英美概况总结
St Nicholas
?Saint Nicholas was a saint born in AD 270
?He gained a reputation for being very charitable and giving gifts to the poor, especially children
?Christianity:
?Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ
?Some people believe that more emphasis should be placed on the religious side of Christmas
Anglo-saxons back again
?1042–1066: Edward the Confessor
?1066: Harold Godwinson
The normans
?The Normans were descendants of Vikings who had settled in Normandy, France
?Although they were a people, t hey did not really have a ‘home’ country
Norman rule
?The Normans took most of the land from the English aristocracy
?Norman French language mixed with ‘old’ English to make the beginnings of today’s
English
?Within 100 years marriage between Normans and Anglo-Saxons was common, thereby
creating the modern English race
Thomas becket
?Was the Archbishop of Canterbury (the highest position in the English church
?He used to be Henry II’s best friend
?However after much arguing with him over power he was murdered
?This had the effect of making the Church even stronger
Magna carta
?The Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in the history of Western law
?It details certain rights for the people and certain things that the king could not do
?For example no one could be imprisoned without the correct use of the law
?This last idea (due process) still exists in English law today, directly from the Magna
Carta
?Kings had been treating the poor badly for years, however it was only when they did the
same to the nobles that change occurred
?The rights of the Magna Carta only really applied to landowners, not to peasants
?Nevertheless the Magna Carta was one of the first documents of its kind
Jazz & America
?Was an early example of America’s mix of cultures
?One of the first true American art forms
?Was about being an individual and being part of a group
?Reflected a rapidly changing America
?Jazz’s worldwide popularity was an example of America’s strength and growth of the time, both culturally and economically
US and UK Differences: The US
?US soaps often evolve around:/Aspiration/Fantasy/Escapism/Wealth/Glamour
US Continued (predominantly daytime):
?Common storylines & scenes:/Family/Marital discord/Legal drama/Romance/Adultery
/Characters tend to be very glamorous/Male characters will often have shirtless scenes
US and UK Differences: The UK
?UK soaps often evolve around/Social realism/Working class life/Social issues/Struggle UK Continued: (predominantly evening)
?Common storylines & scenes:/Family/Marital discord/Social issues (Addiction, rape, AIDS, racism etc)/Adultery/Characters tend to be more realistic in appearance
They are less obviously ‘sexy’
The Conservative Party
—Leader:David Cameron
—Political direction:Right wing
—Colour:Blue
The Labour Party
—Leader:Ed Milliband
—Political direction:Left wing
—Colour:Red
The Liberal Democrats
—Leader:Nick Clegg
—Political direction:Centre / left of centre
—Colour:Yellow
Birth of a Nation
—On the 4th of July 1776 the American Revolution sees the U.S become Independent from Britain.
—George Washington becomes the first president of the United States in 1789 Government & Politics
—The USA is a federal constitutional republic.
—Federal means it is made up of several states which are partly self-governing (they can make some of their own laws)
—It is constitutional because the government have to obey the rules of the written constitution.
—It is a republic because it has a leader who is not a monarch and has been elected by the people.
United States Constitution
—The supreme law of the United States
—Created in 1787 and ratified in 1788
—It is the foundation of the entire US political system
—It has great social and political significance for the people of America
Bill of Rights
—The first 10 laws added to the U.S Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights.
