Location & Trade Australia How Australia’s Location, Climate, and Natural Resources Impact Trade

SS6G13  The student will explain te impact of location, climate, distribution of natural resources, and population distribution on Australia. b. Describe how Australia’s location, and natural resources impact trade.

Location  China is Australia’s large neighbor to the north.  Its economic growth has a direct impact on the Australian economy.  Australia is the major supplier of natural resources to China.  China needs Australian minerals and metals for industries.

 About half of all Australian iron ore goes to China.  In return, China provides Australia with affordable finished goods, from cars to dishwashers.  Chinese investors are buying into Australian mining companies.

 Australia’s location makes it expensive for people to visit from other countries.  Most international tourists to Australia come from New Zealand.  After that, they mostly come from England, the United States, and China.

 Foreign tourists create about ¼ of Australia’s $81 billion tourist industry.  Australians themselves do the majority of tourism within their won country.  The country’s remote location in the Southern Hemisphere makes it expensive for Australians to leave their country to visit another one.

Climate  The Australian summer is from December to March…below is a list of seasonal changes…  Summer: December to March  Autumn: April to May  Winter: June to August  Spring: September to November

Santa arrives on the beach

 Tourists from the Northern Hemisphere often visit Australia’s warm and sunny beaches when it is cold in their homeland.  Summer is the rainy season in the tropical regions of the north.

 Tourists usually wait until spring or fall to visit the rural areas outside the cities (the bush) and the outback (the wilderness areas in the country’s interior).  That is because the weather is milder in spring and fall.

 The winter months of June through September are generally mild, but there are snowfields in the southern mountain regions.  In the non-desert regions, Australians grow grains in central inland Queensland, central New South Wales, inland Victoria, southeast Australia, and southwest Western Australia.

 Australia is developing its cotton industry, and it has a large beef cattle industry.  The Australian grains industry includes a range of different crops.  The most common field grains are wheat, barley, sorghum, and cereal rye.  Australians also export rice, chickpeas, lentils, and oilseeds, such as sesame seeds, canola, soybeans, and sunflowers.

Natural Resources  In the outback and across much of Australia, the ground is barren (has nothing growing on it). This is not ideal for farming.  However, many important natural resources lie below the continent’s surface.

 These resources include precious metals (gold and silver), uranium, coal, copper, and iron ore.  Australia exports more coal and iron ore than any other country.  Many industries use coal and iron ore.

 Australia leads in mining bauxite, titanium, and industrial diamonds.  No country has more reserves of lead, cadmium, or nickel.  Uses for bauxite: in cement, chemicals, face makeup, soda cans, dishwashers, siding for houses, and other aluminum products....

 Uses for titanium: Due to excellent resistance to sea water, it is used to make propeller shafts and rigging and in the heat exchangers of desalination plants...  Uses for cadmium: It is a poisonous metal and its use is somewhat limited for this reason. Like zinc, cadmium can be electroplated to other materials to protect them... Jan 13, Despite the risks, China manufacturers say their top priority is profit -- offering cut-rate goods often means using lower quality materials...

 Australia has exported nearly $400 billion worth of metals, minerals, and fuels in the past 20 years.  Natural resources account for 1/3 of the country’s economy.  Natural resources have always been important to Australian trade.

 In the mid-19 th century, Australia experienced a gold rush in its southern region.  Hundreds of thousands of speculators moved to Australia in search of gold.  Most of these immigrants arrived from England, Ireland, Germany, and China.  Uranium is a metal needed to make nuclear fuel. China and the U.S. are very interested in buying uranium from Australia.

Quiz Yourself 1. Which nation’s citizens visit Australia more than any other? a. China b. Great Britain c. New Zealand d. United States

2. Which resources attracted thousands of immigrants to South Australia in the nineteenth century? a. coal b. gold c. uranium d. iron ore

3. Which month is best for beachgoers in Sydney? a. June b March c. December d. September

4. Which nearby country is most important to Australia for trade? a. China b. New Zealand c. United Kingdom d. United States

5. Which month is the warmest month in Australia? a. January b. April c. June d. August