Mainland Australia is the most. Mainland Australia

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Origin of the name of the continent

Toponymy

The origin of the name of the continent is due to the fact that already in ancient times geographers formed a strong belief about the existence of southern hemisphere hypothetical landmass occupying a significant part of it. This continent was labeled differently on maps: Unknown Earth(Terra Incognita), Unknown Southern Land(Terra Australis Incognita), South Land(Terra Australis). In search of this continent, Dutch sailors in the 17th century. discovered the territory of modern Australia and separated it from the Southern continent called first Zuyland(“southern land”) and then New Holland. When, as a result of James Cook’s second circumnavigation of the world in 1772-1775, it became clear that the Southern Continent did not exist in the middle southern latitudes and, as Cook erroneously believed, did not exist in the high southern latitudes either, the name Australis, which had already become familiar on maps, turned out to be “free” " This was taken advantage of by the English navigator Matthew Flinders, who in 1814 proposed calling New Holland Terra-Australis or Australia. But his proposal was not immediately accepted, and only in 1817, the governor of the state of South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, began to use the name “Australia” in official documents and proposed to the Colonial Office British Empire accept, which was done in 1824.

Modern normative Russian name

The east coast of Australia is washed by the Coral and Tasman Seas of the Pacific Ocean, the northern, western and southern Indian Ocean, including the Timor Sea and the Arafura Sea. Near Australia are the large islands of New Guinea and Tasmania. Along the northeastern coast of Australia, the world's largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, stretches for more than 2000 km.

The extreme eastern point of Australia is Cape Byron ( 28°38′15″ S w. 153°38′14″ E. d.HGIO)
L Western - Cape Steep Point ( 153°38′14″ E. d.HGIO)
26°09′05″ S w. 113°09′18″ E. d. 153°38′14″ E. d.HGIO)
Northern - Cape York ( 10°41′21″ S w. 153°38′14″ E. d.HGIO), (if we consider the island of Tasmania as part of the continent, then the South East Cape 43°38′40″ S w. 153°38′14″ E. d.HGIO) .

146°49′30″ E. d.

Relief

Plains predominate. About 95% of the surface does not exceed 600 m above sea level. Western Australian Plateau - average heights 400-500 meters, with raised edges: in the east - the Musgrave Mountains (highest point - Mount Woodroffe, 1440 m) and the MacDonnell Range (highest point - Mount Zeal, 1511 m), in the north - Kimberley plateau (height up to 936 m), in the west - the flat-topped sandstone ridge of Hamersley (highest point - Mount Meharry, 1251 m), in the southwest - the Darling Range (highest point - Mount Cook, 571 m). Central lowland with prevailing altitudes up to 100 m above sea level. In the Lake Eyre area the lowest point is 16 m below sea level. In the southeast is the Mount Lofty ridge. The Great Watershed Range, medium-altitude, with flat tops, steep, turning into hilly foothills (downs) in the west. In the south in the Australian Alps, the highest point is Mount Kosciuszko, 2230 m.

Geological structure

At the heart of the continent is the old Australian Plate, which represents part of the Gondwana continent in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth.

Minerals

Australia is rich in a variety of mineral resources. The discoveries of mineral ores made on the continent over the past 10-15 years have brought the continent to one of the first places in the world in terms of reserves and production of minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, and lead-zinc ores.

The largest deposits of iron ore in Australia, which began to be developed in the 60s of the 20th century, are located in the Hamersley Range in the north-west of the mainland (the Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth, etc. deposits). Iron ore is also found in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron Knob, etc.).

Soils

In Australia, all types of soils characteristic of tropical, subequatorial and subtropical natural zones are represented in a natural sequence. In humid areas tropical forests

in the north, red soils are common, changing towards the south by red-brown and brown soils in wet savannas and gray-brown soils in dry savannas. Red-brown and brown soils containing humus, some phosphorus and potassium are valuable for agricultural use. The main wheat crops in Australia are located within the red-brown soil zone. In outlying areas(for example, in the Murray basin), where artificial irrigation is developed and a lot of fertilizers are used, grapes, fruit trees, and forage grasses are grown on gray soils.

In the ringed interior desert territories of semi-desert and especially steppe areas, where there is grass and in some places shrub-tree cover, gray-brown steppe soils are common. Their power is insignificant. They contain little humus and phosphorus, so when using them even as pastures for sheep and cattle, phosphorus fertilizers are required.

Water resources

The continent's water resources are limited. Australia is the continent with the poorest rivers. The rivers flowing from the eastern slopes are short, and in the upper reaches they flow in narrow gorges. Here they can well be used, and are partly already used for the construction of hydroelectric power stations. When entering the coastal plain, rivers slow down their flow and their depth increases.

Many of them in estuarine areas are even accessible to large ocean-going vessels. The flow volume and regime of these rivers are different and depend on the amount of precipitation and the time of its occurrence.

On the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, rivers originate and make their way through the interior plains. In the area of Mount Kosciuszko the most long river in Australia - Murray (2375 km). Its largest tributaries, the Murrumbidgee (1485 km), Darling (1472 km), Goulburn and some others, also originate in the mountains.

The Murray River and its channels are fed mainly by rain and to a lesser extent by snow. These rivers are fullest at the beginning of summer, when the snow melts in the mountains. In the dry season, they become very shallow, and some of the Murray's tributaries break up into separate standing reservoirs. Only the Murray and Murrumbidgee maintain a constant flow (except in exceptionally dry years). Even the Darling, Australia's third longest river, is lost in the sand during summer droughts and does not always reach the Murray. Almost all rivers of the Murray system have dams and dams built, around which reservoirs are created, where flood waters are collected and used to irrigate fields, gardens and pastures.

The rivers of the northern and western coasts of Australia are shallow and relatively small. The longest of these, the Flinders flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. These rivers have rain power, and their water content varies greatly in different time of the year.

