Download Australia/Pacific Islands Physical Geography Chapter 11 Section 1

Australia/Pacific Islands Physical Geography Chapter 11 Section 1
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I. Physical Features
A. Introduction-The region is very diverse
- The islands have different resources, climate, and ecosystems
- The great distance between the islands has made them very unique.
- Australia is the largest country in the Pacific region.
- Other islands are divided into 3 regions- Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia
B. Australia
1. Earth’s smallest continent
2. The Outback is found in the interior part of Australia.
-Sparsely inhabited region with low plateaus and plains
3. Central and Western Australia have 3 large deserts
- Great Victoria Desert, Great Sandy Desert, and Simpson Desert.
4. Eastern Australia has low mountains, valleys, and a river system.
5. The coasts include fertile plains
6. Off the eastern coast is the Great Barrier Reef- largest in the world!
- Coral reef is a formation of rock-like material made of
skeletons of tiny sea creatures
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Stretches over 1,250 miles.
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Popular for surfing and scuba diving.
C. Melanesia- lies north and east of Australia
1. Stretches from Papua New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east
2. Most densely populated part of the region
D. Micronesia - north of Melanesia
1. More than 2,000 small islands.
2. Most are made of coral and have sandy beaches.
E. Polynesia- largest subregion in the South Pacific
1. New Zealand is the largest island country in this region.
2. Two distinct types of islands
a. High islands- mountainous, rocky, volcanic. fertile soil.
b. Low islands- Just above sea level. Poor, sandy, soil, little fresh water.
- Many are atolls- ring-shaped coral islands.
II. Plate Tectonics
A. Definition- Theory that explains how Earth’s crust called plates move.
-One time all land was one ancient continent that slowly drifted apart.
B. Australia and the Pacific are on the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates.
1. These plates are moving towards each other slowly
2. Effectsa. Ocean floor is pushed above sea level creating islands and volcanos.
b. Explains unique plant and animal population due to isolation of this region.
III. Climate (Now, you try. Under each category record two or three notes. Use separate paper if needed.)
A. Australia
B. New Zealand and Pacific Islands
C. Water and Wildfires
IV. People and Resources
A. Australia and New Zealand
B. Pacific Islands