1. Australia’s Geography
SS6G12a. Locate on a …map: the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Ayers Rock, and Great Victoria Desert

2. E.Q.
How have Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources impacted it?

3. Vocabulary Outback: dry interior in Australia
Reef: area underwater built up by coral
Bush: remote outback
Coral: small sea animal that lives in colonies
Monolith: single, large rock
Aborigines: indigenous people of Australia
Life expectancy: average number of years a person in a country is expected to live

5. Australia
Australia…
Is the only country on the world’s smallest, flattest continent
Has the oldest, least fertile soils
Has less rain than everywhere but Antarctica
Includes mainland, island of Tasmania, & several other islands
Is surrounded by the Indian & Pacific Oceans

6. 4 Important Physical Regions
Great Barrier Reef
Coral Sea
Ayers Rock
Great Victoria Desert

7. Great Barrier Reef World’s largest coral reef
Off northeast coast of Australia
In the Coral Sea
Has world’s largest collection of coral
400 kinds of coral, 1500 species of fish, 4000 types of mollusks

8. Coral Sea Part of Pacific Ocean Plate tectonics created Coral Sea
Important source of Great Barrier Reef’s coral
Lots of uninhabited islands in Coral Sea claimed by Australia

9. Ayers Rock Monolith (large visible tip of massive underground rock)
12 stories tall (1100 feet)
6 miles in circumference
Made of sandstone – grey but rusts due to iron in rock
Sacred to Aborigines who call it Uluru

10. Great Victoria Desert southwest of Ayers Rock
Gets 8-10 inches of rain each year
Some grasslands, sand hills, & salt lakes
Named after Britain’s Queen Victoria
160,000 square miles
Mostly uninhabited

11. Australia’s Climate Dry across middle
North: tropical – rain forests, mangrove swamps, grassland, desert
Milder climate on southeast & southwest coasts – most people live here

12. Outback Largest part of Australia Mainly open country
Resource is mining

13. CRCT Test Prep pages
450. Which best describes the geography of Australia? Large semi-arid region with temperate climates in the southeastern coastal areas 451. Which statement describes a monolith? Visible tip of a massive underground rock 452. What is the main reason few people live in the Great Victoria Desert? It is too hot and dry

14. CRCT Test Prep pages
453. Where is the Great Barrier Reef? Coral Sea 454. What climate conditions are found in central Australia? Hot and dry

15. Some Indigenous Animals
cassowary
Long-nosed bandicoot
Red kangaroo
koala
Tree kangaroo
Wombat
Tasmanian Devil
Sugar Glider
Dingo

16. Location, Climate, and Natural Resources Affect Where People Live
GPS: SS6G13a, Describe how Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources have affected where people live.
E.Q.: How have Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources affected where people live?

17. Location: The “Land Down Under”
Australia lies about 2000 miles southeast of Asia.
It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on the east and the Indian Ocean on the west.
It is in the southern hemisphere below the equator.

18. Location Seasons are opposite of the United States.
Northern part of the country has a tropical climate because it is closer to the equator.
There are two seasons : wet and dry (winter is wet, and summer is dry and hot).

19. Location Deserts are hot and dry.
Nearly 80% of the people live in urban areas; 70% live in cities.
Southeast and southwest coasts are temperate; that is why most people live there.

20. Location
China is Australia’s leading trading partner because of its location.
It is expensive for people to visit Australia.
New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China make up most of the tourists. Most tourists come from New Zealand.

21. Outback Outback has many areas of grazing land.
Mining is an important industry.
Australia leads the world in the production of diamonds and lead. They also lead in bauxite which is used to make aluminum.
The minerals are in hard to reach areas.
Roads and railroads have to be built to reach these minerals.
Expensive equipment is needed to move the minerals to the cities.

22. Natural Resources: 1/3 of Australia’s Economy
Mining – exports more coal & iron ore than any other country; leads in mining bauxite, titanium, industrial diamonds; gold & silver
Arable land – grow enough grain, cotton, cattle to sell extra to other countries (Farming is important!)
Tourism – summer is December to March

23. CRCT Test Prep pages 181
463. Which nation’s citizens visit Australia more than any other? New Zealand 464. Which resource attracted thousands of immigrants to South Australia in the nineteenth century (1800s)? Gold

24. CRCT Test Prep pages 181
465. Which month is best for beachgoers in Sydney, Australia? December 466. Which nearby country is important to Australia for trade? China

25. Impact of English Colonization on the Language and Religion of Australia
GPS: SS6G14a. Explain the impact of English colonization on the language and religion of Australia.
E.Q.: How did English colonization impact the language and religion of Australia?

26. Australia’s Official Language: English
Colonized by Great Britain – colonists and prisoners spoke English
The gold rush brought settlers – mostly English speakers.

27. Australia’s Official Language: English
After independence from Great Britain in 1901, Australia passed laws to stop immigration from Africa and Asia.
The government only wanted immigrants that were of European ancestry.
Nowadays some people come from other countries but English is the official language.

28. Religion in Australia
1788 – Christianity was introduced when the British arrived.
The Irish convicts were mostly Catholic.
Other convicts & guards were mostly Anglican & Methodist.

29. Religion in Australia
European settlers – Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, & Baptist
Most today are Catholic or Anglican
Less than 5% are Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or Buddhist

30. CRCT Test Prep page 185
472. What religion did most of Australia’s Irish prisoners practice? Roman Catholic 473. Why did the Australian government restrict immigration after it became independent from Great Britain in 1901? It only wanted immigrants that were of European ancestry What language did the first European settlers speak in Australia? English

31. How the Literacy Rate Affects the Standard of Living
GPS: SS6G14b. Evaluate how the literacy rate affects the standard of living.
E.Q.: How does the literacy rate affect the standard of living?

32. Australia’s Literacy and Standard of Living
99% literacy rate (nearly all adult Australians can read and write)
One of the highest literacy rates and standards of living in the world
But it is worse for Aborigines – many are very poor, have poor health care, and a lower life expectancy.

33. CRCT Test Prep page 186
476. Which is an effect of a low literacy rate? The population has a lower standard of living Which is TRUE of the literacy rate in Australia? Nearly all adult Australians can read and write Which is TRUE about Australia’s standard of living? Australia has one of the highest standards of living in the world.