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Where Australian’s Live…
Location, Climate, & Natural
Resources in Australia
Location Of Australia
Both a continent & a country
Lies about 2,000 miles southeast of
Asia
In the southern hemisphere
– Literally the “land down under”!
Location
Coastal areas are the most populated
Most people live along east coast
Most populated city is Sydney, in New
South Wales
Another populated city: Brisbane,
Queensland
Location
Nearly 80% of Australians live in urban
areas
– Australia is one of the world’s most
urbanized countries
70% of all Australians live in cities of
more than 100,000 people
– Sydney has 3 and a 1/2 million people
– Melbourne has about 3 million people
Climate of Australia
Varies across the continent
It’s south of the equator, so climate is
opposite North America:
– Summer: December through March
– Winter: June through September
Climate: North Australia
Northern part of Australia is closest to
the equator
Tropical climate and is warm-to-hot all
year round
– Gets more rain than any other part of the
country
Winter: wet and cool
Summer: hot and dry
Climate: Central Australia
Desert is the largest part of Australia
Little rain falls here
– Most of this area gets less than 10 inches
of rain per year!
Climate: Coasts
Only the southeast and southwest
corners have a temperate climate
– Summers aren’t too hot & winters aren’t
too cold (similar to Georgia)
Climate in these regions is the one that
Australians prefer the most
– Most Australians live along southeastern
coast
Natural Resources of Australia
Outback refers to the dry interior
– Mainly open countryside, including vast
expanses of grazing land
Few widely scattered settlements in the
outback
– Many of them grew up around mining
operations…
Natural Resources: Mining
Australians mine for coal, iron ore,
copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel,
tungsten, mineral sands, zinc, oil, and
natural gas
– Lead the world in the production of
diamonds, lead, & bauxite (used to make
aluminum)!
Natural Resources: Mining
Minerals are often found in areas that
are difficult to reach
– Roads are expensive to build, but they are
needed to get workers & equipment to
remote locations
– Expensive equipment is needed to move
minerals to populated cities to trade
Natural Resources:
Arable Land
Land that is good for farming
Enough areas with good land and
rainfall to make farming an important
business in Australia
– Farmers here produce more than
Australians can consume, so the food is
traded and sold around the world
Questions to Consider:
Where do most Australians live?
What important business is done in the
outback?
Why do most Australians live in
southeastern Australia?
How They Trade
» China is Australia’s neighbor to the
north
» Australia exports tons of natural
resources to China
» 1/2 of iron ore goes to China
» In return, China provides Australia
with affordable finished goods
(cars, kitchen appliances, etc.)
How They Trade
» Australia’s major industries include
tourism, mining, and farming
» Australia’s location makes it
expensive for people to visit from
other countries
» Most international tourists come
from New Zealand and China
» Australians do the majority of
tourism within their own country
The Super Pit
The world’s largest gold mine!
Questions to Consider:
» Which nation’s citizens visit
Australia more than any other?
Why?
» What resources attracted
thousands of immigrants in the
mid-nineteenth century?
» Which country is most important to
Australia for trade?
Postcard Directions:
Front: Illustration of your favorite Australian
destination (must be colorful!)
Back: Write a greeting to one of your friends
that describes Australia. Be sure to include:
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Location
Climate
Land
Resources