CHAPTER 49
“AUSTRALIA”
I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
A. 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 humidtropical 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 GEOGRAPHY
A. 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 selfsufficient 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 GEOGRAPHY
A. 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)