Rivers whose flow is directed towards interior areas mainland, such as Cooper's Creek (Barku), Diamantina, etc., are deprived not only of a constant flow, but also of a permanent, clearly defined channel. In Australia, such temporary rivers are called " screams"(eng. creek). They are filled with water only during short rain showers. Soon after the rain, the river bed again turns into a dry sandy hollow, often without even a definite outline.

Most lakes in Australia, like rivers, are fed by rainwater. They have neither a constant level nor a drain. In summer, the lakes dry up and become shallow saline depressions. The layer of salt at the bottom sometimes reaches 1.5 m.

In the seas surrounding Australia they mine sea beast, catch fish. Edible oysters are bred in sea waters. In the warm coastal waters in the north and northeast, sea cucumbers, crocodiles and pearl mussels are fished. The main center of their artificial breeding is located in the peninsula area Koberg(Arnhem Land). It is here in warm waters Arafura Sea and Van Diemen Gulf, the first experiments were carried out to create special sediments. These experiments were carried out by one of the Australian companies with the participation of Japanese specialists. It was found that pearl mussels grown in the warm waters off the northern coast of Australia produce larger pearls than those off the coast of Japan, and in significantly more short term. Currently, the cultivation of pearl mussels has spread widely along the northern and partly northeastern coasts.

Australia's lakes, which are quite significant in number and size, are swamps for most of the year. To the north of Spencer Gulf (but not connecting to it) lies Lake Torrens, surrounded by sand dunes, having a circumference of 225 km. Even further north, 12 meters below sea level, is the largest Lake Eyre, and to the east of it Lake Gregory, which can be divided into several separate lakes. To the west of Lake Torrens lies on a plateau, rising 115 m, the large Lake Gairdner, which, like countless smaller lakes in the same area, is extremely abundant in salt and seems to have only recently separated from sea water. In general there are obvious signs the fact that the southern coast of the continent still continues to slowly rise from the sea waters.

Climate

Subequatorial belt

Subequatorial climate, characteristic of the northern and northeastern parts of the continent, is characterized by an even temperature variation (throughout the year average temperature air 23-24 °C) and big amount precipitation (from 1000 to 1500 mm, and in some places more than 2000 mm.). Precipitation is brought here by the humid northwest monsoon, and falls mainly in summer. In winter, during the dry period of the year, rain falls only sporadically. At this time, dry, hot winds blow from the interior of the continent, which sometimes cause droughts.

Tropical zone

In the tropical zone on the Australian continent, two main types of climate are formed: tropical wet and tropical dry. A tropical humid climate is characteristic of the extreme eastern part of Australia, which is within the zone of southeast trade winds. These winds bring moisture-saturated air masses from the Pacific Ocean to the mainland. Therefore, the entire area of the coastal plains and eastern slopes of the Greater Dividing Range is well moistened (on average 1000 to 1500 mm of precipitation falls) and has a mild warm climate(temperature itself warm month in Sydney - 22-25 °C, and the coldest - 11.5-13 °C). Air masses bringing moisture from the Pacific Ocean also penetrate beyond the Great Dividing Range, losing a significant amount of moisture along the way, so precipitation falls only on the western slopes of the ridge and in the foothills area.

Situated primarily in tropical and subtropical latitudes, where solar radiation is high, the Australian mainland is warming greatly. Due to the weak ruggedness of the coastline and the elevation of the outlying parts, the influence of the seas surrounding the mainland has little effect in the internal parts.

Australia is the driest continent on Earth, and one of the most characteristic features of its nature is the wide distribution of deserts, which occupy vast spaces and stretch for almost 2.5 thousand km from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.

The central and western parts of the continent are characterized by a tropical desert climate. In summer (December - February), average temperatures here rise to 30 °C, and sometimes higher, and in winter (June - August) they drop to an average of 10-15 °C. The hottest region of Australia is the north-west, where in the Great Sandy Desert the temperature remains at 35 °C and even higher almost all summer. In winter, it decreases slightly (to approximately 20-25 °C). In the center of the mainland, near the city of Alice Springs, in summer time year, the temperature during the day rises to 45 °C, at night it drops to zero and below (-4-6 °C).

The central and western parts of Australia, occupying about half of its territory, receive an average of 250-300 mm of precipitation per year, and the surrounding area of Lake Eyre receives less than 200 mm; but even these minor precipitations fall unevenly. Sometimes for several years in a row there is no rain at all, and sometimes the entire annual amount of precipitation falls in two or three days, or even in a few hours. Some of the water quickly and deeply seeps through the permeable soil and becomes inaccessible to plants, and some evaporates under the hot rays of the sun, and the surface layers of the soil remain almost dry.

Subtropical zone

Within the subtropical zone, three types of climate are distinguished: Mediterranean, subtropical continental and subtropical humid.

The Mediterranean climate is characteristic of the southwestern part of Australia. As the name suggests, the climate of this part of the continent is similar to the climate of the European Mediterranean countries - Spain and Southern France. Summers are hot and generally dry, while winters are warm and humid. Relatively small temperature fluctuations by season (January - 23-27 °C, June - 12-14 °C), sufficient precipitation (from 500 to 1000 mm).

Subtropical zone continental climate covers the southern part of the mainland adjacent to the Great Australian Bight, includes the environs of the city of Adelaide and extends somewhat further to the east, into the western regions of the state of New South Wales. The main features of this climate are a small amount of precipitation and relatively large annual temperature fluctuations.

