Lexi Webster
Australia is the smallest of Earth's continents, with a landmass of 7.692 million square kilometers. It is the lowest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with around 86.77% of its surface not exceeding an altitude of 500 meters. Australia's unique shape is approximately oval, with the landmass wider east to west than north to south. The continent is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Southern Ocean, with several bordering seas. Australia's topography is a result of prolonged erosion by wind and water, and its shape is a product of tectonic plate movements and long-term sea level changes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Shape | Oval |
| Size | Smallest continent |
| Landmass | 7.692 million sq km |
| Average elevation | 330 m (1,080 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Kosciusko (2,228 m/7,310 ft) |
| Lowest point | Lake Eyre (-15 m/-50 ft) |
| Borders | Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Southern Ocean, Timor Sea, Arafura Sea, Coral Sea, Tasman Sea |
| Topography | Oceans, mountains, landforms, elevations |
| Climate | Hot desert, subtropical, arid |
| Population | 25,750,200 (2021) |
| Indigenous population | 812,728 (3.2%) |
| Land use | 44% pastoral leases, 40% native title, 14.9% public land |
| Rivers | Murray, Darling, Murray-Darling Basin |
| Lakes | Natural freshwater lakes, coastal lakes, inland lakes, salt lakes |
| Reefs | Great Barrier Reef |
| Monoliths | Uluru, Mt. Augustus |
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What You'll Learn
Australia's landforms
Australia is situated on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. It is also the driest inhabited continent. The shape of Australia's landforms is largely the result of prolonged erosion by wind and water, and its shape is the product of tectonic Earth movements and long-term changes in sea level.
The Australian continental landmass consists of six distinct landform divisions. These are: The Eastern Highlands, which include the Great Dividing Range, a chain of highlands that runs inland from the coast; the fertile Brigalow Belt strip of grassland behind the east coast, and the Eastern Uplands; The Eastern alluvial Plains and Lowlands—the Murray Darling basin covers the southern part; also includes parts of the Lake Eyre basin and extends to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Great Dividing Range, formed of gently rolling hills, slopes imperceptibly down to the western plains. There are smaller stretches of hilly, well-watered land all around the rim of the continent except on the south coast where the Nullarbor Plain stretches to the sea. Precipitation diminishes rapidly as one moves away from the coast. Australia's ten highest mountains are all located within six kilometres of one another.
Australia has some of the world's most recognisable rock formations, including Uluru in Central Australia, which is the largest monolith in the world. Uluru was laid down in an inland sea about 500 million years ago. Other notable landforms include the Pinnacles, limestone formations in Nambung National Park in Western Australia, and the four summits of Cradle Mountain, which rise above Dove Lake in St Clair National Park in Tasmania.
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The Great Dividing Range
Australia is situated on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. Its shape is the result of tectonic plate movements and sea level changes. The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is a significant feature of Australia's topography. It is a cordillera system that runs roughly parallel to the east coast of Australia, stretching over 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles) from Dauan Island in the Torres Strait to the southern seaboard of Tasmania. The Range includes mountain ranges, plateaus, and rolling hills, with an average elevation of 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 metres) and peaks reaching up to 5,000 feet (1,500 metres).
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The Outback
Australia is the world's flattest continent and, excluding Antarctica, the driest. The Outback, a remote, sparsely populated area of Australia, covers 81% of the country. It is unified by a low human population density, a largely intact natural environment, and low-intensity land uses. The Outback extends from the northern to southern coastlines and includes a range of climatic zones, from tropical and monsoonal climates in the north to semi-arid and temperate climates in the south. The "red centre" of the Outback is arid, and the region is known for its rusty red deserts.
In terms of land use, the Outback is known for pastoralism, with cattle, sheep, and sometimes goats grazed in natural ecosystems. Opal mining and minor natural gas and oil production also take place in the region. The Outback is of significant cultural importance, with Aboriginal experiences offering access to ancient tales and artefacts dating back to the last Ice Age.
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The Great Artesian Basin
Australia is situated on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. The shape of the country is the result of tectonic Earth movements and long-term changes in sea level. The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is an important water resource and the largest groundwater basin in Australia. It is also the largest and deepest artesian basin in the world, extending over 1,700,000 square kilometres (660,000 sq mi). The basin provides the only source of fresh water for much of inland Australia.
