GEOGRAPHY
AUSTRALIA AT A GLANCE
Australia is located southeast of Asia, and is the only country in the
world to occupy a single continent. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean,
the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea, the Coral Sea and the Arafura Sea. The nearest country
is not New Zealand but Papua New Guinea. However New Zealand and Australia combined make
up the area called Australasia or Oceania. The Australian continent and the nearby island
of Tasmania, form the 6th largest country on earth, with a total area of 7,686,850 sq km.
This large area is populated by only 19 million people, making Australia the most sparsely
populated continent after the Antarctica. Australia consists of six states and two
territories.
From north to south Australia spans 3,200 kilometres. From east to west Australia’s
widest point is approximately 4,000 kilometres. Australia’s coastline measures
approximately 36,800 kilometres.
The vast interior of Australia is known as the Outback. The Outback is the name given to
the vast deserts in the centre of the Australian continent. However it is very hard to
define exactly where the Outback starts and finishes. Most people define this area a
feeling rather than a physical location. When you have travelled for hundreds of miles
from civilisation, and when you realise that you are in the middle of nowhere, or you are
just struck with awe at the sheer size and emptiness of the landscape, then you know that
you are in the Outback.
FACTS & FIGURES
Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean
and the South Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S, 133 00 E
Map References: Oceania
Island-Continent:
Australia is the largest inhabited island in the world. It is also the smallest continent.
Area:
total: 7,686,850 sq km
land: 7,617,930 sq km
water: 68,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Coastline: 25,760 km
Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Elevation Extremes:
lowest point: Lake Eyre –15 m
highest point: Mount Kosciusko 2,229 m
Natural Resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Land Use:
arable land: 6%
permanent pastures: 54%
forests and woodland: 19%
other: 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated Land: 21,070 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural Hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts
Lakes and Rivers:
Lake St Clair in Tasmania is Australia’s deepest lake.
Lake Macquarie in NSW is the largest coastal lake in Australia. It covers an area of 110
sq km.
The Gippsland Lakes in Victoria are the longest chain of lakes in Australia.
Lake Cadibarrawirracanna has Australia’s longest name – 19 letters. This lake is 96 km
west of Lake Eyre.
The longest river in Australia is the Darling River. It measures 2,736 kilometres.
Meteorite Crater
The largest meteorite crater in Australia is 61 metres deep and 853.44 metres
wide.
Cattle Station:
The world’s largest cattle station is ‘Strangeray Springs’ in South Australia. It is
30,028 sq km.
National Park:
Australia’s largest national park is 134,804.66 hectares at Cradle Mountain, Lake St
Clair, Tasmania.
