Omari Gates
Western Australia occupies nearly one-third of the Australian continent, with its capital, Perth, being one of the world's most isolated cities. The state is bounded by the Timor Sea to the north and the Indian Ocean to the northwest and west, while the Northern Territory and South Australia deserts lie to the east. The landscape of Western Australia is diverse, ranging from rugged coastlines and broad plateaus to immense deserts and tropical regions. The Kimberley region in the far north is a multisectioned plateau, and the state is also home to some of the oldest features in the world, including ancient rivers and remnants of drainage patterns from before continental drift. The landforms of Western Australia have been influenced by volcanic activity, glaciation, and erosion over millions of years, resulting in a variety of unique geographical features.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Size | Occupies nearly one-third of the Australian continent |
| Isolation | Most isolated from the major cultural centres of the east |
| Capital | Perth |
| Geography | Bounded by the Timor Sea to the north, the Indian Ocean to the northwest and west, and the Southern Ocean to the south; deserts of the Northern Territory and South Australia lie to the east |
| Population | Highest proportion of non-state-born population of any Australian state; over 76% live in Perth |
| Landscape | Consists primarily of broad plateaus articulated by several mountain ranges; rugged coastline; rolling inland areas with sparse woodland and grasses |
| Geology | Some of the world's oldest features, including the oldest minerals discovered at Jack Hills; the Yilgarn Craton of the Great Western Plateau has been above sea level for over 2.5 billion years |
| Landforms | Dampierland, which contains four distinct landforms: Quaternary sandplain, coastal plains, alluvial plains, and Devonian reef limestones; the Avon Wheatbelt, with a gently undulating landscape and rich Proteaceous scrub-heaths; the Kimberley region, a multisectioned plateau; the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region; the Rudall River; the Gascoyne River |
| Climate | Subarid, with low rainfall and high temperatures |
| History | Indigenous Noongar, Yamatji, Wangai, Ngaanyatjarra, and Kimberley cultures; European settlement began in 1826 in Albany, with the state established as an administrative colony in 1829 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Kimberley region
The region is characterised by its unique and diverse landforms, including the Horizontal Falls, described by Sir David Attenborough as "one of the greatest natural wonders of the world". The Horizontal Falls are created by the Kimberley's tropical tides, which are some of the biggest in the world, rising and falling by up to 13 metres. These extreme tides result in remote, flat whitewater rapids that can be experienced by jet boat or scenic flight.
The Bungle Bungles are another notable landform in the Kimberley region, with their towering, tiger-striped rock formations eroded into beehive-like domes that emerge from the otherwise flat landscape. The region also boasts thousands of tropical forest-topped islands, such as those found in the Buccaneer Archipelago, as well as flat waterfalls and rock art galleries that are believed to be the oldest in the world.
Wall Stud Spacing: Australian Home Standard
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$15.8 $16.95
The Yilgarn Craton
Western Australia occupies nearly one-third of the Australian continent, with its capital, Perth, considered one of the world's most isolated cities. The Yilgarn Craton, a part of the Great Western Plateau, occupies most of Western Australia and has been above sea level for over 2.5 billion years. The Craton is composed of approximately 2.8 billion-year-old granite-gneiss metamorphic terrain and three granite-greenstone terrains. The Murchison Province, which is a part of the Craton, is exposed in its western and northern thirds. The Murchison Province Stratigraphy is divided into six basic structural-stratigraphic components: two greenstone belt metavolcanic-metasedimentary sequences and four suites of granitoids. The Craton primarily consists of granite and granodiorite intrusions, tholeiitic basalt and komatiite volcanism, regional metamorphism, and gold mineralisation. The Western Gneiss terrane, a series of polydeformed high-grade Archaean metamorphic belts, is distinct from the rest of the Craton due to its predominance of metavolcanic rocks. On the western edge of the Yilgarn Craton lies the Jimperding Gneiss Complex, composed mainly of micaceous quartzite, quartz-feldspar-biotite-garnet gneiss, and sillimanite schists. The Avon Wheatbelt, an area of active drainage dissecting a Tertiary plateau in the Yilgarn Craton, has been extensively cleared for agriculture, leading to rapid dry-land salinity issues.
