27°S
144°E
/
27°S 144°E
/
-27; 144
Geography of Australia
|
Continent
| Oceania (continent)
|
---|
Region
| Oceania
|
---|
Coordinates
| 27°00′00″S
144°00′00″E
/
27.000°S 144.000°E
/
-27.000; 144.000
|
---|
Area
| Ranked 6th
|
---|
? Total
| 7,688,287
[1]
km
2
(2,968,464 sq mi)
|
---|
? Land
| 98.21%
|
---|
? Water
| 1.79%
|
---|
Coastline
| 59,681 km (37,084 mi)
|
---|
Borders
| None
|
---|
Highest point
| Mount Kosciuszko
2,228 m (7,310 ft)
|
---|
Lowest point
| Lake Eyre
,
?15 m (?49 ft)
|
---|
Longest river
| Murray River
,
2,375 km (1,476 mi)
|
---|
Largest lake
| Lake Eyre
9,500 km
2
(3,668 sq mi)
|
---|
Climate
| Mostly desert or semi-arid, south-east and south-west corners: temperate, north: tropical climate, varied between tropical rainforests, grasslands, part desert, mountainous areas: subantarctic tundra
|
---|
Terrain
| Mostly low plateau with deserts, rangelands and a fertile plain in the southeast; mountain ranges in the east and south-east.
|
---|
Natural resources
| Minerals, coal, and timber
|
---|
Natural hazards
| Cyclones along the northern coasts, severe thunderstorms, droughts, occasional floods, heat waves, and frequent bushfires
|
---|
Exclusive economic zone
| 8,148,250 km
2
(3,146,060 sq mi)
|
---|
The
geography
of
Australia
encompasses a wide variety of
biogeographic
regions being the world's smallest
continent
, while comprising the territory of the sixth-largest country in the world. The population of Australia is concentrated along the eastern and south-eastern coasts. The geography of the continent is extremely diverse, ranging from the snow-capped
mountains
of the
Australian Alps
and
Tasmania
to large
deserts
, tropical and temperate forests, grasslands, heathlands and woodlands.
The countries that govern nearby regions include
Indonesia
,
East Timor
, and
Papua New Guinea
to the north; the
Solomon Islands
,
Vanuatu
, and the French dependency of
New Caledonia
to the east; and New Zealand to the southeast.
Physical geography
[
edit
]
Australia is a
country
and an
island
located in
Oceania
between the
Indian Ocean
and the South Pacific Ocean. It shares its name with the country that claims control over it. Properly called the
Commonwealth of Australia
, its territory consists of the entire continent and smaller outlying islands. This makes it the
sixth-largest
country in the world by area of jurisdiction, which comprises 7,686,850 km
2
(2,967,910 sq mi) (including
Lord Howe Island
and
Macquarie Island
), which is slightly smaller than the 48 states of the
contiguous United States
and 31.5 times larger than that of the United Kingdom.
The Australian mainland has a total coastline length of 35,821 km (22,258 mi) with an additional 23,860 km (14,830 mi) of island coastlines.
[2]
There are 758 estuaries around the country with most located in the tropical and sub-tropical zones.
[3]
A recent global
remote sensing
analysis suggested that there was 8,866 km
2
(3,423 sq mi) of tidal flat area in Australia, making it the third-ranked country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.
[4]
Australia has the third-largest
exclusive economic zone
of 8,148,250 km
2
(3,146,060 sq mi). This EEZ does not include the
Australian Antarctic Territory
(an additional 5,896,500 km
2
(2,276,700 sq mi)).
Australia has the largest area of ocean jurisdiction of any country on Earth.
[5]
It has no land borders. The northernmost points of the continental mainland are the
Cape York Peninsula
of
Queensland
and the
Top End
of the
Northern Territory
, but the northernmost point of the country lies in the
Torres Strait Islands
.