Subtropical zone humid climate includes within its borders the entire state of Victoria and the southwestern foothills of the state of New South Wales. In general, this entire zone is characterized by a mild climate and a significant amount of precipitation (from 500 to 600 mm), mainly in the coastal parts (the penetration of precipitation deeper into the continent decreases). In summer, temperatures rise to an average of 20-24 °C, but in winter they drop quite significantly - to 8-10 °C. The climate of this part of the continent is favorable for growing fruit trees, various vegetables and forage grasses. True, to obtain high yields, artificial irrigation is used, since in summer period There is not enough moisture in the soil. In these areas, dairy cattle (grazing on fodder grasses) and sheep are raised.

The hot climate and insignificant and uneven precipitation over most of the continent lead to the fact that almost 60% of its territory has no flow to the ocean and has only a sparse network of temporary watercourses. No other continent has such a poorly developed network inland waters, like in Australia. The annual flow of all the continent's rivers is only 350 km³.

Vegetable world

Since the Australian mainland, starting from the mid-Cretaceous period, was isolated from other parts of the globe, its flora is very unique. Of the 12 thousand species of higher plants, more than 9 thousand are endemic, that is, they grow only on the Australian continent. Endemics include many species of eucalyptus and acacia, the most typical plant families of Australia. At the same time, there are also plants here that are characteristic of South America (for example, southern beech), South Africa (representatives of the Proteaceae family) and the islands of the Malay archipelago (ficus, pandanus, etc.). This indicates that many millions of years ago there were land connections between the continents.

Since the climate of most of Australia is characterized by extreme aridity, its flora is dominated by dry-loving plants: special grasses, eucalyptus trees, umbrella acacias, succulent trees (bottle tree, etc.). Trees belonging to these communities have a powerful root system, which goes 10-20, and sometimes 30 m into the ground, thanks to which they, like a pump, suck out moisture from great depths. The narrow and dry leaves of these trees are painted mostly in a dull gray-greenish color. Some of them have leaves facing the sun with their edges, which helps reduce the evaporation of water from their surface.

In the far north and northwest of the continent, where it is hot and the warm northwest monsoons bring moisture, tropical rainforests grow. Their tree composition is dominated by giant eucalyptus, ficus, palm trees, pandanus with narrow long leaves, etc. The dense foliage of the trees forms an almost continuous cover that shades the ground. In some places on the coast itself there are thickets

Australia is the smallest, driest and most sparsely populated continent on our planet. There is a lot that is unusual for us here: moving north it gets hotter, and moving south it gets colder. There are especially many plants and animals here that cannot be found on other continents. Australia is entirely located in the Southern Hemisphere (from the Latin austral - opposite, southern). On the mainland, the island of Tasmania and the small islands there is only one state - the Commonwealth of Australia. The capital is the city of Canberra.

Geographical position. History of discovery. Relief and minerals

The coasts of Australia, like those of Africa, are very slightly indented. There are few bays here; the most convenient of them are located in the southeast of the mainland, where large ports are located. The coastline of the northern coast is more indented. Australia is washed by the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Temperature conditions promote the growth of corals, which form strangely shaped limestone structures. Therefore, along the northeastern part of Australia, as if repeating the contours of the coastline, the world's largest coral reef, called the Great Barrier Reef, stretches for more than 2 thousand km.

Australia was discovered by Europeans later than other inhabited continents. Its discovery was hampered by its remoteness from Europe and isolation. Even ancient scientists assumed that there was land south of the Southern Tropic. This land was discovered by the Dutch. In the first half of the 17th century. they already knew almost the entire northern, western and southwestern coast of the mainland. The expedition of the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was of great importance for the knowledge of Australia. He explored the northern and northwestern shores of the mainland and discovered in 1642 an island that was later named after him - Tasmania.

The east coast of Australia was discovered in the second half of the 16th century. the largest English navigator and explorer J. Cook. As a result of Cook's research, the legend about the existence of a large southern continent was finally rejected and it was proven that Australia is an independent continent, and not part of the unknown Antarctic continent, as previously thought.

From the end of the 15th century. the development of Australia begins. The English government first exiled criminals to Australia, as a result of which the city of Sydney arose in the southeast of the mainland as a convict colony.

The attention of Europeans in Australia was also attracted by good pastures that could be used for raising livestock. Therefore, the study of the interior of the continent began with the search for pastures and water for the livestock of European settlers. In connection with the discovery of the richest gold deposits in the middle of the 19th century. Many “seekers of happiness” flocked to Australia. England declared the entire continent its colony.

The relief of Australia, like Africa, is relatively simple. At its base lies the Australian Plate. In the east of the continent there are heavily destroyed, low mountains of ancient folding - the Great Watershed Range. Faults and river valleys divide the mountains into separate massifs. Their tops, as a rule, have a dome-shaped shape. The eastern slopes of the mountains drop steeply to the sea, the western slopes are more gentle. In the extreme southeast the mountains reach their greatest heights. IC to the west the surface decreases and the mountains pass into the Central Lowland, which is covered with a thick layer of sedimentary deposits.

The western part of the continent is elevated. There is a vast plateau 400-600 m high, on which in some places low, bizarrely shaped mountains rise, their bases “buried” in rubble and sand. Australia is the only continent without active volcanoes and modern glaciation.

In the process of development, the continent experienced uplifts, subsidences and faults. As a result of troughs and faults, a significant part of the land sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and the islands of New Guinea and Tasmania separated.

Australia is rich in all the major minerals needed for industrial development and Agriculture: coal, deposits of which are found mainly in the southeast of the continent in sedimentary rocks, various ores. There is also oil and natural gas.

Climate

You already know that most of Australia is in tropical zone Therefore, a tropical dry climate prevails there. Only 1/3 of the territory receives sufficient or excessive rainfall. Australia experiences higher temperatures and less rainfall than South Africa. What explains this? The considerable extent of the continent from west to east, due to which continental air masses are formed in Australia. The low altitude of the continent above ocean level is also important.

