AU - Australia's Geography (Lesson)

Australia's Geography

Introduction 

Australia is the world's smallest continent; located in the southern hemisphere, it is the sixth largest in area. Australia is a country that consists of a mainland continent, Tasmania, and a number of smaller islands located just off the coast. Countries that neighbor Australia include New Zealand to the southeast; Papua, East Timor, and Indonesia to the north; and the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Vanuatu to the northeast.

 

Australia's Geography

Australia is an island continent that is surrounded by oceans and seas. The Indian Ocean is located along Australia's western shoreline, and the Pacific Ocean surrounds Australia's eastern shoreline. The Tasmanian Sea is located between Tasmania, New Zealand and the Australian continent's southeastern shoreline. The Coral Sea in the northeast and the Arafura Sea border Papua New Guinea and New Guinea in the north and northeast. The Timor Sea, located in the north and northwestern parts of the continent, create a natural border between Australia and Indonesia.

Map of Australia Australia is divided into six states and two mainland territories. The six Australian states include Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. The mainland territories include the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (A.C.T.) or New South Wales.

There are seven additional territories that can be found off the mainland continent. These territories include Ashmore and the Cartier Islands; Australian Antarctic Territory; Christmas Island; Cocos Island; Coral Sea Islands; Jervis Bay Territory; Heard Island and the McDonald Islands.

Because of Australia's size, there are many different landforms and features found on the island continent. The Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world, can be found just off the northeastern coastline. The world's largest monolith, Mount Augustus, is located in western Australia. Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain found on the mainland continent. Mawson's Peak, located on Heard Island, a territory found well off the coast of the mainland, is even taller than Mount Augustus.

Australia has a variety of landscapes including tropical rainforests in the northeast, deserts that are found throughout the central parts of the continent, and mountain ranges in the southeast. Australia is one of the flattest continents in the world and has some of the driest soils too. The outback makes up the largest part of this region.

 

Learn More! Make Your Own Map of Australia!

On your blank map of Australia, label the places listed below. Then, once you've completed your map, see if you can answer the questions that follow. Click here to download a blank map to use. Links to an external site. See the additional module resources at the beginning of this course for other maps that may help you.

  • Continents and Countries - Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
  • Oceans - Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean
  • Cities - Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and Brisbane
  • Mountains - Dividing Range, MacDonnell Range
  • Other Landforms - Great Barrier Reef, Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert. North Island, South Island, International Date Line, Cape York Peninsula
  • Rivers - Murray-Darling River
  • Bodies of Water - Tasman Sea, Coral Sea, North Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean, Timor Sea, Arafura Sea

 

Finished your map? Can you answer these questions? Use your map to help you!

  1. What Ocean is directly west of Australia and north of Antarctica?
  2. Which continent is also a country?
  3. What major city is on the western coast of Australia?
  4. How many states and territories make-up Australia? Name them.
  5. Which large aquatic feature is found off the eastern coast of Australia?
  6. What direction would you travel if you flew from Perth to Sydney?
  7. The Great Dividing mountain range is found in which country?
  8. What is the capital of Australia?
  9. What oceans surround Australia?
  10. Where is the Coral Sea located?

 

Image of an Arrow 

 


Think About This

 

Review the material in the lesson, and read the summary linked below. Before you move on, what are two interesting facts you learned from the summary?

Click here to download the summary of Australia's Geography. Links to an external site.

 

  MAP IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. ALL OTHER IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS