Chapter 22Australia and New Zealand

I. AustraliaCapital: Canberra“the land down under”—seasons are opposite from Europe

and North AmericaSmallest and flattest continentDriest inhabited continent—avg. rainfall only 17 inches a year!No land bridge to another continentOnly continent united under one flagBiggest trade partner: JapanLast continent to be settled by Europeans

First British colonists did not arrive until 200 years after Jamestown, VA.

One in 4 Australians have a non-English background; becoming more a part of the Asian world

Australia’s AnimalsMany exotic animals that are found no where

elseKangaroos- raise young in pouch, tiny

(muskrat) to larger than man (red)Kookaburra—chirp sounds like human

laughter, don’t drink any waterPlatypus- pg. 543Koala bear- most loved marsupial, gets all

water and nourishment from eucalyptus leaves

Australia’s States6 States total3 broad geographic regions

Great Dividing Range (east coast) Rugged, low mountains and hills 2 states located along the range Mountains influence weather patterns of whole

continent First settlements and major cities are along the

eastern coastCentral LowlandsWestern Plateau

Great Dividing Range StatesNew South Wales

Captain James Cook- first to map Australia and named Botany Bay—deep harbor that became the site of the first settlement

After revolt in America, King needed a place to send criminals—chose New South Wales

Small settlement named Sydney– today is Australia’s largest city pg. 546

Australian Alps—part of GDR—home to Snowy Mts and the highest peak in Australia, Mount Kosciusko

West of mountains are plains – famous for jumpbucks (sheep), there are 10 jumpbucks for every person

Canberra is located between Sydney and Melbourne and was purposely planned and chosen in 1913, means “meeting place”

Government: Constitutional Monarchy like Canada- claims the British monarch– approves the governor general and 6 governors

VictoriaSoutheast corner of AustraliaMelbourne is capital and largest city- most “English” of all

Australian cities

Sydney

Melbourne

Canberra Parliament Building

Mount Kosciusko

East Australian Current

•moves warm water in a counterclockwise fashion down the east coast•source is the tropical Coral Sea •Creates current vortex in the Tasman Sea•transport tropical marine fauna to habitats in sub-tropical regions along the south east coast

Central LowlandsOn the other side of the Great Dividing RangeDry interior, depends on runoff from mountainsMurray River (most important water system on the continent)Tasmania

Island off the coast of VictoriaSmallest and least populated stateCapital: HobartKnown for apple orchardsHome to rainforest and waterfallsTasmanian Devils do live on the island pg. 550

QueenslandNewest state, formed in 1859, split from New South Wales, still

has a frontier spiritState capital: Brisbane—originally a prison colony, now a tourist

attractionIn the interior: Stockmen (cowboys) live on stations (ranches)

and herd cattle—Queensland produces the most beefOff the northeast coast is the Great Barrier Reef pg. 551- the

largest coral formation in the world

Great Barrier Reef

Western PlateauDesert or semiarid grasslandFew scattered mountain rangesSouth Australia

Only state not settled by convictsAlong the Great Australian Bight Coast supports 98% of population, climate similar to

Mediterranean coastAdelaide is the capitalMajor industrial boom after WWII, leads the nation in

lumber, shipbuilding and produces the first Australian car : the Holden

Lake Eyre: Australia’s largest lake, lowest point on the continent, most rivers drain into it, dry most of the time though

The Outback- sparsely populated areas beyond the western cities, South Australia is the “gateway to the outback”, 2 main activities: mining and ranching

Western PlateauWestern Australia

Largest but most sparsely populated statePerth: Capital city—climate like Southern

California, 1000 miles from nearest city—finally in 1970 a transcontinental railroad was completed

Hamersley Range- known for iron oreGreat Victoria Desert and other desert areas

cover Western Australia

Northern TerritoryCapital: DarwinPopulation density: one person for every 5 sq. miles;

Doctors makes house calls, school is conducted by radioSimpson Desert- red sand, not even the hardiest

stockmen live there, called The Red Center of AustraliaAyers Rock- world’s largest monolith (free standing

rock) pg. 555The Aborigines-

“from the beginning”, tribes of dark skinned people from Asia

Speak more than 300 languages, but share basic culture Nomadic, only domestic animal: dingo (type of dog), weapons

(spear and boomerang) Superstitious religion guides every aspect of life Many were killed by settlers or died from diseases About 366,500 Aborigines exist today, in 1960s the

government gave them areas of land

II. New ZealandBeautiful, isolated island country1200 miles from Australia across Tasman SeaEconomy relies on agricultural exports- meat, wool and

dairy productsNatives call it the “land of the long white cloud” due to

common clouds and constant rainUnique flora and fauna

Kauri tree—largest tree in NZMonster birds or moa grow to 13 feet in height (now

extinct)Kiwi (wingless, long beak)

Historical BackgroundMaori- people from Polynesia (islands

north of NZ) were the first to discover the islands

Hunted the moas to extinctionFirst white settlers were escaped convicts

from Australia and deserters from British ships

In 1840, the Maori signed a treaty agreeing to the British monarchy as the government, later war broke out on the North island, the Maori power was defeated and the British colony began to grow

Today, part of the British commonwealth, has a representative government that answers to England

Geographic DivisionsNorth Island

Slightly smaller than South, but home to twice as many people

Known for scenic beauty and sheep stationsAuckland- largest city and seaportPacific Islanders have been immigrating in

large numbers and the Maori still live around Auckland

On the Ring of Fire—still active volcanoes in the center

Lake Taupo is NZ’s largest lake, fills the crater of a dormant volcano

Southern end of island is where the capital, Wellington is located

Cook Strait connects to South Island

Geographic DivisionsSouth Island

Known for country atmosphere and relaxed pace of life

Southern Alps dominate the West Coast- Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak

Canterbury Plains- east of the mountains, produce grains

Christchurch- largest city on the South Island, major industrial center, named after a college in England