Geography

1. Geography Australia is a large island and the smallest continent. • Geographical Size: 2.97 million sq./miles • Terrain Includes: -Desert -Mountain Ranges -Coasts -Tropical Rainforests -Grasslands -Woodlands

2. Desert There are five deserts that make up the “Outback.” They are located in the middle of the country and are home to many various native Australian tribes.

3. Mountain Ranges Australia has five major mountain ranges located on all sides of the continent. The most prominent and dominating is The Great Divide mountain range that runs along the east coast.

4. Coasts Being an island, Australia is surrounded by water and has some form of coast on all sides. Most of the coast is composed of sandy beaches, however some coastal locations meet the water with high jagged rock cliffs.

5. Tropical rainforests Tropical rainforests of Australia cover 900,000 square hectares and are considered to be the oldest on earth at 135 millions years old. All rainforests are located near the coasts of the continent.

6. Grasslands Grasslands of Australia are located along the desert regions. They once covered most of the continent but today only 1% remain. This is due to the decrease in rainfall forcing the grasslands to fall into desert hands.

7. woodlands The woodlands of Australia are located in the southeast region of the continent and cover 17,800 square acres. They feature variations of trees and shrub life.

8. Climate Most of Australia is very arid with exceptions along the south eastern regions and some coastal areas. • 80% of land mass receives less than 600 mm of rain/year • 50% of land mass receives less than 300 mm of rain/year • Desert temp ranges from 120 °F during day to -10°F at night • Southern Coastal, more inhabited regions have average of 75°F