How is precipitation distributed on the mainland? To do this you can look at climate map and use conventional signs to find out how much precipitation falls and where. But in order to explain the reasons for the distribution of precipitation, it is necessary to remember which air masses and which winds prevail in each climate zone. Northern Australia is in subequatorial belt, a subequatorial climate is formed here, just like a similar climate in Africa. You know the formation of a dry tropical climate. In the east of the tropical and subtropical zones there are areas of humid climate. The eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range are under the influence of sea waters all year round. air masses coming from the Pacific Ocean. The saturation of air with moisture increases under the influence of warm ocean currents. Therefore, heavy rainfall falls on the mountain slopes. The south of the mainland is located in the subtropical zone.

There are no large deep rivers in Australia. More than half of the continent's area does not drain into the ocean. The internal desert and semi-desert parts of the continent are characterized by a network of temporary drying rivers - creeks. Full-flowing rivers throughout the year are found only in the east of Australia, where there is a lot of rainfall. Naturally, the rivers are fed only by rain and from groundwater.

Australia's largest river system is the Murray major influx Darling. These rivers originate on the Great Dividing Range. In the lower reaches of the Darling, during droughts it dries out and breaks up into separate reservoirs. Murray does not dry out, but its level changes dramatically. During rains, the river floods heavily across the flat plain. High water on the Murray usually comes quickly and does not last long.

Due to sharp fluctuations in water levels on the Murray and Darling, navigation on them is difficult. River waters are used to irrigate fertile but arid lands. For this purpose, reservoirs were built on them.

Most of Australia's lakes have no drainage and are saline. Many lakes are filled with water only during the wet season. The largest of them is Lake Eyre, which lies 12 m below sea level. During the rains, the cries flowing into the lake bring a lot of water, it overflows, and its area increases greatly. In the dry season, Eyre breaks up into small bodies of water, and the dry areas are covered with a crust of salt.

The lack of surface water is partially compensated by large reserves of groundwater that accumulate in artesian basins. Artesian waters contain quite a lot of salts.

Natural areas. The originality of the organic world

If you compare the distribution of natural zones in Australia and Africa, you will find that in Australia, as well as in Africa, a large area is occupied by savannah and tropical desert zones. Tropical deserts and semi-deserts are located in the central and western parts of the continent. Savannas border this zone from the north, east, southeast and southwest.

Although Australia has the same natural zones as South Africa and Madagascar, except for the areas of altitudinal zonation, the organic world here is completely different. Nature has created a huge reserve in Australia, where many plants and animals have been preserved, similar to those that inhabited the Earth in ancient times and disappeared on other continents. Species composition plants and animals are distinguished by their poverty and originality. This is explained by the fact that Australia and the adjacent islands have long been separated from other continents. The organic world developed in isolation for a long time. Up to 75% of the mainland's plant species are found only in Australia. These include many species of eucalyptus, which are very diverse. There are giant eucalyptus trees, more than 100 m high. The roots of such trees go 30 m into the ground and, like powerful pumps, pump out moisture from it. There are low-growing eucalyptus and bush eucalyptus. Eucalyptus trees are well adapted to arid climates. Their leaves are located edge-on to the sunlight, the crown does not shade the soil, so eucalyptus forests are light. Eucalyptus trees have hardwood that is a good building material. And their leaves are used to produce oils, paints, and medicines.

In addition to eucalyptus trees, Australia is characterized by acacias and casuarinas with leafless thread-like branches, which are not found on other continents.

In subequatorial forests, among tall grasses, along with other trees (palms, ficuses, etc.), peculiar bottle trees grow - with a trunk thick at the base, sharply tapering at the top. Feature subtropical forests - the dominance of various types of eucalyptus trees intertwined with vines, many tree ferns.

In the interior desert areas, thickets of dry bushes are common, consisting mainly of low-growing thorny acacias and eucalyptus trees. Such thickets are called scrub. There is almost no vegetation on moving sandy ridges and rocky placers. In contrast to Africa, Australia does not have oases, but the deserts do not look as lifeless as, for example, the Sahara.

Animal world Australia is also very unique. Only here live the most primitive mammals - the echidna and the platypus. They are interesting because they hatch their young from eggs and feed them milk, like mammals. There are many marsupials in Australia. Their cubs are born very small, and the mother carries them to term in a pouch, which is a fold of skin on the abdomen.

The vast majority of marsupial families are unique to Australia. Among them, the kangaroo family is especially common. Giant kangaroos reach 3 m. There are dwarf kangaroos, 30 cm in size. Wombats, reminiscent of marmots, are also found here. In eucalyptus forests you can find the marsupial koala bear. It lives in trees and leads a sedentary nocturnal lifestyle; it is also called the Australian sloth. A very rare predator has survived on the island of Tasmania - the marsupial devil.

The world of birds is rich, diverse and also unique. Especially a lot of parrots. In the forests there is a beautiful bird, the lyrebird, birds of paradise with bright plumage, in dry savannas and semi-deserts - the emu. There are lizards, poisonous snakes, and crocodiles live in the waters of Northern Australia.

Australians love and care for the nature of their continent. They pay a lot of attention to the protection of plants and animals and their study. The emu and kangaroo are depicted on the country's national emblem, and the echidna, platypus, and lyrebird are depicted on Australian coins.

Commonwealth of Australia

The modern population of Australia consists of an indigenous minority and settlers who now form the bulk of it. Indigenous people Australians - the aborigines - belong to the Negroid-Australoid race and have a dark brown skin color, wavy black hair, a wide nose, and strongly protruding eyebrows.

Scientists suggest that they got here from South-East Asia. Before the arrival of Europeans, Australians were at a very low level of development. The aborigines did not engage in agriculture or cattle breeding, did not know how to make fabrics, and did not know metals. They lived by hunting and gathering, were well versed in nature and led a nomadic lifestyle.