The western half of Australia consists of the
Western Plateau
, which rises to mountain heights near the west coast and falls to lower elevations near the continental centre. The Western Plateau region is generally flat, though broken by various mountain ranges such as the
Hamersley Range
, the
MacDonnell Ranges
, and the Musgrave Range. Surface water is generally lacking in the Western Plateau, although there are several larger rivers in the west and north, such as the
Murchison
,
Ashburton
, and
Victoria
rivers.
The Eastern Highlands, or
Great Dividing Range
, lie near the
eastern coast of Australia
, separating the relatively narrow eastern coastal plain from the rest of the continent. These
Eastern Australian temperate forests
have the greatest relief, the most rainfall, the most abundant and varied flora and fauna, and the densest human settlement.
Between the Eastern Highlands and the Western Plateau lies the Central Lowlands, which are made up of the Great Artesian Basin and Australia's largest river systems, the
Murray-Darling Basin
and the
Lake Eyre Basin
.
Off the north-eastern coast of Australia is the world's largest coral reef complex, the
Great Barrier Reef
. The large and mountainous island of
Tasmania
, also a State of Australia, lies south of the south-eastern corner of the Australian mainland. It receives abundant rainfall, and has highly fertile soils particularly in comparison to the mainland.
Geology
[
edit
]
Australia is the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth
[6]
and it has had a relatively stable geological history. Geological forces such as
the tectonic uplift
of mountain ranges and clashes between tectonic plates occurred mainly in Australia's early prehistory, when it was still a part of
Gondwana
. Its highest peak is
Mount Kosciuszko
at 2,228 m (7,310 ft), which is relatively low in comparison to the highest mountains on other continents.
Charles Rowland Twidale
estimates that between 10% and 20% of Australia's modern landscapes formed during the
Mesozoic
when the continent was part of Gondwana.
[7]
Australia is situated in the middle of the tectonic plate, and therefore currently has no active volcanism. Minor earthquakes which produce no damage occur frequently, while major earthquakes measuring greater than magnitude 6 occur on average every five years.
[8]
The terrain is mostly low plateau with deserts, rangelands and a fertile plain in the southeast. Tasmania and the
Australian Alps
do not contain any permanent
icefields
or
glaciers
, although these may have existed in the past. The
Great Barrier Reef
, by far the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast.
Regions
[
edit
]
The Australian continental landmass consists of six distinct landform divisions.
[9]
These are:
- The Eastern Highlands?including the Great Dividing Range, the fertile
Brigalow Belt
strip of grassland behind the east coast, and the Eastern Uplands
- The Eastern alluvial Plains and Lowlands?the Murray Darling basin covers the southern part; also includes parts of the Lake Eyre Basin and extends to the
Gulf of Carpentaria
- The South Australian Highlands?including the Flinders Range,
Eyre Peninsula
, and
Yorke Peninsula
- The Western Plateau?including the
Nullarbor Plain
- The Central Deserts
- Northern Plateau and Basins?including the
Top End
Hydrology
[
edit
]
Much of Australia's interior is arid; the low average annual rainfall and high temperatures mean interior rivers are often dry and lakes empty. The headwaters of some waterways are located in tropical regions where summer rains create a high rate of
discharge
. Flood events drastically alter the dry environment; thus the ecology of central Australia has had to adapt to the
boom and bust
cycle.
The
Great Artesian Basin
is an important source of water, the world's largest and deepest fresh water
basin
. Access to water from the basin has led to the expansion of grazing into areas that were previously far too dry for livestock. Towns and cities across the country sometimes face major water storage and usage crises in which restrictions and other measures are implemented to reduce water
consumption
. Water restrictions are based on a gradient of activities that become progressively banned as the situation worsens.
Billabong
is the Australian name given to the
oxbow lakes
that can form along a meandering river's course. In a worldwide comparison of height, Australia's
waterfalls
are relatively insignificant, with the longest drop ranked 135th according to the World Waterfall Database.
