Australian Geography

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Australian Geography

• Standards
• SS6G12 The student will be able to locate
  selected features of Australia.
• a. Locate on a world and regional
  political-physical map the Great Barrier Reef,
  Coral Sea, Ayers Rock, and Great Victoria Desert.
• SS6G13 The student will explain the impact of
  location, climate, distribution of natural
  resources, and population distribution on
  Australia.
• a. Describe how Australias location, climate,
  and natural resources have affected where people
  live.
• b. Describe how Australias location, climate,
  and natural resources impact trade.
• SS6G14 The student will describe the cultural
  characteristics of people who live in Australia.
• a. Explain the impact of English colonization on
  the language and religion of Australia.
• b. Evaluate how the literacy rate affects the
  standard of living.

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Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea

• The Great Barrier Reef is the worlds largest
  coral reef.
• Coral reefs are made up of living organisms.
• They exist in the ocean.
• The Great Barrier Reef stretches over an area of
  almost 133,000 square miles.
• It is so vast that it can be seen from outer
  space.
• As the worlds largest living organism, the Great
  Barrier Reef has been labeled as one of the seven
  wonders of the world.
• It lies in the Coral Sea, off the northeast coast
  of Australia.

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Great Victorian Desert

• The Great Victorian Desert is in southern
  Australia.
• It is vast, barren region with many small lakes
  and grasslands.

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Ayers Rock

• Ayers Rock is a giant sandstone rock formation.
• It lies in central Australia.
• Ayers Rock has many waterholes, caves, and
  springs.
• The Aborigines believe Ayers Rock is sacred.

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The Outback

• Much of Australia is covered by the Australian
  Outback.
• It is a dry region that covers most of
  Australias interior.
• Temperatures in the Outback can be very hot.
• There is very little rain.
• Most of the soil is not good for farming.
• Harsh conditions and the lack of fertile farmland
  mean that very few people live in the Outback.

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Population

• Most Australians live in cities along Australias
  southeast coast.
• This is largely because of the mild, temperate
  climate the region offers.
• Due to rich mineral deposits, portions of
  northwest Australia are home to mining
  communities.
• Miners rely on these natural resources for
  income.
• The interior of the continent is dominated by the
  Outback.

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Trade and Resources

• Australias geography impacts trade.
• Because of its dry terrain and vast wilderness
  areas. Australia has historically had to import
  many of the agricultural products that it needs.
• International trade has long been a critical part
  of Australias survival.
• Since Australia is an island nation, it has to
  import most manufactured goods.

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Trade and Resources Continued

• Over the centuries, most Australians settled
  along the continents coast.
• These settlements served as important harbors and
  some of them grew into bustling cities.
• Towns also grew up further inland along
  Australias rivers.
• They provide the continent with what fertile land
  it has.
• Australia's rivers allow travel and permit inland
  farmers and businesses to ship products to the
  coast.
• Few Australians live in the Outback or other
  regions that offer very little water or access to
  trade.

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Australia's Culture

• Australias culture is very much like that of
  Western Europe or the United States.
• Many of the fashions, products, musical styles,
  movies, businesses, and leisure activities that
  exist throughout the western world can be found
  in Australia.

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British Culture

• Australia was once a British colony.
• British culture has greatly shaped the modern
  culture of Australia.
• English is the official language.
• The government is modeled after the United
  Kingdom.
• The king or queen of the United Kingdom still has
  symbolic role.
• Most Australians who follow a religion claim to
  be Christian.
• British missionaries introduced Christianity in
  the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries

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Aboriginal Culture

• Aboriginal cultures still exist in Australia.
• Aborigines are native Australians whose ancestors
  lived on the continent before Europeans arrived.
• Many Aboriginal citizens have adopted western
  customs (fashion, work in urban areas, go to
  universities, and have similar lifestyles)
• Other Aborigines live a more traditional
  existence.
• Many of the societies exist in the Outback, where
  the harsh climate and geography discourages
  Europeans from interfering with the native
  peoples way of life.

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Literacy

• Australias literacy rate is very high.
• Most Australians are well educated.
• The literacy rate is lower among Aborigines.
• Due to years of discrimination, there are still
  problems in the Aboriginal community, such as
  poverty, high rates of alcoholism, and lack of
  education.

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POP QUIZ
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Question 1

• The largest living organism in the world is
• The Aborigines
• Ayers Rock
• The Great Barrier Reef
• Found in the Outback

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Question 2

• Malcolm lives in a heavily populated city. There
  is a good chance Malcolm lives in
• The Great Victorian Desert
• Southeast Australia
• The Outback
• Northwest Australia