The newcomer population includes descendants of Europeans, almost exclusively English - Anglo-Australians who speak English.

About 19 million people live in Australia. Among other continents, Australia stands out for its very low population density. The population is distributed extremely unevenly across the continent. Almost all of it is concentrated on the eastern, southeastern and partly southwestern outskirts of the continent, where natural conditions are better. The population here consists of Anglo-Australians. Inland Australia and the entire north are sparsely populated. Mostly Aboriginal people live here.

Before colonization, the entire population of the mainland was indigenous. They were located in the east and southeast of Australia, where natural conditions are more favorable for human life. After Europeans arrived on the mainland and in connection with the development of sheep farming, the indigenous inhabitants began to be pushed inland - into arid areas, dooming them to starvation. In addition, the Europeans brutally exterminated the Australians, killed them, poisoned their food and water in their wells. The number of indigenous people on the mainland fell sharply from 310 thousand to 50 thousand people.

The Aborigines lived in squalid conditions on reservations (areas set aside for the forced settlement of indigenous people) located in desert areas. They were completely powerless, had no right to live in cities or participate in public life. The world-famous self-taught artist Namajira, whose paintings were highly valued in many countries, did not have the right to attend exhibitions of his works. Today, Australian Aborigines have become legally equal citizens of their country. It is important that the aborigines have stopped dying out and their numbers continue to grow. Mixed marriages appeared, which did not exist before. Some Aboriginal people work on farms as farm laborers as shepherds and workers. Others continue to live the lifestyle of semi-vagrant hunters and gatherers. Australians make their homes from grass, branches and earth. The food obtained is divided equally among the tribe members by the elders. No preference is given to the hunter who killed the animal. Various rituals contribute to the education of honest, courageous members of the tribe who are not afraid of difficulties.

The leading place in the economy of the Commonwealth of Australia belongs to industry, in which all sectors are well developed. A mining industry has developed here based on a variety of minerals. Mechanical engineering is developing rapidly in the country, chemical industry, as well as food: butter making, cheese making, production of canned food (dairy, meat, vegetables, fruit).

Agriculture is also well developed. Anglo-Australian farmers own large tracts of land. They use machinery, fertilizers, and hired labor, which results in high yields and profits. The leading sector in agriculture belongs to pasture livestock farming - sheep breeding. Australian merino sheep produce over half of the world's total harvest. In areas with low rainfall, sheep's main food consists of drought-resistant grasses and shrubs. Sheep here graze on natural pasture throughout the year. In the southeast of the country, sheep are grazed in areas sown with forage grasses.

Many sheep farms are sparsely populated. As helpers, farmers use a specially bred breed of dog, the Kelpie, which was brought back from Scotland in the last century. Kelpie can replace three workers. She skillfully handles the herd, but will never harm the sheep. Droughts, fires, and floods cause great damage to sheep farming.

Cattle, mainly purebred cows, are raised mainly in the north and east of the country, where there is sufficient rainfall.

Wheat occupies a leading place among agricultural crops. Wheat fields are located in the southeast and southwest of the country. On the coastal plains of the subequatorial and tropical parts of the country, pineapples, bananas, sugar cane, etc. are grown. There are many gardens on irrigated lands not far from large cities.

The seas surrounding Australia are of great importance in the country's economy. They fish here, raise pearl mussels and edible oysters. Fishing for sea turtles is underway. Australia has no land connections with other countries. All its cities, with few exceptions, are major seaports. Through them, along with air communications, trade and cultural relations with countries of other continents are carried out.

The Aborigines were very careful about nature. The nature of Australia has changed most quickly and dramatically since the colonization of the mainland and with the further economic activities of the Anglo-Australians. Many animals have been exterminated as a result of hunting and changes in their living conditions. The densely populated eastern, south-eastern and south-western parts of Australia are most affected. Valuable trees are cut down here. Significant areas cleared of forest are used as pastures for dairy cattle.

In the past, dry woodlands and shrubs are now occupied by wheat fields, vineyards, and olive tree plantings.

The appearance of the arid, sparsely populated central and western parts of the continent also changed. The best plots are divided into rectangular areas fenced with wire fences - pastures for livestock. In connection with the development of industry, automobile and railways, power lines. New species have appeared in the flora and fauna of Australia. Plants (poplar, oak, etc.) and animals brought from Europe, such as wild dingoes and rabbits, quickly spread, which suppresses the local organic world. Thus, rabbits and sheep contributed to a significant decrease in marsupials, as they used the same pastures.

Australians strive to preserve the uniqueness of the organic world. To this end, there are laws prohibiting the import of plants and animals, and the export of rare local species is strictly controlled. To preserve natural complexes and save endangered rare plants and animals were created in significant numbers National parks and nature reserves.

(-28.6375 , 153.637222 28°38′15″ S w. / 153°38′14″ E. d. 28.6375° S w. 153.637222° E. d. -26.151389 , 113.155 (G) / ), western - Cape Steep Point ( 28.6375° S w. 26°09′05″ S w. -10.689167 , 142.530556 113°09′18″ E. d. / 26.151389° S w. 28.6375° S w. 113.155° E. d. -39.138889 , 146.373889 ), northern - Cape York ( / 10°41′21″ S w. 28.6375° S w. 142°31′50″ E. d. -43.644444 , 146.825 10.689167° S w. / 142.530556° E. d. 28.6375° S w.).

146°49′30″ E. d.

