Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, & Antarctica

Australia & New ZealandIntroduction

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

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.

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.

Australia’s North East coast

Great Barrier Reef, largest chain of coral in the world.

Australia’s Southern coastGreat Australian Bight

A bay of the Indian Ocean

Coastal plains

Circle Australia & Northern Tasmania

Bass Strait separates Tasmania from Australia

Great DivideWrapping around SE area of highlands

Forms the continental divideAustralian Alps• SE corner of country

NullarborSouthern Shore

Long wide plainVast dryTree Less Plateau400 milesLatin for “no tree”

Australian Highlands Four Main Highlands

MacDonnell RangesThe Flinders RangeHamersley and Darling Ranges

MacDonnell RangeArid center of the country

The Finders RangeSouthern Coast

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

Australian WaterNo large river networkMost rivers are like Wadis

Flow only after heavy rainShrink in dry seasonsLakes in interior often become salt flats

Murray is chief river systemArtesian wells2/3 southern part Australia have dry plateaus or deserts

Dry grazing lands with shrubs6% land forested

Murray River SystemDrains from the Great Divide of the Darling Range

SE AustraliaLargest farming area 6% arable

Artesian WellsMost of Australia’s waterGreat Artesian Basin

N. of Murray BasinDrill into ground until water flows to the surface under its own pressure.

Australian ClimateThe location near the Equator nearly all has dry climate

Center is desertRim around desert is steppe climate (short grasses and shrubs)Closer to equator along northern coast Area around Cookstown tropical monsoon climateEastern and Southern coasts moist, mild winter: Mediterranean ClimateFarther South – southern coast, middle latitude marine – summers hot with high humidity: winters warm / mild.South eastern coast – Mediterranean climate (rain in winter

Economic & Cultural Patterns

1800s – British controlled Penal Colony

Imprisoned for everything from not paying bills to stealing bread.Prison overcrowding in EnglandPrisoners where offered freedom if they moved to Australia

Australia: Colonial Period6 States ruled as separate colonies

VictoriaNew South WalesQueenslandWestern AustraliaSouth AustraliaTasmania

1901 – Australian constitution unified coloniesParliamentary (democracy) form of government (Commonwealth of Australia)1911 – Northern Territory Added1980s Capital territory added

Australian EconomyGDP – Industry, Agriculture, Minning

Industry 36% - 25% of population employed in industryAgriculture & 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

Mineral Resources1851 – farming economy changed with the discovery of goldAustralia has 90% of worlds Rutile/Zircon

Rutile – used in the production of titaniumZircon – Jewelry

Large diamond and opal depositsExports more coal than any other countryMany resources untapped

Australia’s Cultural PatternsFirst 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 (1850-60)

Aboriginal Lands

Population DistributionMelbourne has the largest Italian population outside of Rome.Two out of three people live on narrow plain along the East and SE coastLargest 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)

Australian HistoryAborigines – 40,000 years

Hunters & Gatherer nomads form Asia

Portuguese sailors may have been first to meet Aborigines1600s Spanish/Dutch explored 1642 – Dutch explorer Abel Tasman – island1770 – James Cook east coast of Australia: “Terra Australis Incognita” = Unknown southern land1776 – British lost American colonies and began to settle AustraliaFirst permanent European settlement – Sydney (Batony Bay)