Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is a large, sparsely inhabited continent, almost as large as the 48 contiguous US states, and the world's sixth-largest country by area of jurisdiction. It is the only continent consisting of a single nation and is the flattest continent on Earth. Its mainland geography is divisible into three principal physiographic divisions: the Eastern Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Western Plateau. The Eastern Highlands, often referred to as the Great Dividing Range, run parallel to the east coast of Australia, from the northeastern tip of Queensland, through New South Wales, and into the central part of Victoria. The Central Lowlands, lying between the Eastern Highlands and the Western Plateau, consist of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia's most significant agricultural area, and the Great Artesian Basin. The Western Plateau, including the Nullarbor Plain, incorporates nearly all of Western Australia and the Northern Territory and parts of South Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Flat, low-lying | Much of the country is characterized by flat, low-lying terrain, with around 98% of the mainland considered "dry land." |
| Ancient Landforms | Australia's terrain is ancient, with some of the oldest rocks and landforms on Earth, dating back over 3 billion years. |
| Erosion & Weathering | The landscape has been shaped by extensive erosion and weathering, resulting in a varied topography of mountains, plateaus, and basins. |
| Mountain Ranges | The Great Dividing Range is the most significant mountain range, stretching over 3,500 km along the east coast. Other notable ranges include the MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory and the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. |
| Highest Peak | Mount Kosciuszko, located in the southeastern portion of the Great Dividing Range, is Australia's highest peak at 2,228 meters (7,310 feet) above sea level. |
| Plateaus | The Western Plateau, or Western Shield, covers much of Western Australia and is known for its ancient, stable landforms. The Central Lowlands, encompassing the Lake Eyre Basin, are also a significant feature. |
| Deserts | Australia is home to several deserts, including the Great Victoria Desert, the Gibson Desert, and the Great Sandy Desert. These arid regions cover a significant portion of the country. |
| Inland Waterways | Australia has several significant rivers, including the Murray-Darling River system, which is the longest river system in the country, and the Lake Eyre Basin, which is the largest endorheic (internal drainage) basin in Australia. |
| Coastal Features | The coastline of Australia is over 36,000 kilometers long and features a diverse range of landscapes, including sandy beaches, rocky shores, and coral reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef. |
| Natural Resources | Australia is endowed with abundant natural resources, including minerals (such as iron ore, coal, and gold), natural gas, and agricultural land. |
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What You'll Learn
The Eastern Highlands
Australia is situated on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. The geography of Australia is extremely diverse, ranging from snow-capped mountains to large deserts, tropical and temperate forests, grasslands, heathlands, and woodlands. The Australian continental landmass consists of six distinct landform divisions, one of which is The Eastern Highlands.
The Great Dividing Range is geologically and topographically complex, with an ancient and varied geological history. The highlands range from 300 to 1,600 metres (980 to 5,250 feet) in height, with some peaks reaching over 2,000 metres (6,600 feet). The mountains and plateaus are composed of limestones, sandstone, quartzite, schists, and dolomite, formed by faulting and folding processes. The range includes various smaller spurs and ranges, such as the Dandenong Ranges, Blue Mountains, and the McPherson Ranges.
The Great Dividing Range serves as the main watershed for the river systems in eastern Australia. The Snowy River flows down its steep eastern slope, while the Darling, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, and Goulburn rivers drain the gentle western slope, joining the Murray River. The range is also an important source of water supply for eastern Australia, with runoff captured in dams and reservoirs.
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The Eastern alluvial Plains and Lowlands
Australia is situated on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. Most of its 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.
The Carpentaria plains, occupying the basin of the same name, form a narrow lowland corridor between the Isa Highlands and the Einasleigh uplands (part of the Eastern Uplands). They are drained by the Leichhardt, Flinders, and Gilbert rivers. In the south, they take the form of broadly rolling plains underlain by heavy gray lime-enriched (pedocalic) soils. In the north, there are extensive flat depositional plains, some of them related to swamps from the Pleistocene Epoch (i.e., about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago), and some associated with the present floodplains of the braided river systems.
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The South Australian Highlands
Australia is situated on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. The Australian continental landmass consists of six distinct landform divisions, one of which is The South Australian Highlands.
The Southern Highlands is a region located southwest of Sydney and is home to several townships and villages. The region is centred on the commercial towns of Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale, Bundanoon, and Robertson, as well as the historic town of Berrima. Smaller villages like Burradoo, Sutton Forest, Colo Vale, Avoca, Yerrinbool, Exeter, and Welby are spread in between and around these main centres and serve mostly as residential areas. Bowral is considered the commercial centre of the Highlands and may be the most well-known town of the Highlands. The town is also home to the Bradman Museum, a tribute to Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, who spent his early life in Bowral.
The Southern Highlands make for the perfect country escape, where one can browse through antique shops, enjoy a long lunch at a local winery, or curl up with a book by a log fire. The region is also considered a wine region with 17 cellar doors, ranging from elegant French provincial to contemporary architectural statements.
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The Western Plateau
Australia's mainland covers 7,591,608 square kilometres, about 98.7% of the country's total area. The geography of the mainland is extremely diverse, ranging from snow-capped mountains to large deserts, tropical and temperate forests, grasslands, heathlands, and woodlands.
The Plateau is made up of one stable block of igneous and metamorphic rock, with some rocks dating back more than 3 billion years. It features tablelands averaging 500 metres above sea level in some parts. The evaporation of a great inland sea that stretched over a quarter of the mainland approximately 144 to 65 million years ago left behind the Western Plateau.
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The Great Artesian Basin
The water of the Great Artesian Basin is held in a sandstone layer formed by continental erosion during the Triassic, Jurassic, and early Cretaceous periods. During these periods, much of what is now inland Australia was below sea level, and 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 with the formation of the Great Dividing Range, and the western edge was shaped by the Central Eastern Lowlands and the Great Western Plateau. Most recharge water enters the rock formations from high ground near the eastern edge of the basin, gradually flowing towards the southwest. A 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.
However, water extraction from the GAB is a mining operation, with recharge rates much lower than current extraction rates. There are concerns about depletion and chemical damage to the basin, particularly from coal seam gas extraction. The Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee (GABCC) and the Great Artesian Basin Stakeholder Advisory Committee (GABSAC) work to coordinate activities and provide advice to stakeholders and government ministers on sustainable resource management. Initiatives such as the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative and the Improving Great Artesian Basin Drought Resilience program aim to address these challenges and ensure water security for a large part of Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
The mainland of Australia makes up 98.7% of the country's terrain.
Australia is divided into four general topographic regions: a low, sandy eastern coastal plain; the Eastern Highlands, which extend from Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland to Tasmania; the Central Plains, which consist of a series of drainage basins; and the Western Plateau, which is covered in deserts and bigger plains.
Australia has a variety of climatic regions, ranging from tropical rainforests and deserts to cool-temperature rainforests and snow-covered mountains. The northern, eastern, southeastern, and southwestern regions receive adequate precipitation to support vegetation.
Australia has some of the oldest geological features in the world, with the oldest known rocks dating back more than 3 billion years and rare zircon crystals dating back 4.4 billion years. The Western and Northern Plateaus are made of one stable block of igneous and metamorphic rock up to 3.6 billion years old.