), southern - Cape South Point (

Plains predominate. About 95% of the surface does not exceed 600 m above sea level. Western Australian Plateau - average heights 400-500 meters, with raised edges: in the east - the Musgrave Mountains (highest point - Mount Woodroffe, 1440 m) and the MacDonnell Range (highest point - Mount Zeal, 1511 m), in the north - Kimberley plateau (height up to 936 m), in the west - the flat-topped sandstone ridge of Hamersley (highest point - Mount Meharry, 1251 m), in the southwest - the Darling Range (highest point - Mount Cook, 571 m). Central lowland with prevailing altitudes up to 100 m above sea level. In the Lake Eyre area the lowest point is 16 m below sea level. In the southeast is the Mount Lofty ridge. The Great Watershed Range, medium-altitude, with flat tops, steep, turning into hilly foothills (downs) in the west. In the south in the Australian Alps, the highest point is Mount Kosciuszko, 2230 m.

The continent's territory is based on the old Australian Plate, which represents part of the Gondwana continent in the southern hemisphere of the Earth.

Climate

Subequatorial belt

The subequatorial climate, characteristic of the northern and northeastern parts of the continent, is characterized by an even temperature range (average air temperature throughout the year is 23-24 ° C) and a large amount of precipitation (from 1000 to 1500 mm, and in some places more than 2000 mm). Precipitation is brought here by the humid northwest monsoon, and falls mainly in summer. In winter, during the dry period of the year, rain falls only sporadically. At this time, dry, hot winds blow from the interior of the continent, which sometimes cause droughts.

Tropical zone

The rivers of the northern and western coasts of Australia are shallow and relatively small. The longest of these, the Flinders flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. These rivers are fed by rain, and their water content varies greatly at different times of the year.

Rivers whose flow is directed to the interior of the continent, such as Coopers Creek (Barku), Diamantina, etc., lack not only a constant flow, but also a permanent, clearly defined channel. In Australia, such temporary rivers are called " screams"(English) creek). They are filled with water only during short rain showers. Soon after the rain, the river bed again turns into a dry sandy hollow, often without even a definite outline.

In the seas surrounding Australia, sea animals are hunted and fished. Edible oysters are bred in sea waters. In the warm coastal waters in the north and northeast, sea cucumbers, crocodiles and pearl mussels are fished. The main center for artificial breeding of the latter is located in the area of the Koberg Peninsula (Arnhem Land). It was here, in the warm waters of the Arafura Sea and Van Diemen Bay, that the first experiments on the creation of special sediments were carried out. These experiments were carried out by one of the Australian companies with the participation of Japanese specialists. It has been found that pearl mussels grown in the warm waters off the northern coast of Australia produce larger pearls than those off the coast of Japan, and in a much shorter time. Currently, the cultivation of pearl mussels has spread widely along the northern and partly northeastern coasts.

Australia's lakes, which are quite significant in number and size, are swamps for most of the year. To the north of Spencer Gulf (but not connecting to it) lies Lake Torrens, surrounded by sand dunes, having a circumference of 225 km. Even further north, 12 meters below sea level, is the largest Lake Eyre, and to the east of it Lake Gregory, which can be divided into several separate lakes. To the west of Lake Torrens lies on a plateau, rising 115 m, the large Lake Gairdner, which, like countless smaller lakes in the same area, is extremely abundant in salt and seems to have only recently become separated from sea water. In general, there are clear signs that the southern coast of the continent is still slowly rising from the sea waters.

Vegetable world

Since the Australian continent for a long time, starting from the mid-Cretaceous period, was isolated from other parts of the globe, its flora is very unique. Of the 12 thousand species of higher plants, more than 9 thousand are endemic, that is, they grow only on the Australian continent. Endemics include many species of eucalyptus and acacia, the most typical plant families of Australia. At the same time, there are also plants here that are native to South America (for example, southern beech), South Africa (representatives of the Proteaceae family) and the islands of the Malay Archipelago (ficus, pandanus, etc.). This indicates that many millions of years ago there were land connections between the continents.

Since the climate of most of Australia is characterized by extreme aridity, its flora is dominated by dry-loving plants: special cereals, eucalyptus trees, umbrella acacias, succulent trees (bottle tree, etc.). Trees belonging to these communities have a powerful root system, which goes 10-20, and sometimes 30 m into the ground, thanks to which they, like a pump, suck out moisture from great depths. The narrow and dry leaves of these trees are painted mostly in a dull gray-greenish color. Some of them have leaves facing the sun with their edges, which helps reduce the evaporation of water from their surface.

Rain forests in the form of narrow galleries they stretch for relatively short distances inland along river valleys. The further south you go, the drier the climate becomes and the more intense the hot breath of the deserts is felt. Forest cover is gradually thinning. Eucalyptus and umbrella acacias are located in groups. This is a zone of wet savannas, stretching in a latitudinal direction to the south of the tropical forest zone. In appearance, savannas with sparse groups of trees resemble parks. There is no shrub growth in them. Sunlight freely penetrates through a sieve of small leaves of trees and falls on the ground covered with tall, dense grass. Forested savannas are excellent pastures for sheep and cattle.

The central deserts of the mainland, where it is very hot and dry, are characterized by dense, almost impenetrable thickets of thorny low-growing shrubs, consisting mainly of eucalyptus and acacia trees. In Australia these thickets are called scrub. In some places the scrub is interspersed with vast, devoid of vegetation sandy, rocky or clayey desert areas, and in some places with thickets of tall turfy grasses (spinifex).

The eastern and southeastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, where there is a lot of rainfall, are covered with dense tropical and subtropical evergreen forests. Most of these forests, as elsewhere in Australia, are eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees are valuable industrially. These trees are unrivaled in height among hardwood species; some of their species reach 150 m in height and 10 m in diameter. Wood growth in eucalyptus forests is high and therefore they are very productive. There are also a lot of tree-like horsetails and ferns in the forests, reaching 10-20 m in height. At their top, tree ferns bear a crown of large (up to 2 m in length) feathery leaves. With their bright and fresh greenery, they somewhat enliven the faded bluish-green landscape of eucalyptus forests. Higher in the mountains there is a noticeable admixture of damarra pines and beech trees.