—Created in 1789 and ratified in 1791
—They include:
—1st amendment: freedom of speech
—2nd amendment: the right to bear arms
—7th amendment: the right to trial by jury
—The Bill of Rights is hugely important in America and its citizens view it with great pride Republican Party
—Last president:George Bush
—Political direction:Right wing / conservative
—Colour:Red
Democratic Party
—Last president:Barack Obama
—Political direction:Left wing / liberal
—Colour:Blue
The Romans
?The Roman invasion of Britain happened around AD 43
?This is the beginning of the ‘recorded’ history of Britain
?Julius Caesar’s armies had visited Britain in 54 and 55 BC
?Emperor Claudius began the true invasion in AD 43
?It was a gradual process and it took about 40 years before the Romans controlled most of
Britain
?The most advanced army history had ever seen
?Roman society was amongst the most advanced in the world
?Their reasons for invasion were not just for profit, but to expand the Roman Empire
?They believed that they were superior and that other countries would be better off under
the leadership of Rome
Hadrian’s wall
?Started in about AD 122
?Took approximately 6 years to finish
?120 km long
?Roughly built along what became the English/Scottish border
?Partly built for defence and partly as a border check
Boudica
?The queen of the Iceni tribe
?In AD 60 Her husband left the kingdom to her when he died
?The Romans ignored his will and took the kingdom
?In show of strength they stripped and beat Boudica and raped her two daughters
?Boudica united her people with several other tribes and launched and uprising against the
Romans
?They destroyed three major towns, including Londinium (London), killing Romans and
collaborators.
?An estimated 80000 people were killed
?She was eventually defeated by the Romans, and poisoned herself rather than be captured. Boudica’s legacy
?Boudica became a symbol of British resistance
?The ‘warrior woman’ was the subject of much writing and painting during the English
Renaissance
?She was also a role-model for the early feminists
The Anglo-saxons
?With the Romans gone the Romano-British leaders needed protection from invading
tribes
?They hired soldiers from Germanic Europe
?These were known as Saxons (eventually Anglo-Saxons)
?After these leaders failed to pay the Saxons, the Saxons began to take parts of Britain by
force
?The Saxons fought constant battles with the Britons
?After several hundred years the Anglo-Saxons controlled most of England
?This resulted with one of the first kings of Anglo-Saxon England – Alfred the Great
?In some ways similar to the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons became integrated with the
pre-existing people of Britain
Alfred the great
?Was the king of Wessex (a major part of England) from 871 to 899
?Alfred was known as both a strong military leader and an educated man
?He encouraged education, the rule of law, and a military structure within the country
?He was famous for saving England from the Vikings
?He is one of England’s greatest leaders
英语国家概况的复习资料
英语国家概况考试题型如下： 1.选择题（30 X 1’） 2.填空题（20 X 1’） 3.简答（10 X 2’）--必须回答完整的句子 4.分析题（6 X 5’）-- 必须回答完整的句子 总分100 分 主要内容包括： 一．U.S. Geography 1.Full name of U.S.. 2.Number of States: 50 states. 3.After President Jefferson brought the Louisiana territory from France there was a desire for territorial expansion among many frontier men. 4.The U.S. has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometers. The fourth largest countries. 5.Taxas is the largest mainland state of the U.S.. Alaska is the largest state of the U.S.. 6.Hawaii is in the Pacific Ocean. 7.America’s movies are mostly made in Hollywood near the city of Los Angeles in south California. 二．U.S. People 1.The largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the US is the Blacks (Afriican-Americans). 2.The “first Americans” were the Indians. 3.The Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the United States. 4.The first permanent settlement in North America was established in today’s V erginia in the year of 1607. 5.The “Three Faiths” in the U.S. refer to: ?Protestan ?Catholic ?Jewish 6.The majority of the Catholics in the U.S. are descendants of immigrants from Ireland, Italy and Poland. 7.American society is a stratified one in which power, wealth and pestige are unequally distributed among the population. 8.WASP stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.
