Transcript Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, & Antarctica

Australia, New Zealand,
Oceania, & Antarctica
Australia & New Zealand
Introduction
Australia and New Zealand have been cut off from the
Earth’s other landmasses for millions of years.
• Australia – Huge, mostly flat, with several climates
• New Zealand – Small, Mountainous, Uniform
Climate.
• An area the same size as the United States has a
population smaller than New York cities 19.5
Million
• Both are modern and industrialized countries
• 96% of trade to other countries is comprised of
farming and mining economic activity
Australia
The land “Down Under” – Why?
Entirely within the southern hemisphere.
The only continent that contains just one
country.
The smallest continent in the world.
As a country it has the 6th largest land area.
Former colony of Great Britain, & has an
Anglo – Saxon cultural background.
Australia Overview
Has more than 80% of the land area of the
U.S. while only 10% of Australia is livable.
Largest fragment of Gonwanaland
(4.3 billion years old)
Land is mostly flat and dry; lowest overall
elevation and relief of all Earth’s continents.
Most is dry climate – areas along the coasts
have moister climates.
Australia’s North East coast
Great Barrier Reef, largest chain of coral
in the world.
Australia’s Southern coast
Great Australian Bight
A bay of the Indian Ocean
Coastal plains
Circle Australia & Northern Tasmania
Bass Strait separates Tasmania from
Australia
Great Divide
Wrapping around SE area of highlands
Forms the continental divide
Australian Alps
• SE corner of country
Nullarbor
Southern Shore
Long wide plain
Vast dry
Tree Less Plateau
400 miles
Latin for “no tree”
Australian Highlands
Four Main Highlands
MacDonnell Ranges
The Flinders Range
Hamersley and Darling Ranges
MacDonnell Range
Arid center of the country
The Finders Range
Southern Coast
Hamersley and Darling Ranges
Separate part of western plateau from
coastal lowlands.
No higher than 5,000 feet.
Australian Water
No large river network
Most rivers are like Wadis
Flow only after heavy rain
Shrink in dry seasons
Lakes in interior often become salt flats
Murray is chief river system
Artesian wells
2/3 southern part Australia have dry plateaus
or deserts
Dry grazing lands with shrubs
6% land forested
Murray River System
Drains from the Great Divide of the
Darling Range
SE Australia
Largest farming area 6% arable
Artesian Wells
Most of Australia’s water
Great Artesian Basin
N. of Murray Basin
Drill into ground until water flows to the
surface under its own pressure.
Australian Climate
The location near the Equator nearly all has
dry climate
Center is desert
Rim around desert is steppe climate (short grasses
and shrubs)
Closer to equator along northern coast
Area around Cookstown tropical monsoon climate
Eastern and Southern coasts moist, mild winter:
Mediterranean Climate
Farther South – southern coast, middle latitude
marine – summers hot with high humidity: winters
warm / mild.
South eastern coast – Mediterranean climate (rain
in winter
Economic & Cultural Patterns
1800s – British controlled Penal Colony
Imprisoned for everything from not paying
bills to stealing bread.
Prison overcrowding in England
Prisoners where offered freedom if they
moved to Australia
Australia: Colonial Period
6 States ruled as separate colonies
Victoria
New South Wales
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
1901 – Australian constitution unified colonies
Parliamentary (democracy) form of
government (Commonwealth of Australia)
1911 – Northern Territory Added
1980s Capital territory added
Australian Economy
GDP – Industry, Agriculture, Minning
Industry 36% - 25% of population
employed in industry
Agriculture & Mining make up the majority
of Australia’s economy
• Land good for grazing – 58% of country is used
for pasture livestock.
• Livestock is raised on “Stations” or (ranches)
• Major agg. product is wool 1/3 of the worlds
• Major crop is Wheat grown in Murray basin
• 7th in the world in wheat production
Mineral Resources
1851 – farming economy changed with
the discovery of gold
Australia has 90% of worlds
Rutile/Zircon
Rutile – used in the production of titanium
Zircon – Jewelry
Large diamond and opal deposits
Exports more coal than any other
country
Many resources untapped
Australia’s Cultural Patterns
First inhabitants were Aborigines
Crossed a land bridge from Asia
Brought the Dingo with them
40,000 Live on reservations(1% total Pop)
Population was small until the discovery
of gold (1850-60)
Aboriginal
Lands
Population Distribution
Melbourne has the largest Italian population
outside of Rome.
Two out of three people live on narrow plain
along the East and SE coast
Largest cities – Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra,
Melbourne
Sydney & Melbourne = 1/3 of Australia’s
population
Western & Southern coast are Perth, Adelaide
on southern coast (1 million people)
Australian History
Aborigines – 40,000 years
Hunters & Gatherer nomads form Asia
Portuguese sailors may have been first to
meet Aborigines
1600s Spanish/Dutch explored 1642 – Dutch
explorer Abel Tasman – island
1770 – James Cook east coast of Australia:
“Terra Australis Incognita” = Unknown
southern land
1776 – British lost American colonies and
began to settle Australia
First permanent European settlement –
Sydney (Batony Bay)