The GAB underlies 22% of the Australian continent, including Queensland, the southeast corner of the Northern Territory, northeastern South Australia, and northern New South Wales. The basin is 3000 metres (9800 feet) deep in some places and is estimated to contain 64,900 cubic kilometres (15,600 cubic miles) of groundwater. The water in the GAB is held in a sandstone layer laid down by continental erosion of higher ground during the Triassic, Jurassic, and early Cretaceous periods. During a time when much of what is now inland Australia was below sea level, the sandstone was covered by a layer of marine sedimentary rock, which formed a confining layer that trapped water in the sandstone aquifer.
The eastern edge of the basin was uplifted when the Great Dividing Range formed. The other side was created from the landforms of the Central Eastern Lowlands and the Great Western Plateau to the west. Most recharge water enters the rock formations from relatively high ground near the eastern edge of the basin and very gradually flows towards the southwest. A much smaller amount enters along the western margin in arid central Australia, flowing southeast through the permeable sandstone at a rate of one to five meters per year.
Discharge water eventually exits through a number of springs and seeps, mostly in the southern part of the basin. The age of the groundwater ranges from several thousand years for the recharge areas in the north to nearly 2 million years in the southwestern discharge zones. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the waters of the GAB discharged through mound springs, many in arid South Australia, such as Witjira-Dalhousie Springs. These springs sustained a variety of endemic invertebrates and supported extensive Aboriginal communities and trade routes.
The GAB became an important water supply for cattle stations, irrigation, and livestock and domestic purposes, and is a vital lifeline for rural Australia. To tap it, boreholes are drilled down to a suitable rock layer, and the pressure of the water often forces it up without the need for pumps. The discovery and use of the water in the GAB allowed the settlement of thousands of square kilometres of country away from rivers in inland New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia, that would otherwise have been unavailable for pastoral activities.
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Australia's shape and isolation
Australia is the smallest of Earth's continents, with a landmass of 7.692 million square kilometres or approximately 2.97 million square miles. It is the only island continent, with all its borders formed where land meets water. Australia is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Southern Ocean. Some of its borders are also established by the Timor Sea, Arafura Sea, Coral Sea, and Tasman Sea.
The continent is situated on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. Most of Australia's topography is a result of prolonged erosion by wind and water, and its shape is the product of tectonic Earth movements and long-term changes in sea level. These geological forces occurred mainly in its early prehistory when Australia was part of Gondwana. The Gondwana landmass began to break up about 165 million years ago, but the Australian plate took a long time to separate. It was one of the last major continental plates of Gondwana to separate, 45 million years ago.
Australia has an approximately oval shape, wider from east to west than from north to south. At the north and south of the continent are two areas of water that cut into the mainland: the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north and the Great Australian Bight in the south.
Australia is both the flattest and, except for Antarctica, the driest continent. It is also the most isolated continent, with vast uninhabited areas. Its aridity is due in part to its unique location under a subtropical high-pressure belt, surrounded by climate drivers like El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole. These factors make most of Western Australia a hot desert, and aridity is a significant feature of the continent.
The Outback, a specific area of the continent, is a symbol of Australia's strength and independence. Australia's isolation from other continents has resulted in the singularity of its plant and animal life. The continent is home to thousands of unique species and ecosystems.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia is the smallest continent and has an approximately oval shape, with the country wider east to west than north to south.
Australia is home to a fascinating landform called a monolith, a single rock structure that rises from an otherwise flat terrain. The most famous monolith is Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, which is important to Aboriginal Australians. Australia is also home to many islands, such as Tasmania, and rivers such as the Murray and Darling rivers.
Australia is the flattest continent and has the lowest average elevation of any continent. It is also the driest inhabited continent and has a relatively low population density.
Australia was once part of the Gondwana landmass, which began to break up about 165 million years ago. The Australian plate was one of the last major continental plates to separate, 45 million years ago. The country's topography is a result of prolonged erosion by wind and water, and its shape is the product of tectonic Earth movements and long-term changes in sea level.
