Page 138 - Social Studies 7

Adelaide. Its capital is Canberra.
The country is known for its Sydney Do You
Opera House, the Great Barrier Know Australia is the biggest
Reef a vast interior desert, the Great island and the smallest
Barrier Reef, a vast interior desert continent of the world.
Wilderness called the outback and
unique animal species like kangaroos and duck billed Platypuses.

Physical Features

Australia consists of three physical divisions:

1. The Western Plateau
It is a vast plateau of Australia and occupies two-third area of the continent.
The isolated mountain ranges rise above the general level in some places. Much of
the plateau is a desert.

2. The Central Low Land

It is a great stretch of low lying area that lie between the western plateau
and the eastern highland. The average elevation is 150 m. At Lake Eyre, it is
12m below sea level and this lake is a region of inland drainage. Murray Darling
Rivers flows through southern part of central lowlands. Owing to scanty rainfall,
much of lowland is dry. Due to tropical climate it is thinly populated.

3. The Eastern Highland
The eastern highlands lie parallel to the east coast of Australia. It is called
Great Dividing Range as it separates the river flowing west from those flowing
east. Its average height is 900m. Mt. Kosciusko 2,228m in South Wales is the
country's highest peak.

Climate and Natural
Vegetation

Australia's climate is variable. The
eastern, north eastern and south
western parts of the country come in the
way of winds blowing from the sea and
so it receives heavy rainfall. The eastern
highlands act as a great barrier to these
rain-bearing trade winds. The rainfall
decreases considerably towards the
kangaroo

Dynamic Social Studies and Population Education - Book VII 138