1 Australia Is the Island Continent that it is effectively desert This includes the famous outback The region is hot and dry with almost no plants But Australia also has lush rainforests and snow-capped mountains Most Australians live in the southwest and southeast These areas are cooler and more comfortable than most northern regions Australia’s six most populated cities are on the coastline Uluru formerly known as Ayers Rock is a rock formation that originally sat at the bottom of a sea 600 million years ago Australia is both a country and a continent It is sometimes referred to as the island continent But Australia is actually made up of many islands There are more than 8,000 of them The mainland is the biggest of these islands Tasmania is the next largest In total Australia is nearly three million square miles 7 7 million sq km in size That makes it the sixth largest country by area on Earth As a large nation Australia has many different landscapes Over one-third of Australia receives so little rain 4
16,007 Miles of coastline 25,760 km of the Australian mainland A blue starfish on the Great Barrier Reef Australia is a huge country with many different landscapes Australia also has tall mountains and underwater coral reefs More than one-third of Australia is made up of desert Most cities are located in the cooler southwest and southeast PERTH THE LONELY CITY In Australia most cities are scattered around the coasts And these are mainly on the eastern side including Sydney But Perth is located on the western side of the island The city is 2,045 miles 3,291 km from Sydney Perth is the most isolated major city in the world Some parts of Australia are mountainous The largest mountain range is the Great Dividing Range Mount Kosciuszko is its highest peak It stands 7,310 feet 2,228 m high The Australian coast is home to many coral reefs The largest of these is the Great Barrier Reef It is the largest coral reef in the world stretching over 1,800 miles 3,000 km off the northeastern coast 5
2 Different Climates Led to Biological Diversity There is no single climate in Australia The country is huge Climate depends heavily on location mostly be seen on the highest mountain peaks Southern areas of Australia are most comfortable In the center of the country is the outback Conditions are very hot and dry Some areas may not receive rain for years At the other extreme the northeast coast can be very rainy Snow is rare in most parts of the country It can 6 Kinglake National Park after the Black Saturday bushfires Bushfires are common in Australia Drought can make them more likely In 2009 the Black Saturday fires killed 173 people It was the biggest loss of life due to fire in the country’s history In wet seasons dry regions may be impacted by dangerous flash floods Australia’s coasts are also at risk of cyclones Varying climates make Australia one of the most biologically diverse countries More than one million species of plants and animals live in different habitats across Australia Less than half have ever been scientifically studied Eighty-four percent of Australia’s mammals are found only on the continent Two famous examples are also marsupials the kangaroo and koala Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials
Koalas mainly eat eucalyptus leaves DANGEROUS CREATURES Some of Australia’s many creatures are deadly More poisonous snakes live in the country than anywhere else The inland taipan is the world’s most venomous snake Australia also has deadly insects fish and spiders The European honey bee is the deadliest of all Its sting can cause a fatal allergic reaction in some people 4,000 Species of fish in Australia’s waters Australia has many different climates Bushfires and cyclones are natural disasters that affect Australia Australia is one of the world’s most biologically diverse countries Most of Australia’s mammals are unique to the country 7