英语国家概况课后题总结和答案
Chapter 1 land and people are the differences between Britain and the British Isles, Great Britain,England,the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth The British Isles,Greant Britina and England are geographical names, no the official names of the country,while the official name is the United Kingdom,but the full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern British Commonwealth is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britian. the geographical position of Britian Britain is an island country. It lies in the north Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of is separated from the rest of Europe by the English channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. in Great Britain are mostly highland and lowland The north and west of Britain are mainly highland, while the south and south-east are mostly lowlands. Britain have a favourable climate why Yes,it has a favourable climate, because it has a maritime type of climate---winters are mild,not too cold and summers are cool, not too has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole has a small range of temperature,too. are the factors which influence the climate in Britain Which part of Britain has the most rainfall and which part is the driest
《最新英美概况》练习参考答案(美国部分)
《最新英美概况》 练习参考答案 （本答案不包括练习中的开放性习题、思考题和讨论题） ==================================================== PART TWO The United States Chapter Eight The Land P. 209—210 I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions. 1. the Star-Spangled Banner, Defense of Fort McHenry, 181 2. 2. the Stars and the Stripes, Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner. 3. The White House, The Capitol, The Pentagon. 4. June, 14th, June 14th. 5. the Potomac, no state, the Federal government. 6. 36, 36 states. 7. Amerigo Vespucci, American War of Independence. 8. Pierre L’Enfant, light, service. II Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. 1. C 2. D 3. C 4. A B C D 5. C D III Decide which of the following statements is TRUE: 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T IV Answer the following questions. 1. (1) At first the Continent was named as “America” after explorer Amerigo Vespucci. (2) During the American War of Independence, the former British colonies first used “the thirteen united States of America” in the Declaration of Independence. (3) The official name of America was adopted on November 15, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress passed the Articles of Confederation. 2. The 50 stars represent the 50 States, while the 13 stripes represent the original thirteen colonies. White indicates purity and innocence; red indicates valour and bravery, and blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance and justice; it is also a symbol of respect to God. 3. The stars and strips have different meanings. Each star represents each state in America, while strips represent the original thirteen colonies before the independence of America.
英语国家概况—英国
Part One: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chapter 1 Land and People Chapter 2 The Origins of a Nation (500BC~AD1066) Chapter 3 The Shape of the Nation (1066~1381) Chapter 4 Transition to the Modern Age (1455~1688) Chapter 5 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1688~1990) Chapter 6 The Economy Chapter 7 Government and Administration Chapter 8 Justice the Law Chapter 9 Social Affairs Chapter 10 Cultural Affairs Chapter 1 Land, People and Language ?1 Different Names for Britain and its Parts The official name of Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The geographical names are the British Isles, Great Britain and England. People just say Britain, the United Kingdom or simply U.K. ?People England is the largest and most populous, almost a quarter of the people lives in England’s prosperous and fertile southeast, with over 7 million in the capital. The majority of the population are descendants of the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people from Europe who went to England between the 5th and 7th centuries.These people settled in England and drove the native Celtic people to the mountainous areas of Wales and Scotland. Their language became the official language of the country. Most people in W ales and Scotland are descendants of the Celtic people who were the earliest known inhabitants of Britain. The Irish people were also of Celtic origin. About a hundred years ago, as a result of its imperialist expansion, Britain ruled an empire that had one fourth of the world’s people and a quarter of the world’s land area. ?Geographical Features There are 3 political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. The island of Ireland is divided into 2 parts: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Britain has, for centuries, been slowly tilting with the North-W est slowly rising and the South-East slowly sinking. The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; the east and south-east are mostly lowlands. There are 3 natural zones of Scotland: the Highlands in the north, the central Lowlands, and the southern Uplands.
英美文学重点整理
What’s symbolism? 1）Symbolism is a movement in literature and the visual arts that originated in France in the late 19th century. In literature, symbolism was an aesthetic movement that encouraged writers to express their ideas, feelings, and values by means of symbols or suggestions rather than by direct statements. Hawthorne and Melville are masters of symbolism in America in the 19th century. 2）举例。
48. “Young Goodman Brown ”is one of Hawthorne ’s most profound tales. What is the allegorical meaning of Brown, the protagonist? What does Hawthorne set out to prove in this tale? How does Melville comment on Hawthorne ’s manner of concerning with guilt and evil?
**ELIZABETH **4. A comparison of the three giants: William Dean Howells; Mark Twain; and Henry James They are the three dominant figures of the realistic period. The forerunner of American Realism is Howells. Though the three writers wrote more or less at the same time, they differed in their understanding of the “truth.”While Mark Twain and Howells seemed to have paid more attention to the “life”of the Americans, Henry James had apparently laid a greater emphasis on the “inner world”of man. Though Twain and Howells both shared the same concern in presenting the truth of the American society, they had each of them different emphasis. Howells focused his discussion on the rising middle class and the way they lived, while Twain preferred to have his own region and people at the forefront of his stories. This particular concern about the local character of a region came about as “local colorism,”a unique variation (变体) of American literary realism.
