CHAPTER 49

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CHAPTER 49AUSTRALIA
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I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

• A. LANDFORMS
• 1. Australia is the worlds smallest
• continent.
• 2. It can be divided into three major
• landform regions.
• a. Western Plateau
• b. Central Lowland
• c. Eastern Highlands

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• B. CLIMATE
• 1. About half of Australia has a desert
• climate.
• a. This area covers much of the
• interior and extends to the coast
  of
• Western Australia.
• 2. A tropical-savanna climate is found on
• the northern coast of the Northern
• Territory and the Cape York
• Peninsula of Queensland.

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• 3. There is a small area of humid-
• tropical climate and rain forests in the
  
• far northeastern corner of coastal
• Queensland.
• 4. Most of coastal Queensland and New
• South Wales has a humid-subtropical
• climate.
• 5. Farther south, a marine-west-coast
• climate prevails.
• 6. The southwest coast of Western
• Australia has a Mediterranean climate.

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• C. WATER RESOURCES
• 1. Long dry spells cause severe water
• shortages, brush fires, and dust
• storms.
• 2. The Murray-Darling river system is
• the only major river system in
• Australia.
• 3. The largest underground well water
• lies in the Great Artesian Basin of
• interior Queensland, but much of this
• water is poor quality.

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• D. BIOGEOGRAPHY
• 1. Biogeography is the study of the
• geographic distribution of plants and
• animals.
• 2. Because of its island location, many
• of Australias animals and plants are
• found nowhere else in the world.
• 3. Australia is known for its marsupials,
• such as the kangaroo and the koala.

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• 4. More than 500 species of eucalyptus
• are found in Australia.
• a. More than 90 percent of Australias
• trees are some variety of this
  plant.
• 5. Many plants and animals were
• introduced to Australia by humans.
• a. The Aborigines brought the dingo,
• a dog from Asia.
• b. Europeans introduced sheep,
• rabbits, foxes, water buffalo,
  birds,
• and hundreds of plants.

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• 6. Managing Australias unique wildlife
• is a source of concern and
• controversy to the countrys people.
• E. The Great Barrier Reef
• 1. The Great Barrier Reef is located in the
  
• Coral Seas off the northeastern coast
  of
• Queensland.
• 2. At 1,200 miles long, its the worlds
• largest coral reef.
• 3. The Great Barrier Reef is the home to
• the worlds greatest variety of ocean
  life.

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II. ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

• A. Agriculture
• 1. Australia produces about 1/3 of the
• worlds wool supply, which is mainly
• exported to Japan and China.
• 2. Australia is the worlds leading beef
• exporter.
• 3. Only about 6 percent of the land is
• used for farming, but Australia is self-
• sufficient in food and is a major food
• exporter.

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• 4. Wheat is the nations major crop and
• covers more than half of the cropland.
• 5. Australias other major export crops are
• sugar, rice, and cotton.
• B. MINERAL RESOURCES
• 1. The Outback is a storehouse of mineral
• wealth.
• 2. Australia is a world leader in the
• exporting of iron ore, bauxite, and
  coal.
• 3. Australia is a leader in the production
  of
• diamonds and opals.

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• 4. Australia has vast uranium reserves.
• 5. Australias energy resources.
• a. Produce about 70 percent of the
• countrys oil.
• b. Huge natural gas reserves
• discovered off the northwest coast.
• c. Most coal mining in eastern
• Australia.
• C. INDUSTRY
• 1. Most of Australias industries are now
• in decline.

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• 2. Service industries are becoming the
• countrys major employer.
• 3. Tourism and entertainment are rapidly
• growing industries.
• D. ASIAN-PACIFIC CONNECTIONS
• 1. Asian countries make up Australias
• largest market.
• 2. Japan is a major customer for crops,
• meat, and minerals.

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III. POPULATION GEOGRAPHY

• A. URBAN GEOGRAPHY
• 1. More than 85 of all Australians live
• in urban areas.
• 2. Australias cities are generally clean
• and have low crime rates.
• 3. The countrys three largest cities, and
• most of its population, are found in
• the southeastern corner of Australia.
• a. Sydney is the capital of New
• South Wales.

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• b. Melbourne is Australias second
• largest city.
• c. Brisbane is Australias third
  largest
• city.
• B. Aborigines
• 1. Were the first inhabitants of Australia.
• 2. They migrated from Southeast Asia
• about 50,000 years ago.
• 3. Many died from diseases brought by
• the Europeans.
• 4. Most live in poverty in urban areas.

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• C. ISSUES
• 1. Some Australians are opposed
• to immigration growth, which
• over the past 40 years helped
• double the countrys population.
• 2. Environmental concerns such as
• urban smog, mining, damming of
• rivers, and forests destruction
  threaten
• Australias unique environment.
• 3. Wind erosion of topsoil and salinity
• have also become serious problems.

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• POSSIBLE ASSIGNMENTS
• 1. Australia Map
• 2. Australia Videodisc
• 3. Challenge/Enrichment (Chapter 49 pg. 5, 6)
• 3. Make a Colleague on Australia
• 3. Section Review (pg. 606, 607, 610)
• 5. Building a Voc, Recalling and Reviewing,
• Thinking Critically (pg. 611)
• 6. Using the Five Themes of Geography
• (pg. 611)