The shrub and grass cover in these forests is varied and dense. In less humid variants of these forests, the second layer is formed by grass trees.

In the southwest of the mainland, forests cover the western slopes of the Darling Range, facing the sea. These forests consist almost entirely of eucalyptus trees, reaching considerable heights. The number of endemic species here is especially high. In addition to eucalyptus trees, bottle trees are widespread. They have an original bottle-shaped trunk, thick at the base and sharply tapering at the top. During the rainy season, large reserves of moisture accumulate in the trunk of trees, which are consumed during the dry period. The undergrowth of these forests contains many shrubs and herbs, full of bright colors.

Generally forest resources Australia is small. total area forests, including special plantations consisting mainly of softwood species (mainly radiata pine), accounted for only 5.6% of the continent's territory at the end of the 1970s.

The first colonists did not find plant species characteristic of Europe on the mainland. Subsequently, European and other species of trees, shrubs and grasses were introduced to Australia. Grapes, cotton, grains (wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn, etc.), vegetables, many fruit trees, etc. are well established here.

Animal world

Australia's animal diversity is small: only 235 species of mammals, 720 birds, 420 reptiles and 120 amphibian species are known to live on the continent and adjacent islands.

The largest deposits of iron ore in Australia, which began to be developed in the 60s of the 20th century, are located in the Hamersley Range in the north-west of the mainland (the Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth, etc. deposits). Iron ore is also found in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron Knob, etc.).

Soils

In the area of tropical rainforests in the north, red soils are common, changing towards the south to red-brown and brown soils in wet savannas and gray-brown soils in dry savannas. Red-brown and brown soils containing humus, some phosphorus and potassium are valuable for agricultural use. The main wheat crops in Australia are located within the red-brown soil zone.

In the marginal regions of the Central Plains (for example, in the Murray Basin), where artificial irrigation is developed and a lot of fertilizers are used, grapes, fruit trees, and forage grasses are grown on sierozem soils.

At the heart of the continent is the old Australian Plate, which represents part of the Gondwana continent in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth.

Australia is rich in a variety of mineral resources. New discoveries of mineral ores made on the continent over the past 10-15 years have propelled the continent to one of the first places in the world in terms of reserves and production of minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, and lead-zinc ores.

Australia's largest iron ore deposits, which began to be developed in the 60s of the 20th century, are located in the Hamersley Range in the north-west of the mainland (Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth, etc. deposits). Iron ore is also found in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron Knob, etc.).

Large deposits of polymetals (lead, zinc with an admixture of silver and copper) are located in the western desert part of the state of New South Wales - the Broken Hill deposit. An important center for the extraction of non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, zinc) developed near the Mount Isa deposit (in Queensland). Copper deposits are also found in Tennant Creek ( Northern Territory) and in other places.

Notes

Literature

Regions of the world

How is the continent of Australia located relative to other continents? The question is quite relevant for students in general education institutions, because absolutely everyone studies or has studied geography. Today, not even all adults know the answer to this question - some often skipped school, while others simply were not interested in it. Let's figure out what interesting facts are associated with this continent, what geographical location it has and why it is so loved by the population of our entire planet.

The "southern land" hypothesis and the discovery of Australia

The first mentions of Australia go back to ancient times. Then people were sure that beyond the equator to the south there was a continent of enormous size. On homemade maps, the geographical accuracy of which was only hypothetical, they often indicated a large area of land. They called it Terra Australis, which translated from Latin language means "southern land". When James Cook opened it up to everyone new land, the myths about the incredibly large area of the mainland have been dispelled. The assumptions turned out to be extremely inaccurate, because Australia is the smallest continent on the planet.

Why Australia is considered the most mysterious place on the planet

When talking about Australia, since ancient times it has become customary to use the term “most”. After all, Australia is the smallest, warmest and most mysterious continent on earth. And this is not all of his descriptions! Discussions about Australia can simply last for hours, because it is the most amazing and exotic continent on the world map. How What are the advantages of its geographical location? Why is this continent considered mysterious? Let's figure this out!

Description of geographical location

The continent of Australia is located in two earthly hemispheres - the Southern and Eastern. Numerous archipelagos of Pacific waters, combined with Australian lands, form an entire part of the world, which is commonly called “Australia and Oceania”.

How is the continent of Australia located relative to other continents?

From Eurasia in the southeast (from Cape Piai in southern Asia to the coast of Australia - 3000 km).
From North America in the southwest (from the capital of the United States to the capital of Australia, the distance is 16 thousand kilometers “Washington-Canberra”).
From South America in the east (the shortest distance to Australia is 14.5 thousand kilometers).
Relative to Antarctica (the shortest distance to Australia is 3100 km) - to the north.
Relative to Africa - to the east (at latitude 30° south, the distance between South Africa and Australia is about 6 thousand kilometers).

The most remarkable feature of this continent is that it is quite compact and maximally isolated from all other continents. Australia is located significantly below the equator (to the south), so it is not “eternal summer” across the entire continent - the northern part is sunnier and warmer, while the southern part is quite changeable.

The geographical position of the Australian mainland is very unique: its closest neighbor is Eurasia, which is not so close. The closest point of Eurasia to Australia is (the southernmost point of Asia), the distance from which to the Australian shores is about three thousand kilometers!

The coastal zone of Australia is washed by two oceans at once - the Indian and Pacific. The nearest large islands are Tasmania (south) and New Guinea (north). From the east and north, the mainland is washed by the following Pacific seas: Timor, Coral, Arafura and Tasman.

How long is the continent of Australia?

Let's find out about this too. The length of the continent of Australia from north to south is about 3.2 thousand kilometers, from west to east - 4000 kilometers. The continent's coastline (not including nearby islands) is about 35,900 kilometers. The total area of the continent is 7,659,861 square kilometers.

