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Subject: India & World Geography
Topic: Australia
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Introduction
Latitude : 28°15'N 54°30'S
Longitude : 112°09'E 109°12'W
Area: 76,92,850 sq. km
Population : 23.13 million (2013)
Capital : Canberra
Situation : Australia, the only continent that is also a country. It lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is surrounded by Timor Sea in the northwest, Arafura Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, Great Barrier Reef in the northeast and Great Australian Bight in the south. To the south-east of mainland lies the mountainous island of Tasmania.
Island Continent, Australia (Australis), literally called Southern Continent, is the smallest of all the continents. Comprises Australia, New Zealand and other Islands. One of the most sparsely populated and urbanized nation.
Principal states and territories
It is divided into six states and two centrally administered territories of which Western Australia is the largest state while New South Wales is the most populous. It also includes the island of Tasmania. Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.
Greatest extent, North-South : 3200 km
Greatest extent, East-West : 4000 km
Australia—Physical
- Major Physiographic Regions of Australia is—The Great Dividing Range, Central Lowlands and Western Plateau.
The Great Dividing Range
- The most elevated part of Australia, also known as Eastern Highlands, extends from Cape York Peninsula (Queensland) to Victoria and continues beyond the Bass Strait into Tasmania.
- Example of block-fault mountains, nowhere wider than 161 km and at places as narrow as 48 km.
- Major source of minerals, timber, water and hydel-power.
- Name was given for its function of dividing watersheds, which determines the direction of flow of many rivers.