[10]
Political geography
[
edit
]
Australia consists of six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The states are
New South Wales
,
Queensland
,
South Australia
,
Tasmania
,
Victoria
, and
Western Australia
. The two major mainland territories are the
Northern Territory
and the
Australian Capital Territory
. Western Australia is the largest state, covering just under one third of the Australian landmass, followed by Queensland, South Australia, and New South Wales.
Australia also has several minor territories; the federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the
Jervis Bay Territory
, as a naval base and seaport for the national capital. In addition Australia has the following inhabited, external territories:
Norfolk Island
,
Christmas Island
,
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
, and several largely uninhabited external territories:
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
,
Coral Sea Islands
, and
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
. Australia also claims a portion of
Antarctica
as the
Australian Antarctic Territory
, although this
claim
is not widely recognized.
Human geography
[
edit
]
| This section
needs expansion
. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
January 2022
)
|
Australians have settled in several capital cities and their
suburban
satellites at various points along a vast coastline. A significant immigrant population occupied these places with relatively little dispute and few inner city
ghettoes
.
[11]
Australia’s mean population density is 3.3/km
2
, one of the lowest in the world.
[12]
Sport
plays an important social and cultural role in Australia with more than 90% of adults having an interest in sport.
[13]
English is the most common
language in Australia
. Australians enjoy a very high rate of private property ownership.
[11]
Australians have a preponderance to engage in
gambling
, experiencing the largest per capita losses in the world.
[14]
Climate
[
edit
]
By far the largest part of Australia is
arid
or
semi-arid
. A total of 18% of Australia's mainland consists of
named deserts
,
[15]
while additional areas are considered to have a
desert climate
based on low rainfall and high temperature. Only the south-east and south-west corners have a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The
northern part
of the continent has a tropical climate: part is tropical
rainforests
, part grasslands, and part desert.
Rainfall is highly variable, with frequent
droughts
lasting several seasons thought to be caused in part by the
El Nino-Southern Oscillation
. Occasionally a dust storm will blanket a region or even several states and there are reports of the occasional large
tornado
. Rising levels of
salinity
and
desertification
in some areas is ravaging the landscape.
Australia's tropical/subtropical location and cold waters off the western coast make most of western Australia a hot desert, with aridity a marked feature of the greater part of the continent. These cold waters produce little moisture needed on the mainland. A 2005 study by Australian and American researchers investigated the desertification of the interior, and suggested that one explanation was related to human
settlers
who arrived about 50,000 years ago. Regular burning by these settlers could have prevented
monsoons
from reaching interior Australia. The
outback
covers 70 percent of the continent.
Natural hazards
[
edit
]
Cyclones
along the northern coasts, severe
thunderstorms
,
droughts
, occasional
floods
,
heat waves
, and frequent
bushfires
are natural hazards that are present in Australia.
[
citation needed
]
Environment
[
edit
]
Current environmental issues include: soil erosion from overgrazing,
industrial development
,
urbanization
, and poor farming practices;
soil salinity
rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification (partly as a result of the introduction by European settlers of
rabbits
);
introduced pest species
; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources; and threats from
invasive species.
International agreements:
- party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty
,
Kyoto Protocol
,
Biodiversity
,
China?Australia Migratory Bird Agreement
,
Climate Change
,
Endangered Species
,
Environmental Modification
,
Hazardous Wastes
,
Japan?Australia Migratory Bird Agreement
,
Law of the Sea
,
Marine Dumping
,
Marine Life Conservation
,
Nuclear Test Ban 1963
,
Nuclear Non-Proliferation
,
Ozone Layer Protection
,
Ship Pollution
,
Tropical Timber 1994
,
Ramsar Convention
,
Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
Desertification
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Area of Australia - States and Territories"
. 27 June 2014.
- ^
"Border Lengths ? States and Territories"
.
Geoscience Australia
. Commonwealth of Australia. 2004
. Retrieved
18 August
2016
.
- ^
Dennison, William C.; Abal, Eva G. (1999).