英美概况美国部分整理
America The Founding of Colonies殖民地的建立 First Inhabitants：American Indians Discovery of the New World： 1492 Christopher Columbus →the discoverer of America (Italian)Spanish Queen’ s support 1501-2 Amerigo Vespucci →the new land was name after him as America. reached the mouth of Amazon River America—the New World Europe—the Old World 13 colonies： New England Colonies: Mid Atlantic Colonies: Southern Colonies: Massachusetts →（2nd colony，1620）New York Maryland New Hampshire Pennsylvania Virginia →（1st colony，1607）Rhode Island Delaware North Carolina Connecticut South Carolina Georgia →（the last colony，1733）New England Region（6个）: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont 建立原因： Virginia, 1607 Virginia Company For foreign expansion as a way of easing religious dispute and economic distress in England 105 men (no women) Jamestown in honor of the king Massachusetts In 1620 102 Puritans (“Pilgrim Fathers”), in Mayflower, from Plymouth in England to America First in Plymouth (today’s Massachusetts); and then Boston Seek religious freedom Mayflower Compact <五月花号公约>：self-government Hardships when arrived the help of the Indians Thanksgiving Day to thank the Indians and the God for protection The next three colonies Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire Reasons: 1. religious disputes and struggles in Massachusetts intensified 2. more immigrants
英语国家概况
英语国家概况》期末复习题（含答案） （第I卷客观题共45分） 1. 选择题（共30 分; 每题1 分） U.K. 1. The importance of the British monarchy can be seen in its effect on ___ . D A. passing the bills B. advising the government C. political parties D. public attitude 2. The policies of the Conservative Party in Great Britain are characterized by pragmatism and . D A. government intervention B. nationalization of enterprises C. social reform D. a belief in individualism 3. Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. 4. Cabinet members are chosen by ___ in Britain. B A. the monarch B. the Prime Minister C. the Archbishop D. the Lord Chancellor 5. English belongs to the Germanic group of Indo-European family of languages. 6. The Severn River is the longest river in Britain. 7. The following Christmas traditions are particularly British except ___ . A A. Trooping the Color B. Queen 's Christmas message C. Boxing Day D. Christmas pantomime 8. Among Britain q'uaslity press, the following newspapers are regarded as the “ BigThree with the exception of The Observer. 9. In 2012, Britain had a population of about 63 million. 10. The two main islands of the British Isles are Great Britain and Ireland. 11. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said that, “ Britain and tht e dUSntiates will stand side by side ”. 12. The Labor Party affected the British society greatly in that it ___ . A A. set up the National Health Services B. improved public transportation C. abolished the old tax system D. enhanced the economic development 13. Margaret Thatcher go'v s ernment introduced the biggest changes in British economic policy since World War II. 14. Charles Dickens is a representative of English Critical Realism at the turn of the 19 th century. 15. The three principle features of the climate of Britain are the following EXCEPT ___ . C A. the frequent fog in winter B. the large number of rainy days C. extreme coldness even in summer D. changeability all the year round 16. Samuel Johnson 'dsictionary was influential in establishing a standard form of spelling in English. 17. The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element of Latin and Greek words to English. 18. __ was not among the four self-governing dominions in the British Empire. C A. Australia B. Canada C. India D. the Union of South Africa 19. Of the following sectors in Britain, service industry has experienced spectacular growth si nee the end of World War II. 20. Cambridge has more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in Britain.
