CHAPTER 49CHAPTER 49“AUSTRALIA”“AUSTRALIA”

I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHYI. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHYA. LANDFORMS

1. Australia is the world’s smallest

continent.

2. It can be divided into three major

landform regions.

a. Western Plateau

b. Central Lowland

c. Eastern Highlands

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.

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.

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.

D. BIOGEOGRAPHY

1. Biogeography is the study of the

geographic distribution of plants and

animals.

2. Because of its island location, many

of Australia’s animals and plants are

found nowhere else in the world.

3. Australia is known for its marsupials,

such as the kangaroo and the koala.

4. More than 500 species of eucalyptus

are found in Australia.

a. More than 90 percent of Australia’s

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.

6. Managing Australia’s unique wildlife

is a source of concern and

controversy to the country’s 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, it’s the world’s

largest coral reef.

3. The Great Barrier Reef is the home to

the world’s greatest variety of ocean life.

II. ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHYII. ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHYA. Agriculture

1. Australia produces about 1/3 of the

world’s wool supply, which is mainly

exported to Japan and China.

2. Australia is the world’s 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.

4. Wheat is the nation’s major crop and

covers more than half of the cropland.

5. Australia’s 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.

4. Australia has vast uranium reserves.

5. Australia’s energy resources.

a. Produce about 70 percent of the

country’s oil.

b. Huge natural gas reserves

discovered off the northwest coast.

c. Most coal mining in eastern

Australia.

C. INDUSTRY

1. Most of Australia’s industries are now

in decline.

2. Service industries are becoming the

country’s major employer.

3. Tourism and entertainment are rapidly

growing industries.

D. ASIAN-PACIFIC CONNECTIONS

1. Asian countries make up Australia’s

largest market.

2. Japan is a major customer for crops,

meat, and minerals.

III. POPULATION GEOGRAPHYIII. POPULATION GEOGRAPHYA. URBAN GEOGRAPHY

1. More than 85% of all Australians live

in urban areas.

2. Australia’s cities are generally clean

and have low crime rates.

3. The country’s 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.

b. Melbourne is Australia’s second

largest city.

c. Brisbane is Australia’s 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.

C. ISSUES

1. Some Australians are opposed

to immigration growth, which

over the past 40 years helped

double the country’s population.

2. Environmental concerns such as

urban smog, mining, damming of

rivers, and forests destruction threaten

Australia’s unique environment.

3. Wind erosion of topsoil and salinity

have also become serious problems.

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)