A journey

Through the English-Speaking World

Ireland
Land: The Republic of Ireland takes up about 83% of the
island of Ireland, which is located in north-western Europe. Ireland
2
is a small country with an area of just 70,285 km . Although

there are high mountains near the coasts, the central part of
Ireland is flatter and used for farmland.
Climate: Most of Ireland is mild and wet throughout the year,
giving Ireland its green countryside and earning it the name of
The Emerald Isle.

People: Dublin is both the capital and the largest city.

However, only about 57% of the Irish people today live in
urban areas. The first Irish people probably came from
Scandinavia to Scotland and then to Ireland about 8,000
years ago. Since then, Ireland has been invaded and
colonized by Celts, Vikings, English and Scots. Today,
most of Irelands 3,590,000 population are of Celtic
origin. It was the Celts who first introduced the language
we know today as Irish, which is one of the countrys
official languages. English is the other official language.

New Zealand
Land: Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, New
Zealand is a small country of about 270,543

km 2

. It is

made up two main islands, the North Island and the South
Island, as well as a number of smaller islands. The North
Island is famous for its volcanoes and many hot springs
as well as its many forests, hills and mountains. The
South Island has many high, snow-capped mountains.
Climate: Most os the country is mild and rainy
throughout the year, with the South Island much cooler
than the North.
People: Although Wellington is the capital city, it is
not the largest. About one third of New Zealands
population lives in Auckland, the largest city in New
Zealand. Today, only about 15% of all New Zealand lives
in rural areas. Most of New Zealands 3,683,000
population are descendants of British settlers. About
526,000 Maoris also live in New Zealand. Their ancestors
came from the Polynesian Islands about 1,000 years ago.
Today, the official language of New Zealand is English,
although many Maoris speak their own language, Maori,
as well.

Canada
Land: Canada, with an area of 9,970,610

km 2

, is the

second largest country in the world, spread across the top

of North America. Canada is perhaps best known for its
vast size, and variety of natural wilderness areas. The
high mountains in the west of Canada are covered with
green forests and crystal clear lakes, while in the centre

are flat lands known as prairies. Further south, there are

rolling hills.
Climate: The climate ranges from temperate in the
south to arctic in the north. In fact, the far north arctic
landscape is so cold that trees cannot grow there. In the
north the winters are cold and summers are short and
quite cool, whereas in the south the winters are cold, and
the summers are warm. It is wet on the costs and dry in
the centre.
People: Ottawa is the capital of Canada, but Toronto
is the largest city, with a population of over 4 million.
More than one third of Canadas population f 29,450,000
are the descendants of British immigrants and there are
almost as many descendants of French immigrants. This
is why both English and French are the official languages
of Canada. Other large immigrant groups include German,
Italian and Asian people.