英语国家概况总结资料全
Unit1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom 1.The flag of Britain : Union Jack （英国国旗中没有显示出Welsh旗） 2. The basic information of each country: Count ry Capital Area Memo Englan d London 最大 1.最不会把自己的 “英格兰文化区 别于其他文化” 2.一个高度城市化
3.The time joining the British parliament: However, in 1707 by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union. 4.Difference between the British Isles ,UK, Great Britain , and England: British Isles: the island of Great Britain the island of Ireland
surrounding isles ●UK=Great Britain + Northern Ireland ●Great Britain =England +Scotland + Wales 5.The four major invasions in the history of Great Britain : At first, England was occupied by Celtic people. Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman Empire. Result: England and Wales became a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years. the Angle-Saxon invaded. Result: The land they lived became" Angle-land", later changed into England, the language they spoken became English. PS：One of the best-known English legends derives from this time. In 5 century AD, King Author(亚瑟王) united the British, and with his magical sword, Excalibur（被称为“王者之剑”的圣剑）,
北京外国语大学英美文学专业初试复试备考经验及03
北外英美文学专业初试复试备考经验及 03—06真题 准备考研的时间不长，只有三个月，总结起来两大经验吧，细节和节奏。细节是说考研要做个有心人，要勤看别人的经验，即使不是一个方向的。因为虽然准备的内容不同，但过程都是一样的（讲到底也只有专二不同）。学习别人的经验自己才能避免走别人的弯路，犯别人犯过的错误。节奏是说时间的充分利用，时间不在长短而在效率的高低，要根据自己的情况制定合适的复习计划。在这里给大家小小的鼓励一下：永远不要觉得时间不够用，也永远不要觉得这是不可能完成的的任务。当然要基于自身实力和现实的考虑，我相信大家都明白我的意思。等到真正做到了，你就是那个“传说”。 政治：六十多分没什么经验。。。。。。总的感觉是过线不拉分就好因为进入复试政治和二外就不算分了，不要给自己太大的压力，不要浪费过多的时间，节省下来精力好好看专业。 法语：学校用的是很老的橘黄色皮的《法语》，先复习一遍，把忘掉的知识捡回来。然后把历年真题研究一遍，考察的知识点就那么多，有的题基本没变隔年又考一次。从图书馆借来新大学法语1-3，从头到尾梳理知识点整理笔记。因为知道考什么，所以看得有重点。借书的好处之一就是“书非借不能读也”，借来的总要还，有压力就看得快了，而且借的书都少都有点笔记，看看也是很好的。
基英：分阅读，翻译和写作三个部分。像名字一样就是考察英语的基础，所以投机取巧是不可取的，要稳扎稳打地不间断复习。阅读--每天精读一篇1500字左右的新闻，有用的词句整理出来，有兴趣的段落翻一翻，阅读是最好的输入方式，扩大阅读量不言而喻，也对写作和翻译大有益处。翻译--练了叶子南里面几个靠谱的文章，订在一起没事看看，每翻译一篇都会看到自己逐步的进步，翻译得逐渐成熟。写作—写作看的是内容、结构和语法。虽然在考场上不可能三方面都完美，但是写的时候有这样的意识在脑子里，偏也偏不到哪里去。基础自认为还是不错的，所以每天的复习就是一个routine，保持对英语的娴熟度，主要的精力都集中在复习专业上了。 专业：文学选段匹配+小说分析，今年取消了逻辑题。虽然文学的复习范围没边没沿，文学著作浩如烟海；但是恶俗的讲一句，只要是考试，它就有它的侧重点和一定的规律。文学选段匹配--本着上一原则，我把历年真题找来统计了一下每年考得上都是谁的作品，集中在哪几部作品上。统计过后发现大概十人左右而且都是大家Mark Twain, Charles Dicke ns, Wordsworth…然后就拜读他们的大作就好了。小说的话要先看看写作风格，像总考的adventures of huckleberry finn，如果没读过现读是来不及的，但只要了解马克吐温的写作风格，就会在看到南方方言的第一时间想到他老人家。诗歌
英美概况括考前知识点总结
英国概况 1，英国名称：The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) 2，地理位置：Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles, the largest island in Europe and the eighth-largest island in the world. It lies to the northwest of Continental Europe, with Ireland to the west, and makes up the largest part of the territory of the state known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is surrounded by over 1,000[citation needed] smaller islands and islets. 或者回答British mainland western Europe from Great Britain and Ireland, north-east and many nearby islands， She east by the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, up to the North Atlantic off Iceland, Yugoslavia and the European continent, separated only by a strip of water, the English Channel 3, 英国首都：London 4,组成部分：England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 5,民族：England Welsh、Scotch、Irish 6, 英国国旗：the Union Flag英国国歌：God Save The Queen 天佑女7，三次外族入侵：ⅠRoman Conquest；43AD, the roman empire
英语国家概况学习手册选择题
第一章British the republic of ireland became independent in the year(1949) the british empire was replaced by the british commonwealth in(1931) the English people and the English language were born from the union of(norman conquerors an the defeated anglo-sax ons the first known settlers of Britain were (the iberians) about 80000 scots speak gaelic which is an ancient (celtic language) the ancestors of the welsh were the ancient(celts) the average population density in Britain is(250)people per square kilo in 1066 harold and his troops fought against William on Senlac field near(hastlings) the Plantagenet dynasty was found by(henry 2) english reformation was carried out by(henry8) simon de Montfort reform beginning of English (parliament) from 1649 to 1658,it