Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

56

australia

Great Victoria Desert

Simpson

Desert

Kimberley

Plateau

Arnhem

Land

Sandy

Desert

Great

G

r

e

a

t

B

a

r

r

i

e

r

R

e

ef

Gr

ea

t^

D

iv

id

in

g^

R

a

n

ge

Gibson

Desert

Cape

York

Peninsula

Cape

Londonderry

Cape York

G

r

ea

t

D

iv

id

in

g

(^) R
a
n
g
e
Fl
in
de
rs^
Ra
nge
s^
Nu
llar
bor^ P
lain
Ham
ers
ley
Ran
ge
Macdonnell
Ran
ges^
Gulf of
Carpentaria
Bass Strait
Great
Australian Bigh
t
Tasman
Sea
T
im
or
Sea^
Coral
Sea
I
N
D
I
A
N
O
C
E
A
N
P A C I F I C O C E A N
Arafura (^) S
ea
Mi
tch
ell
Ri
ve
r
Fl
in
de
rs
Riv
er
Da
rlin
g^ R
iver
Murray (^) Ri
ver
Ashb
urto
n (^) R
iver
Fit
zroy
(^) River
Lake Torrens
Lake Gairdner
Lake Moore
Lake
Barlee
Lake
Eyre
Lake Carnegie
Lake Mackay
Lake Argyle
Bruny Island
King Island
Kangaroo Island
Wellesley
Islands
Bathurst Island
Melville
Island
Flinders Island
Tr o p i c o f Capr
i co rn
Mount Kosciuszko
2228m
Uluru
(Ayers Rock)
867m
Burnie
Mount Gambier
Albury
Albany
Port Lincoln
Esperance
Orange
Whyalla
Port Augusta Dubbo
Fremantle
Broken
Hill
Kalgoorlie Grafton
Geraldton Coober Pedy Surfers Paradise
Meekatharra
Carnarvon
Bundaberg
Alice Springs
Mount
Isa
Port Hedland
Broome
Cooktown
Launceston
Toowoomba
Rockhampton
Mackay
Cairns
Darwin
Hobart
Geelong
Wollongong
newcastle
Townsville
Melbourne
adelaide
Sydney
Perth
brisbane
Canberra
TaSManIa
VICTOrIa
aUSTraLIan
CaPITaL TerrITOrY
neW
SOUTH
WaLeS
SOUTH
aUSTraLIa
WeSTern
aUSTraLIa
QUeenSLanD
nOrTHern
TerrITOrY
aUSTraLIa
PaPUa neW
GUInea
dry lakes
Many of Australia’s vast
desert “lakes” contain no
water. Lake Eyre, in South
Australia, for example, fills with
water rarely and was completely
dry for a century until 1950.
statistics
area: 2,988,902 sq miles
(7,741,220 sq km)
Population: 22,751,000
capital: Canberra
Languages: english,
Greek, Vietnamese,
aboriginal languages
Religions: roman
Catholic, anglican,
United Church,
non-religious
currency: australian
dollar
Main occupations:
agriculture, mining,
animal husbandry
Main exports: Beer,
wine, coal, iron ore,
gold, bauxite, copper
Main imports: Vehicles,
manufactured goods
Great Barrier reef
Coral reefs are created by the buildup of the
skeletons of tiny marine creatures called polyps.
Coral cannot grow above water, or below 100 ft
(30 m) in cool waters. the Great Barrier reef has
been formed over 600,000 years by the upward
growth of coral, triggered by a general rise in sea level
during this period. located off the coast of Queensland,
the reef stretches from Bundaberg to the tip of Cape york.
desert
few people live in australia’s huge interior,
which is covered mainly by desert. the four
largest deserts are the simpson, Gibson,
Great sandy, and Great Victoria deserts.
Most are vast areas of swirling sand that
drifts into giant sand dunes.
The Great Barrier Reef is teeming with over 2,000 species
of fish and numerous types of coral. The various life forms
inhabiting the waters display a wonderful variety of colors.
nUllarBor plain
The Nullarbor Plain was
given its name because it is
completely treeless: in the
Latin language, null means
nothing, and arbor, tree.
N
S
W E
0
0 200 400
200 400
scaLE BaR
km
miles
Volcano Mountain Capital
city
Large
city/
town
Small
city/
town
Ancient
monument
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