Geography ---

(Picture above: The Three Sisters in Blue Mountains National Park seen from Echo Point)

Geography ---

• Key Facts ---

  • Sixth largest country in the world

  • A big island surrounded by water

  • Located on the smallest continent in the world

• Population --- 17.5 million

• Geographic size --- 2.97 million square miles

• Capital --- Canberra

• Major cities --- Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide

• Geographic Landmarks ---

  • Famous for its "outback" --- the remote lands of the interior.

  • The desert outback covers most of the interior. It is too hot, dry and barren to support many people.

  • Eastern Australia has large areas of grasslands, used primarily for sheep and cattle ranches.

  • Australia also has some mountainous areas and plateaus scattered throughout the country. The Blue Mountains, on the south-eastern end of Australia, get their name from the blue haze caused by oil droplets given off from the eucalyptus trees.

  • As an island, Australia also has many beautiful coastal beaches.

  • Over 70% of Australians now live in cities or towns.

  • Most of this population lives in the eastern and southern coasts, and around Perth in the west.

  • Australia is home to many animals not found anywhere else in the world, including kangaroos, koalas, etc.

  • The Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast is over 1,200 miles of coral which has developed over one million years, and is the largest living structure in the world. It is home to many sharks and thousands of different types of tropical fish.

• Major Industries ---

  • Australia's major industries are mining and farming.

  • Mining includes bauxite, coal, copper, gold and iron ore.

  • Most of the land is too dry for planting crops, although some areas do grow sugercane, grapes and wheat. The grape vineyards help to support a growing wine industry.

  • Australia is known for its sheep farming. Large numbers of sheep are raised for their wool and meat. There is also some cattle ranching to provide meat.

  • Australia's climate and dramatic scenary have made tourism a major industry.

• Population and Culture ---

  • Australia is still influenced by its British and European origins.

  • The Australian government is making efforts to preserve Australia's culture, including that of the Aborigines.

• Climate ---

  • Australia has a continental climate. The temperatures get hot during the day, then drop considerably at night.

  • Australia is also very arid, getting very little rain.