was ruled first by oliver Cromwell as(lord protector) it was during the reign of(anne)the the name great Britain came into being in 1707 the 1851 london great exposition was held in the crystal palace designed by queen(victoria)husband albert. the house of commons has(650)members of parliament british conservative party(tory)party in the 18th century the house of common is headed by（the speaker） the economic policy in the 1950s and 1960s was based on(john maynard keynes) in Britain less than(2/)are farmers britain became a net exporter of oil in the(1980s) the following financial institutions have their headquarters in London except(royal bank of scotland) to stimulate economic recovery, the thacher polcies but(interventionism) britain is the(sixth)largest trading nation british oil fields were discovered on the(north sea) the national health service was established in(1948) (central government)is directly responsible for the nhs children up to the age of (16) can receive family allowance for children (the baptists)is not among the anglican churches (the Methodist church)is the largest of the free churches the principal non-Christian communities in Britain are(the jews) the church of scotland is a(Presbyterian) (the free churches)in Britain have also been known as dissenters (7) roman catholic provinces in great Britain the church of english has two provinces, they are(Canterbury and york) there are some (90)universities the universities of oxford and cambridge date from the (12th and 13th) (public schools)are independent schools secondary education in(northern ireland) is selective harrow school is a(public school) higher education is usually defined as advanced course of a standard higher(gce a level) the following universities belong to red brick except(glasgow) the leading scientific society in Britain is(the royal society) the times is a (quality daily) the daily mirror is a popular daily
英语专业国家概况期末复习总结
英语国家概况 名词解释 1. The civil rights movement (1955–1968) refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in Southern states. 2. A federal system A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts with some rights reserved to each. 3. King Arthur It is said that he was the King of England in the 5th century and united the British and drove the Saxons back with his magical sword, Excalibur. His real existence is in doubt. He is the central figure of many legends. 4. The Anglo-Saxons They were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century. They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England. 5. Riverdance Riverdance is a very popular form of dancing based on I reland’s intricate folk dances which are rearranged and modernized and adapted onto current stage performance. Dancing is traditionally part of Irish culture. It is usually accompanied by the Irish pipe and fiddle. The music usually sounds fast and furious. Most of the action is from the waist down, with the arms held rigidly at the sides. 6. The House of Commons The House of Commons is the real centre of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives (Members of Parliament) make and debate policy. These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of people who vote for them. 7. The Commonwealth It is a voluntary association of states which is made up of Britain and mostly of former British colonies. There are 54 members of the Commonwealth including one currently suspended member: many of these are developing countries like India and Cyprus; others are developed nations like Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The Commonwealth was set up as a forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network. 8. Maoritanga Maoritanga means ―Maori culture‖. It refers to all the elements of the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people in New Zealand, including their language, customs and traditions. 9. The “Washminster” form polity The ―Washminster‖form of polity is adopted by the Australian government. It is a mixture of the US Washington system of government and the British Westminster system. This means that the political