Transcript Physical Features of Australia

Geographic Features of
Australia
Unit 10 Notes
I. Australia’s Political
Features
GPS/EQ
 SS6G12 The student will be able to locate selected
features of Australia. a. Locate on a world and regional
political-physical map: the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea,
Ayers Rock, and Great Victoria Desert. SS6G13 The student
will explain the impact of location, climate,
distribution of natural resources, and population
distribution on Australia. a. Describe how Australia’s
location, climate, and natural resources have affected where
people live. b. Describe how Australia’s location, climate, and
natural resources impact trade
EQ: What are the major physical features of Australia, and
where are they located on a map (Great Barrier Reef, Coral
Sea, Ayers Rock, and Great Victoria Desert)?
Australia…
Is divided into 2 territories and 6 states:
States: Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia,
Western Australia, New South Wales,
Queensland
Territories: Northern Territory and
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania
Island off the southeast coast of the
mainland
Almost ½ is unspoiled land that is
protected by the government
Tasmanian Devil?
Victoria
State closest to Tasmania
Southeast part of the mainland
Capital is Melbourne; it’s the most
urban state in Australia
The many rivers of the region are a
good source of fresh water for farming
South Australia
State in south-central Australia
The Great Victoria Desert is located
here…
Western Australia
Largest state; makes up 1/3rd of the
mainland
Most of Western Australia is desert
(Great Victoria Desert and Great
Sandy Desert are located here)
Great Sandy Desert
New South Wales
North of Victoria, on the eastern coast
Has more people than any other
Australian state
The capital, Sydney, is the most
populated city in Australia -- 3 1/2 million
people live there!
Australian Capital Territory is located
here
Sydney, New South Wales
Queensland
Second largest state; 7 times the size of
England!
 In the northeastern part of the mainland
Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast in
the Coral Sea
More than half of Queensland’s population
lives in the capital: Brisbane
Brisbane
Northern Territory
Northern coast of the mainland,
between Western Australia and
Queensland
Largest population of Aborigines in
Australia
Australian Capital Territory
Located in New South Wales
The national capital, Canberra,
is located here
Canberra (Australia’s Capital)
II. Australia’s Physical
Features
Australia…
The world’s smallest and flattest continent…
Has Earth’s oldest and least fertile soils
Only Antarctica receives less rainfall!
Commonwealth of Australia also includes
Tasmania, an island south of the mainland
It’s surrounded by the Indian and Pacific
Oceans
Huge desert plains stretch across the
country’s middle--central Australia’s
climate is hot and dry
Milder climates along the southeastern
and southwestern coasts
Most Australians live in the southeastern
coastal region
Great Barrier Reef
World’s largest coral reef!
Lies off the northeast coast of
Queensland--over 1,200 miles long
Contains an amazing variety of marine
life, including the world’s largest collection
of coral
400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, &
4,000 mollusks (snails, clams, octopi, & squid)
Also includes rare species like the sea cow
and the large green turtle
Great Barrier Reef from space
Coral Sea
An important source of coral for the Great
Barrier Reef
Part of the Pacific Ocean
Off the northeast coast of Australia
When the earth’s crust moved millions of years
ago, it created the Coral Sea and the Great
Dividing Range (largest mountain range in
Australia)
Coral Sea islands are scattered over thousands
of miles of ocean--no one lives on the islands
except for a small group of weather specialists
Ayers Rock
A huge, reddish rock in the center of
Australia
Very close to the geographic center of the
continent…
It’s a monolith, which is a single, large rock
sticking out of the earth
Appears reddish because its iron content
“rusts” at the surface
Nearly 12 stories high and almost 6 miles
wide!
Ayers Rock
Aborigines call it “Uluru”, which is its official
name
European surveyor visited the rock in 1873
and named it after Sir Henry Ayers, an
English government official in South
Australia
In 1950, Australia created Uluru-Kata Tjuta
National Park around Ayers Rock
Both are located in the southwest corner of the
state called Northern Territory
Great Victoria Desert
Stretches through the states of South
Australia and Western Australia
Receives only 8 to 10 inches of rain
each year, and it never snows!
Some grasslands in the desert along
with sandhills and salt
Great Victoria Desert
First Europeans to cross the desert
named it after British Queen
Victoria in 1875
160,000 miles long & is a protected
wilderness area
Very few Australians live here
because it’s too hot and dry
Design-A-Plate
 There is a new Australian restaurant in Suwanee! The
restaurant owner is planning to serve yummy Australian
foods, like Down Under Cheese Hoppers and Sydney Spicy
Shrimp. Even though he has an awesome Australian menu
lined up, he has one small problem…He doesn’t have any
plates to serve the food on! The owner needs your help in
designing plates that could be used in his restaurant. He
wants you to create a plate that includes the important
physical features of Australia: Ayers Rock, Great Barrier
Reef, Coral Sea, and the Great Victoria Desert. Feel free to
add any additional illustrations to your plate design—the
more Australian, the better! The plate should be colorful,
informative, and creative. 