Extreme points of mainland Australia (excluding south island Tasmnaiya):

East: 28°38′16″ S latitude 153°38′15″ E. longitude (Cape Byron).
West: 26°09′06″ S latitude 113°09′17″ E. longitude (Cape Steep Point).
North: 10°41′22″ S latitude 142°31′51″ E. longitude
South: 39°08′20″ south. latitude 146°22′27″ E. longitude (Cape South East Point).

The soil structure of the Australian land is quite unique; it naturally contains all types of soils that are typical for tropical, subequatorial and subtropical zones. The mainland, by its nature, has many plains, thanks to which the agricultural industry flourishes in the state of the same name. Australia is famous for its grapes, fruitful trees and fodder crops.

Australia is the world's poorest continent water resources. The majority of rivers and lakes in Australia are replenished only by rainwater. Rivers, as a rule, are fickle - their water level changes frequently from time to time and there is no flow. During the summer, the lakes dry out, thereby forming shallow saline soils (a type of soil characterized by the presence of salt in top layer) depressions. Sometimes the salt at the bottom forms a layer of one and a half to two meters.

Features of flora and fauna

How is the continent of Australia located relative to other continents? The peculiarities of the geographical location of this continent can be determined immediately by looking at world map. It is generally accepted among geographers and scientists that Australia is the first continent that, millions of years ago, literally “separated” from a single continental crust (a continuous land that was not divided into continents). This explains the fact of the isolation and uniqueness of the flora and fauna on the continent. Australia's fauna is 75 percent endemic. Such animals are considered to be the koala, platypus, Tasmanian devil and, no matter how traditional it is for the Australian terrain, a kangaroo!

What you didn't know about Australia yet

The amazing island of Tasmania is one of the most popular for tourism, because Tasmanian air is considered the cleanest on the planet.
South Australia is the best country in the world for growing a variety of crops, which is why it is home to a farm larger than Belgium.
adores almost every restaurant or cafe on the menu there are many dishes in which this ingredient is found.
Australia's coral reefs are recognized as the most picturesque on the planet, one of them is considered the largest in the world (Australian Great Barrier Reef);
The Australian Wall, 5,700 kilometers long, is the second longest in the world (after the Chinese Wall), and protects Queensland from the invasion of wild dogs (dingoes).
The Australian Alps are covered with large layers of snow, much more than the Swiss Alps.
Despite the fact that the Australian climate is quite warm, local people really like to wear closed shoes - UGG boots (hence the trend of their popularity around the world). Australians prefer to feel warm in their homes, which have little protection from the cold ( cold weather They consider the air temperature to drop to +15..+25 degrees Celsius).

In the article we presented a description of the geographical location of the Australian mainland and many interesting facts about it.

Australia is the smallest continent in the world, located in the southern hemisphere. The area of Australia with its islands is less than 8 million square meters. km, population is about 23 million people.

The western and southern coasts of the continent are washed by the Indian Ocean, the northern by the Timor and Arafura Seas of the Indian Ocean, and the eastern by the Coral and Tasman Seas of the Pacific Ocean. The extreme points of Australia: in the north - Cape York, in the west - Cape Steep Point, in the south - Cape South-East, in the east - Cape Byron. Distance from extreme northern to extreme southern points The mainland is 3200 km, from western to eastern – 4100 km. The Great Barrier Reef stretches parallel to the eastern coast for 2,300 km.

The coast of the mainland is slightly indented. There are large Gulfs of Great Australia in the south and Carpentaria in the north. In the northern part of Australia there are two peninsulas with largest area, Cape York and Arnhem Land. This continent includes the adjacent islands - Tasmania, Melville, Kangaroo, etc.

The continent lies on the ancient Australian platform, which passes into the East Australian fold belt. The average height of Australia is 215 m above sea level, with most of the continent's territory occupied by plains and up to 95% of the territory located below 600 m. In the eastern part of the continent, the Great Dividing Range stretches along the coast, which includes several flat-topped mountain systems. In the western part of the continent there is a plateau up to 500 m high with table mountains and ridges, in the central part there is a lowland with large lake Air. On the mainland there are deposits of minerals such as hard and brown coal, copper, iron ore, bauxite, titanium, polymetallic and uranium ores, diamonds, gold, natural gas, oil.

The main part of Australia is located in the tropical climate zone, the northern regions are in the equatorial zone (with a hot climate and frequent summer rains), the southern regions are in the subtropics (with predominant precipitation in winter). In the middle part of the continent, 70% of the territory is dominated by a desert and semi-desert climate. The east coast has a hot tropical maritime climate, where precipitation occurs mainly in the summer. The amount of average annual precipitation decreases from east to west.

Large river systems mainland - Murray, Darling, Flinders. Characteristic feature Australia is the presence of creeks - rivers that fill with water only after heavy rains.

On the vast interior spaces of the continent there are Great Desert Gibson, Victoria, Big sandy desert, etc. Salt lakes can often be seen here. Around the deserts there is a belt of semi-deserts with shrubs. In the northern, eastern and southeastern regions, semi-deserts give way to savannas. In the mountainous regions and along the coasts there are forests of palm trees, tree ferns and eucalyptus trees. Among wild animals in Australia in large quantities There are rabbits, pigs, and wild dogs. Among the endemic animals there are many marsupial forms (kangaroos, wombats, marsupial wolves, marsupial moles).

The entire territory of the mainland and the island of Tasmania is occupied by the country of the Commonwealth of Australia. The state is divided into six states: Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania. The indigenous population makes up only 2% of the total population, the rest of the inhabitants are descendants of Europeans and Asians who colonized the mainland after its discovery in the 17th century. High level the development of agriculture and the mining industry brought the country to a leading position as a supplier of wheat, coal, gold, iron ore to the world market.