Countries and their capitals

Tommy: Hi guys,

Today we are going on a virtual trip round the world. You’ll learn how to pronounce some countries of the world and their capitals.

Are you with us?

My friend Peter left England a year ago. Look at his travel blog.

I’m Peter, I’m 13 years old and this is my blog! We left England in January when my Mum and Dad decided they wanted us to give up our lives in England and go travelling for a year! They said they wanted us to learn about lots of different things around the world by seeing them all! It was the start of a big adventure!

On Day 1, we flew to France – the closest country to The UK. Paris is a wonderful place for tourists. We saw the Eiffel Tower there.

Travelling southwards we arrived in Spain. The capital of Spain is Madrid.

On the other side of the frontier there is a small country, Portugal. Lisbon is its capital. It has a lot of wonderful beaches and landscapes.

You all love pizzas, don’t you? They are from Italy. We visited many cafes and restaurants in Rome.

Greece. Greece has very ancient civilization. Athens [ˈæθ(ə)nz] is its capital.

Bulgaria. Its capital, Sofia, is 7,000 years old. This makes it the second-oldest city in Europe.

Israel. Israel is a well-known country, because it’s the Holly land. The capital of Israel is Jerusalem.

Belgium [ˈbɛldʒəm] Belgium is well-known for many things, especially its chocolate and waffles. Brussels [ˈbrʌs(ə)lz] is the capital of Belgium.

Austria [ˈɒstrɪə] Austria is famous for its beautiful architecture and the famous composers that lived and worked there. Austria is also a home to a giant Ferris wheel, many amazing museums and scenic parks. Vienna [vɪˈɛnə] is the capital of Austria.

Then we spent a few days in Germany [ˈdʒɜːmənɪ]. This country is well known for car industry: Volkswagen, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and Audi are all German Brands. Berlin is its capital.

Germany is bordered by Denmark [ˈdɛnmɑːk] to the south. I was surprised to know that LEGO was invented in Denmark. It comes from the Danish phrase “leg godt”, which means “Play well”. Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark.

When we came to Poland [ˈpəʊlənd] my Dad told me about the polish mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, the person who discovered that the Earth is a planet, and not the center of the universe. The capital of Poland is Warsaw.

Honestly, I was looking forward to visiting Sweden [ˈswiːd(ə)n]. We had a good time skiing, dog sledging and snowboarding. But on my traveler’s list of things to do number 1 was to see aurora borealis. These lights are one of nature’s most jaw-dropping views. Stockholm [ˈstɒkhəʊm] is its capital.

The Netherlands [ˈnɛðələndz] is famous for its windmills and colourful tulips. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam.

Then we moved to Norway [ˈnɔːweɪ]. If you watch Eurovision contest, you will know that Oslo [ˈɒzləʊ] is the capital of Norway.

Finland [ˈfɪnlənd] is home to the big man himself – Father Christmas. Lapland is a real-life fairytale. Thank you, Finland, for giving me a magic chance to build a snowman, ride a snowmobile, play with elves, bake with Mrs Claus, and meet Santa – all in one day! The capital of Finland is Helsinki.

Hungary [ˈhʌŋɡ(ə)rɪ] The capital of Hungary is Budapest. Budapest is situated on the banks of very famous river Danube [ˈdænjuːb], famous for its thermal baths and spas.

Russia is the biggest country and the Russian dolls are very cute; they are called Matrioshkas.

Then we flew to Dehli, in India. What an amazing place! It was so busy and noisy. There were hundreds of rickshaws, motorbikes and cars driving around and people shouting and rushing everywhere.

Then we spent a few weeks in New Zealand. Being so remote, New Zealand has very unique flora and fauna. The capital of the country is Wellington.

Crossing the Atlantic we arrived in one of the biggest countries, the United States of America. Its capital is Washington D.C. (the District of Columbia). You can meet people of nearly all races and nations in the USA.

To the north we visited another important country, Canada. The capital of the country is Ottawa. One-third of all fresh water on Earth is in Canada. About 80% of the population live within 320 km of the southern border. Much of the rest of Canada is uninhabited.

In South America we saw Brazil. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia. Brazilians love dancing samba and football!

Then we moved to Mexico and we are still there now. Mexico is famous for its ancient civilizations, the Aztecs and the Mayas. Where once thrived Tenochtitlan, the center of the Aztec empire, now stands Mexico City, capital of Mexico.

Well, our trip is not finished yet. We still have many countries to go. For example,

China. It is a big country and the Great Wall is famous all over the world. The capital if China is Beijing.

Japan is famous for its advances in technology, geographic and historic landmarks and number of writers and artists. Tokyo is its capital.

Africa has many, many countries. One of the most famous is South Africa. South Africa has three capitals: Cape Town, Pretoria and Bloemfontein.

Egypt has ancient pyramids. I guess, they are worth seeing! Cairo is the capital of Egypt.

I will write an update on my blog when we arrive there.

You should also bear in mind that we never use any articles with the names of countries, cities and towns!

Now let’s check how well you remember the information of the lesson.

Look at the map and name the countries.

Do you know what country Vienna is the capital of?

Right, it is the capital of Austria.

What about the country Copenhagen is the capital of? Naturally, Denmark.

You can’t make mistake in this case. Paris is the capital of… of France, of course.

You can’t be wrong. Berlin is the capital of … of Germany.

If you go to Athens, you can see the Greeks, because it is the capital of … of Greece. Nice!

Budapest is situated on the banks of very famous river Danube [ˈdænjuːb], so you can say that it is the capital city of … Hungary.

Rome is really one of the oldest capitals in the world, and it is the capital of … Italy.

You must know that Oslo is the capital of… Norway.

Warsaw is the capital of … Poland.

Madrid is the biggest city and the capital of … Spain.

Stockholm [ˈstɒkhəʊm] Stockholm is home for the Swedes. So, it is the capital of … Sweden.

Amsterdam [amstəˈdam] is one of the top financial centers of Europe. And it is the capital of … the Netherlands.

Did you enjoy your virtual trip around the world with Peter? I’m sure you did.

You will get more information about other countries as soon as Peter gets there.