 1927 and now is the centre of Australian business world. It is also one of the largest ports in the country. Melbourne is a beautiful city with numerous skyscrapers, straight boulevards and large parks and gardens. One of Melbourne’s places of interest is the house of Captain Cook, the famous British navigator.

Sydney is Australia’s largest and oldest city. It was the first British settlement. Sydney has the oldest in the country botanical gardens and the Zoo. One of the main places of interest of the city is the famous bridge over the Bay of Port Jackson. Another one is the Opera House, which resembles large white shells in form. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Sydney is the city of three universities.