Australian Leaf-Tailed Geckos: Their Diet Explored
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Pilbara Craton
Western Australia occupies nearly one-third of the Australian continent, with its capital, Perth, considered one of the world's most isolated cities. The region is known for its unique geology, featuring some of the world's oldest minerals and soil, as well as more recent geological formations. Among these formations is the Pilbara Craton, an ancient and stable part of the continental lithosphere located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The Eastern Pilbara Craton is the eastern portion of the Pilbara Craton and is particularly notable for its geological significance. This region contains variably metamorphosed mafic and ultramafic greenstone belt rocks, intrusive granitic dome structures, and volcanic sedimentary rocks. The greenstone belts in this region are thought to be remnants of ancient volcanic belts and are the subject of ongoing scientific debate. The partial convective overturn mechanism explains the geology and structure of the Pilbara Craton, involving the interaction of cold, dense material with hot, less dense material to form dome-like formations.
The Mount Bruce Megasequence Set, formerly known as the Mount Bruce Supergroup, is a significant feature of the Pilbara Craton. It is a succession of volcanic and sedimentary rocks deposited during the late Archaean to Early Proterozoic. The Megasequence Set is composed of the Chichester Range Megasequence and the Hamersley Range Megasequence, which were deposited on rifted and convergent continental margins, respectively. The Nullagine and Mount Jope Supersequences within the Chichester Range Megasequence are important records of a late Archaean continental break-up.
Australia: A Country Like No Other
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![National Geographic Road Atlas 2026: Adventure Edition [United States, Canada, Mexico]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rRihqWqgL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
The Hamersley Range
Karijini National Park, formerly known as Hamersley Range National Park, is centred within the range and is one of Australia's largest national parks. The range is important for its mineral resources, particularly iron ore. Large iron mines were developed in the region after 1960, and by the early 1990s, the range accounted for over 90% of Australia's iron ore production. Western Australia's major iron producers have mines, communities, and railways located along the range. The existence of crocidolite (blue asbestos) in the Hamersley Range has been known since 1915, and it was mined intermittently from the 1930s to 1966 when it was discontinued due to unprofitable production costs.
Creating a Terrarium: A Guide for Australians
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Gascoyne River
Western Australia occupies nearly one-third of the Australian continent, and its capital, Perth, is considered one of the world's most isolated cities. The state boasts some of the world's oldest geological features, including the oldest minerals discovered at Jack Hills. The landscape of Western Australia has been shaped by various processes, including glaciation, volcanic activity, and erosion over millions of years.
One of the notable landforms in Western Australia is the Gascoyne River, the state's longest river, stretching 865 kilometres (537 miles). The river flows through the Gascoyne region, rising in the northeastern Robinson Ranges west of the Gibson Desert. It flows generally westward and is joined by tributaries, including the Lyons River. The Gascoyne and Lyons Rivers provide a catchment area of 68,326 square kilometres (26,381 square miles).
The river was first sighted by Europeans in 1839 by an expedition party led by Lieutenant George Grey, who later became governor of South Australia. The river was named after Captain John Gascoyne, a friend of Lieutenant Grey. The Gascoyne River flows into Shark Bay and the Indian Ocean at Carnarvon, a coastal oasis known for its tropical fruits and vegetables.
Grasslands in Australia: Where Are They Located?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Western Australia occupies nearly one-third of the Australian continent and has a variety of landscapes. The northern and western regions consist primarily of broad plateaus articulated by several mountain ranges, with the coastline being rugged and dangerous. The Kimberley region in the far north is a multisectioned plateau. The eastern region is home to immense deserts. The Yilgarn Craton of the Great Western Plateau has some of the oldest soils in the world. The Avon Wheatbelt is an area of active drainage dissecting a Tertiary plateau in the Yilgarn Craton. Dampierland contains four distinct landforms, including grasslands on hills and marine deposits on coastal plains.
The De Grey, Fortescue, and Ashburton rivers drain the area surrounding the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region. The Gascoyne River drains the dry, rough country lying to the south of the Pilbara. The Rudall River flows east of the Pilbara and drains inland to the saline Lake Dora. The largest rivers in the region, including the Swan, Blackwood, and Frankland, have their headwaters in the Wheatbelt.
The great majority of lakes in Western Australia are saline playas (dried-up lake beds), not bodies of fresh water. The salt lakes of the Yilgarn region are remnants of a drainage pattern that was active before continental drift separated Australia from Antarctica.
![National Geographic Road Atlas 2026: Scenic Drives Edition [United States, Canada, Mexico]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/814R4OsGtCL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
