Continents - Australia

map of AustraliaAustralia is the smallest of the seven continents. It is also the sixth largest country. Its nickname of the "land down under" is due to the fact that it is located entirely below the equator. The word Australia is Latin for "southern land."

A chain of mountains called the Great Dividing Range runs north and south along the east coast of the continent. These mountains block rainfall and moisture from the Pacific and cause the inland of Australia to be mostly scrublands and deserts. The Australians call this area the outback.

The most important and striking physical feature of Australia lies just offshore of the continent. It is the Great Barrier Reef, the largest structure ever built by living creatures.

Australia has wildlife that is found no where else in the world. This is because Australia is so isolated from other large land masses, and its animals did not evolve in the same manner as in other areas of the world.

Australia has been an independent country since 1901. It is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. It exports large quantities of coal and iron ore and is a world leader in wool production.

Sample the following internet sites about Australia and complete the activities for each one.

CIA World Factbook - Australia
  1. How does Australia compare in area to the United States?
  2. What is the lowest point in Australia? The highest point?
  3. What is the 1999 estimated population of Australia? Compare this to the population of the United States.
Australian Facts
  1. Among all seven continents, where does Australia rank in terms of population density?
  2. Australia consists of 6 states and 2 territories. List them.
  3. According to this site, what is the national pasttime of Australia?
  4. The oldest rainforests on earth are in Australia. Where?
Australia @ A Glance
  1. List the oceans and seas that surround Australia.
  2. What country is Australia's closest neighbor?
Australian External Territories
  1. Australia has several island territories. List them.
Australia Geography
  1. What percentage of Australia is "outback"? This site describes the "outback" as a feeling not a place. "When you have travelled for hundreds of miles from civilisation and when you get the realization that you are in the middle of nowhere, and you are just struck with awe at the sheer size and emptiness of the landscape, then you know that you are in the Outback. If you venture into the Outback you need to be prepared. Travellers are expected to notify the authorities when making such trips and it is also wise to carry spare petrol and water incase of an emergency." Can you think of any place in North America that could be described in a similar way?
  2. Much of Australia is very dry. Which area is the driest?
Australian Deserts
  1. List the Australian deserts.

Australian Mountains
  1. What are the names of Australia's 3 highest mountains?
Australian Lakes
  1. What is Australia's largest salt lake?
  2. How are Australia's salt lakes different than OUR Great Salt Lake?
  3. What is Australia's largest freshwater lake?

Australian Rivers
  1. What are Australia's 3 largest river systems?

Australian Islands
  1. List Australia's 8 largest islands.
  2. What is significant about Fraser Island? (Scroll down on the linked page to find the answer.)

Map of Australia
  1. Study this map of Australia. Then take this online quiz about the cities of the states and territories. Click "Submit" to correct your quiz. Record your score. Click on each of the 8 map images to find out more about each of the capital cities. List the capitals and write 3 facts about each one.

InfoPlease Australia
  1. What is Australia's form of government?
  2. Who is the current prime minister of Australia?

Uluru National Park
  1. Ayers Rock is a famous Australian attraction, and is a holy place to the Aborigines. Ayers Rock is the world's tallest monolith. How tall is it? The heighth given is in meters. Convert this to feet.
  2. What is a monolith? How is it different from a mountain? By comparison, how tall is Mt. McKinley? How tall is Devil's Peak in Colorado? Use World Book Encyclopedia Online to answer these questions.
The Didgeridoo Page
  1. If you play the didgeridoo really well, you can become famous in Australia.