Download Australia & Oceania

Australia
Physical Geography
SS6G12, SS6G13
Essential Questions
• What are the physical features of Australia
and where are they located?
• How has the geography of Australia
impacted its population density?
• How does the factors of location, climate,
access to water and natural resources affect
where Australians choose to live and work?
How do these factors affect trade?
Key Terms
• Marsupial- an animal that carries its young in a
body pouch
• Coral- a rocklike material made up of the
skeletons of tiny sea creatures
• Geyser – A hot spring that ejects a column of
water into the air.
• Tectonic plate- a large piece of the Earth’s crust
What does the location
mean?
• South of the Equator= seasons opposite of
those in the U.S.
• Far from large landmasses
A Unique Environment
• Plants & Animals unique to the region.
–Biologically unique- Marsupials
(Almost all mammals are marsupials
in Australia)
–Kiwi & Yellow-eyed Penguin
Why So Unique??
• Tectonic Plates:
– Australia & Oceania are part
of the Indo-Australia plate.
– Once part of large landmass
that included Antarctica.
– Moved NW in Pacific Ocean
• Wild life slowly changed, Islands are isolated these
living things did not spread
to other regions
Where and Why do people live
where they do?
• Most Australians live along Australia’s East &
SouthEast coasts. Why?
• This plain has most fertile farmland & receives
ample rain. Why?
• Moist winds from the
Pacific Ocean bring
rain & mild pleasant
climate
• Also, the presence of
the Murray & Darling
rivers
• So where would most
cities be located?
Great Dividing Range
• West of GDR is
a rain shadow.
• People
depend on
wells for fresh
water
• Outback=
desert &
grassland
Great Barrier Reef
• Tourism – The
business of
providing tours
and services for
tourists.
World’s Largest Coral Reef
• Located in the Coral Sea – NE Australia
• Includes 2600 individual reefs, 900 islands,
and an area of 133,000 square miles.
• Became known to Europe 1770- Captain Cook
• # 1 destination for tourism, especially scuba
divers, some popular areas suffered
major damage
Environmental Concerns
• Runoff
– Several major cities along NE coast.
– Large areas of coastal lands have been used for
agricultural & pastoral purposes.
– Sediment & chemical runoff from farming
– Loss of coastal wetlands which are natural filter
– Results in 400 of 3000 reefs are within risk zone were
water quality has declined
– Crown-of-Thorns starfish natural predator of corals,
dramatic
in species caused by
water quality
Environmental Concerns
continued
• Global Warming
– Many corals living at upper edge of temp.
tolerance.
– This can lead to Coral Bleaching
• Corals release photosynthesizing cells- turn white
• If water doesn’t cool down w/in a month, coral dies
– Also brings about more violent tropical storms
So who takes care of GBR?
GBR Marine Park
Authority
• Australian Government manages reef: zoning,
management plans, permits, education used
to conserve GBR
• 1981 selected as World Heritage Site
• 2004, GBR Marine Park became largest
protected sea area in world. From 4.6% to
33.3%
Review
• What are the physical features of Australia
and where are they located?
• How has the geography of Australia
impacted its population density?
• How does the factors of location, climate,
access to water and natural resources
affect where Australians choose to live and
work? How do these factors affect trade?