Moreton Bay Study: A Scientific Basis for the Healthy Waterways Campaign
. Brisbane: South East Queensland Regional Water Quality Management Strategy Team. p. 220.
ISBN
0-9586368-1-8
.
- ^
Murray, N.J.; Phinn, S.R.; DeWitt, M.; Ferrari, R.; Johnston, R.; Lyons, M.B.; Clinton, N.; Thau, D.; Fuller, R.A. (2019).
"The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats"
.
Nature
.
565
(7738): 222?225.
doi
:
10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8
.
PMID
30568300
.
S2CID
56481043
.
- ^
Non-Fisheries Uses in Australia's Marine Jurisdiction
National Marine Atlas.
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
- ^
Pain, C.F., Villans, B.J., Roach, I.C., Worrall, L. & Wilford, J.R. (2012): Old, flat and red ? Australia's distinctive landscape. In:
Shaping a Nation: A Geology of Australia
. Blewitt, R.S. (Ed.) Geoscience Australia and ANU E Press, Canberra. pp. 227?275
ISBN
978-1-922103-43-7
- ^
Rowland, C.R.
(1994). "Gondwanan (Late Jurassic and Cretaceous) palaeosurfaces of the Australian craton".
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
.
112
(1?2): 157?186.
Bibcode
:
1994PPP...112..157T
.
doi
:
10.1016/0031-0182(94)90139-2
.
- ^
Mccue, Kevin (26 February 2010).
"Land of earthquakes and volcanoes?"
.
Australian Geographic
. Archived from
the original
on 6 March 2010
. Retrieved
25 April
2010
.
- ^
Loffler, Ernst; Anneliese Loffler; A. J. Rose; Denis Warner (1983).
Australia:Portrait of a continent
. Hutchinson Group. p. 18.
ISBN
0-09-130460-1
.
- ^
"Significant Waterfalls"
.
Geoscience Australia
. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from
the original
on 25 May 2010
. Retrieved
11 June
2010
.
- ^
a
b
Peace, Adrian (2015).
"Australia, Sociocultural Overviews: Australian Settler Society"
.
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition)
: 239?244.
doi
:
10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.12022-7
.
ISBN
9780080970875
. Retrieved
21 October
2022
.
- ^
Neill, Simon P.; Hemer, Mark; Robins, Peter E.; Griffiths, Alana; Furnish, Aaron; Angeloudis, Athanasios (June 2021).
"Tidal range resource of Australia"
.
Renewable Energy
.
170
: 683?692.
doi
:
10.1016/j.renene.2021.02.035
.
hdl
:
20.500.11820/39c65964-e961-4018-ac46-e67faeadf447
.
S2CID
233552671
.
- ^
"About sport in Australia"
.
Department of Health and Aged Care
. Commonwealth of Australia. 22 February 2022
. Retrieved
22 October
2022
.
- ^
"Gambling in Australia"
.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
. Retrieved
27 October
2022
.
- ^
"Deserts"
.
[
. Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from
the original
on 5 December 2009
. Retrieved
11 June
2010
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Miller, Gifford; Mangan, Jennifer; Pollard, David; Thompson, Starley; Felzer, Benjamin; Magee, John (2005). "Sensitivity of the Australian Monsoon to insolation and vegetation: Implications for human impact on continental moisture balance".
Geology
.
33
(1): 65?68.
Bibcode
:
2005Geo....33...65M
.
doi
:
10.1130/G21033.1
.
- "Highest Mountains"
.
National Mapping ? Fab Facts, Landforms, Australian Mountains
. Archived from
the original
on 17 June 2005
. Retrieved
7 July
2005
.
- Weatherley, A.H., ed. (1967).
Australian Inland Waters and their Fauna. Eleven Studies
(PDF, 19Mb)
. Canberra: Australian National University Press.
OCLC
594806492
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
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Sovereign states
| |
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Associated states
of New Zealand
| |
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Dependencies
and other territories
| |
---|