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Australia is situated to the southeast of Asia. It is washed by the Timor Sea in the north, by the Coral and Tasman Seas in the east, and by the Indian Ocean in the south and west. Australia is the most droughty continent in the earth. It is an extremely hot country. Summer months are December, January and February. The average summer temperature is from 20 to 30 degrees above zero. Winter months are June, July and August. The average winter temperature is from 12 to 20 degrees above zero.
The most part of the territory lies in tropics. Its southwestern territories lie in subtropics. As droughts are rather common and the amount of rainfall is rather small there are not many rivers in Australia. The largest rivers are the Darling and the Murray. The isolation of Australia from other continents explains much of the unusualness of Australian plant and animal life. There are forests in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The commonest tree of Australia is the eucalyptus. In the drier areas there is the Australian acacia or mimosa.
In those areas one can also find strange bottle trees. They preserve water in their trunks. Australian animals are also very unusual. Among them there are kangaroos, duck-bills, koala-bears, and others. Nine tenth of animal species of Australia do not exist in other parts of the world.
The most part of the territory lies in tropics. Its southwestern territories lie in subtropics. As droughts are rather common and the amount of rainfall is rather small there are not many rivers in Australia. The largest rivers are the Darling and the Murray. The isolation of Australia from other continents explains much of the unusualness of Australian plant and animal life. There are forests in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The commonest tree of Australia is the eucalyptus. In the drier areas there is the Australian acacia or mimosa.
In those areas one can also find strange bottle trees. They preserve water in their trunks. Australian animals are also very unusual. Among them there are kangaroos, duck-bills, koala-bears, and others. Nine tenth of animal species of Australia do not exist in other parts of the world.