Australia

1
Australias Geography

• Geographic Understandings
• SS6G12 The student will be able to locate
  selected features of Australia.
• a. Locate on a world and regional
  political-physical map the Great Barrier Reef,
  Coral Sea, Ayers Rock, and Great Victoria Desert.
  

2
Australias Landscape

• Australia is called the Land Down Under
• Island country AND a continent located in the
  southern hemisphere, south of the equator
• Geography of Australia described as large,
  semi-arid, dry region with temperate climates in
  the southeastern coastal areas

3
Great Barrier Reef

• The Great Barrier Reef lies off Australias
  northeastern coast in the Coral Sea and is the
  worlds largest coral reef. Coral formations have
  piled up for millions of years to create a
  colorful chain that stretches 1,250 miles.
• The reef lies a short distance off the northeast
  coast of Queensland (one of Australias states).
• A coral reef is a structure formed by the
  skeletons of small sea animals.

4
Great Barrier Reef
5
The Coral Sea

• The Coral Sea is actually part of the Pacific
  Ocean (and is an important source for the Great
  Barrier Reef).
• The sea lies off the northeast coast of
  Australia.

6
Ayers Rockaka Uluru

• Located near the center of the continent of
  Australia in the flatlands, in the state called
  Northern Territory
• Huge, reddish sandstone rock towering out of the
  flatlands the rock is a monolith (single, large
  rock sticking out of the EarthStone Mountain,
  near Atlanta, is a monolith)
• It is nearly 12 stories tall and almost six miles
  wide around its base.
• The Aborigines (Australias native/indigenous
  peoples) call it Uluru.

7
Ayers Rock

• aka, Uluru

8
Great Victoria Desert

• From Ayers Rock, travel southwest into the states
  of South Australia and Western Australia there
  you will enter the Great Victoria Desert.

9
Great Victoria Desert (continued)

• Great Victoria Desert - receives only 8 inches
  10 inches of rain each yearit never snows
• Some grasslands, along with sand hills and salt
  lakes
• Very few Australians live in the Great Victoria
  Desert because it is too hot and dry.

10
Great Victoria Desert
11
Did you know that

• because of Australias location in the Southern
  Hemisphere, summer begins in December and winter
  begins in June?
• the largest part of Australia consists of
  semi-arid or dry lands known as the Outback?
• in the north, you will find a tropical climate
  with rain forests, mangrove swamps, grassland,
  and even more desert?