Australia

Physical Geography

SS6G12, SS6G13

Essential Questions• What are the physical features of Australia

and where are they located?

• How has the geography of Australia impacted its population density?

• How does the factors of location, climate, access to water and natural resources affect where Australians choose to live and work? How do these factors affect trade?

Key Terms

• Marsupial- an animal that carries its young in a body pouch

• Coral- a rocklike material made up of the skeletons of tiny sea creatures

• Geyser – A hot spring that ejects a column of water into the air.

• Tectonic plate- a large piece of the Earth’s crust

What does the location mean?

• South of the Equator= seasons opposite of those in the U.S.

• Far from large landmasses

A Unique Environment

• Plants & Animals unique to the region.

–Biologically unique- Marsupials (Almost all mammals are marsupials in Australia)

–Kiwi & Yellow-eyed Penguin

Why So Unique?? • Tectonic Plates: – Australia & Oceania are part

of the Indo-Australia plate.– Once part of large landmass

that included Antarctica.– Moved NW in Pacific Ocean

• Wild life slowly changed, - Islands are isolated these living things did not spread to other regions

Where and Why do people live where they do?

• Most Australians live along Australia’s East & SouthEast coasts. Why?

• This plain has most fertile farmland & receives ample rain. Why?

• Moist winds from the Pacific Ocean bring rain & mild pleasant climate

• Also, the presence of the Murray & Darling rivers

• So where would most cities be located?

Great Dividing Range

• West of GDR is a rain shadow.

• People depend on wells for fresh water

• Outback= desert & grassland

Great Barrier Reef

• Tourism – The business of providing tours and services for tourists.

World’s Largest Coral Reef

• Located in the Coral Sea – NE Australia• Includes 2600 individual reefs, 900 islands, and an area of 133,000 square miles. • Became known to Europe 1770- Captain Cook

• # 1 destination for tourism, especially scuba divers, some popular areas suffered

major damage

Environmental Concerns

• Runoff– Several major cities along NE coast. – Large areas of coastal lands have been used for

agricultural & pastoral purposes. – Sediment & chemical runoff from farming – Loss of coastal wetlands which are natural filter – Results in 400 of 3000 reefs are within risk zone were

water quality has declined – Crown-of-Thorns starfish natural predator of corals,

dramatic in species caused by water quality

Environmental Concerns continued

• Global Warming – Many corals living at upper edge of temp.

tolerance. – This can lead to Coral Bleaching• Corals release photosynthesizing cells- turn white • If water doesn’t cool down w/in a month, coral dies

– Also brings about more violent tropical storms

So who takes care of GBR?

GBR Marine Park Authority

• Australian Government manages reef: zoning, management plans, permits, education used to conserve GBR

• 1981 selected as World Heritage Site • 2004, GBR Marine Park became largest

protected sea area in world. From 4.6% to 33.3%

Review• What are the physical features of Australia

and where are they located?• How has the geography of Australia

impacted its population density? • How does the factors of location, climate,

access to water and natural resources affect where Australians choose to live and work? How do these factors affect trade?