1. Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, & Antarctica

3. Australia & New Zealand
Introduction
Australia and New Zealand have been cut off from the Earth’s other landmasses for millions of years.
Australia – Huge, mostly flat, with several climates
New Zealand – Small, Mountainous, Uniform Climate.
An area the same size as the United States has a population smaller than New York cities 19.5 Million
Both are modern and industrialized countries
96% of trade to other countries is comprised of farming and mining economic activity

4. Australia The land “Down Under” – Why?
Entirely within the southern hemisphere.
The only continent that contains just one country.
The smallest continent in the world.
As a country it has the 6th largest land area.
Former colony of Great Britain, & has an Anglo – Saxon cultural background.

5. Australia Overview
Has more than 80% of the land area of the U.S. while only 10% of Australia is livable.
Largest fragment of Gonwanaland
(4.3 billion years old)
Land is mostly flat and dry; lowest overall elevation and relief of all Earth’s continents.
Most is dry climate – areas along the coasts have moister climates.

6. Australia’s North East coast
Great Barrier Reef, largest chain of coral in the world.

7. Australia’s Southern coast
Great Australian Bight
A bay of the Indian Ocean

8. Coastal plains Circle Australia & Northern Tasmania
Bass Strait separates Tasmania from Australia

9. Great Divide Wrapping around SE area of highlands
Forms the continental divide
Australian Alps
SE corner of country

11. Nullarbor Southern Shore Long wide plain Vast dry Tree Less Plateau
400 miles
Latin for “no tree”

12. Australian Highlands Four Main Highlands MacDonnell Ranges
The Flinders Range
Hamersley and Darling Ranges

13. MacDonnell Range
Arid center of the country

14. The Finders Range
Southern Coast

15. Hamersley and Darling Ranges
Separate part of western plateau from coastal lowlands.
No higher than 5,000 feet.

16. Australian Water No large river network Most rivers are like Wadis
Flow only after heavy rain
Shrink in dry seasons
Lakes in interior often become salt flats
Murray is chief river system
Artesian wells
2/3 southern part Australia have dry plateaus or deserts
Dry grazing lands with shrubs
6% land forested

17. Murray River System Drains from the Great Divide of the Darling Range
SE Australia
Largest farming area 6% arable

18. Artesian Wells Most of Australia’s water Great Artesian Basin
N. of Murray Basin
Drill into ground until water flows to the surface under its own pressure.

19. Australian Climate
The location near the Equator nearly all has dry climate
Center is desert
Rim around desert is steppe climate (short grasses and shrubs)
Closer to equator along northern coast
Area around Cookstown tropical monsoon climate
Eastern and Southern coasts moist, mild winter: Mediterranean Climate
Farther South – southern coast, middle latitude marine – summers hot with high humidity: winters warm / mild.
South eastern coast – Mediterranean climate (rain in winter

20. Economic & Cultural Patterns
1800s – British controlled Penal Colony
Imprisoned for everything from not paying bills to stealing bread.
Prison overcrowding in England
Prisoners where offered freedom if they moved to Australia

21. Australia: Colonial Period
6 States ruled as separate colonies
Victoria
New South Wales
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
1901 – Australian constitution unified colonies
Parliamentary (democracy) form of government (Commonwealth of Australia)
1911 – Northern Territory Added
1980s Capital territory added

22. Australian Economy GDP – Industry, Agriculture, Minning
Industry 36% - 25% of population employed in industry
Agriculture & Mining make up the majority of Australia’s economy
Land good for grazing – 58% of country is used for pasture livestock.
Livestock is raised on “Stations” or (ranches)
Major agg. product is wool 1/3 of the worlds
Major crop is Wheat grown in Murray basin
7th in the world in wheat production

24. Mineral Resources
1851 – farming economy changed with the discovery of gold
Australia has 90% of worlds Rutile/Zircon
Rutile – used in the production of titanium
Zircon – Jewelry
Large diamond and opal deposits
Exports more coal than any other country
Many resources untapped

26. Australia’s Cultural Patterns
First inhabitants were Aborigines
Crossed a land bridge from Asia
Brought the Dingo with them
40,000 Live on reservations(1% total Pop)
Population was small until the discovery of gold ( )

27. Aboriginal Lands

28. Population Distribution
Melbourne has the largest Italian population outside of Rome.
Two out of three people live on narrow plain along the East and SE coast
Largest cities – Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne
Sydney & Melbourne = 1/3 of Australia’s population
Western & Southern coast are Perth, Adelaide on southern coast (1 million people)

30. Australian History Aborigines – 40,000 years
Hunters & Gatherer nomads form Asia
Portuguese sailors may have been first to meet Aborigines
1600s Spanish/Dutch explored 1642 – Dutch explorer Abel Tasman – island
1770 – James Cook east coast of Australia: “Terra Australis Incognita” = Unknown southern land
1776 – British lost American colonies and began to settle Australia
First permanent European settlement – Sydney (Batony Bay)