Physical and Cultural Geography of Australia

This week we begin our final unit, the study of the physical and cultural geography of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica.  This region is a blend of indigenous peoples, European colonists, and immigrants, with a mix of modern, urban lifestyles and traditional lifestyles.  Although the countries of this region are diverse, they share in common a blend of indigenous and European influences on language and culture, a location in the Southern Hemisphere that is remote from the industrialized regions of the world, and striking and unusual animal and plant species.  This lesson focuses on Australia.

Both a country and a continent, Australia is dominated by the flat, dry interior called the outback.  The Great Dividing Range separates that outback from the fertile east coast.  With a land area of nearly three million square miles, Australia is the world's smallest continent, but its sixth largest country.  Two of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World are located in Australia: the massive rock known as Uluru (or Ayers Rock), and the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest deposit of coral.  The Great Barrier Reef, made up of billions of tiny organisms, is the largest living structure on Earth.

Australia is a land of vast differences in climate and vegetation.  The entire continent lies south of the equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn runs through the center.  The land has rich mineral resources and a thriving agriculture despite limited amount of farmland.  Although surrounded by water, Australia receives less precipitation than any continent except Antarctica.  Moisture is blocked from reaching the Western Plateau and the surrounding areas, where desert and steppe climates are found.  Deserts cover two-thirds of Australia's land but the coastal areas have a variety of moister climates and support most of the country's agriculture.  More than 100 inches of rain may fall each year on areas near the northeastern coast.

The 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, gave Australians an opportunity to display their cultural diversity. The opening ceremonies highlighted the contributions of Australia's indigenous and immigrant populations.  Later, during the competition, Cathy Freeman, a running champion and one of the country's most admired athletes, became the first Aborigine to win an individual gold medal.

Throughout the South Pacific region, there is a wide diversity of peoples and languages.  Australia's Aborigines, who probably arrived from Southeast Asia 40,000 to 60,000 years ago, may have the oldest surviving culture in the world.  At one time, Australia's Aborigines may have spoken about 250 languages with as many as 700 dialects.  Many of these languages have been lost because Aborigines did not have a written alphabet, and because Aboriginal children began learning English in school.  In 1970, however, the Australian government began providing bilingual education.

The movement of peoples has long been a part of the South Pacific's development.  More than 90% of Australians have European ancestors, although in the last quarter of the 20th century, more than 125,000 Southeast Asians migrated to Australia.  Many came to escape political turmoil in their homelands.  Even so, fewer people live in Australia than on any of the other inhabited continents.  The vast majority of Australians live in cities near the coast.

Australia is divided into six states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania (island state), Victoria, and Western Australia.  In addition, the mainland is divided into two major territories: Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory.  Territories have limited self-government. Other territories include Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, and Heard Island and McDonald Islands.

Agriculture is the most important activity in the region.  Australia exports large quantities of farm products such as wool, dairy products, lamb, and beef.  Service industries are emerging throughout the region, and tourism plays a major role.  Although coastal areas of Australia have well-developed road and rail systems, air and water travel are the major means of transportation.

Australia is often associated with its unusual native animals such as the kangaroo, koala, wombat, dingo, platypus, and Tasmanian devil.  The Sydney Opera house, one of the architectural wonders of the modern world, contains state-of-the-art acoustics and an ultra-modern architectural form.  Its distinctive design evokes the sailing ships that were an important part of Australia's past.  Magnificent Aboriginal paintings and sculpture are among the most prized exhibits in art museums.

The introduction of nonnative species has threatened native plants and animals.  Invasive species can create far-reaching problems that are difficult to address and remediate.  Freshwater systems, such as the Great Artesian Basin, maintain a delicate balance that is easily upset by human activity.  Recent damage to the Great Barrier Ree has prompted massive efforts to improve water quality by addressing pollution and sedimenation.

LEARNING

Read Geography of the Human and Physical World page 773-794

Great Barrier Reef
Sunscreen Is Damaging Coral Reefs
Origins of aboriginal culture
Animals of Australia
Aboriginal art
Great Artesian Basin

MAPPING

Label the six states of Australia and their capitals.  Label the Coral and Tasmanian Seas.