Australia: The Land

Australia: The Land

Open Ended

You may have seen photographs or movies showing the dry Australian outback. What animals do you associate with this area?

Continent and a Country

• Australia is a unique place because it is the only place on earth that is a continent and a country.

• Geographers classify Australia as a continent due to its enormous size.

A Country and a Continent

• Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere.

• The name is derived from the Latin term australis, which means "southern".

Mountains

• The Great Dividing Range is Australia's most prominent mountain range.

• It is the fifth-longest mountain range in the world.

Multiple Choice

Which hemisphere is Australia located in?

• Northern

• Southern

Multiple Choice

Australia's name is derived from a Latin term meaning _________.

• Southern

• Northern

• Western

• Eastern

The Great Barrier Reef

• Located along Australia's northeastern coast, the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef.

• The reef, which is home to a multitude of fish and other underwater creatures, extends for 1,250 miles.

Natural Resources

• Only ten percent of Australia's land can be farmed.

• Despite this, Australian farmers make effective use of their land and water.

• Farmers grow wheat, barley, fruit, and sugarcane.

Natural Resources

• Australia is also rich in mineral resources.

• Deposits of coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, nickel, and petroleum make the country one of the world's major mining zones.

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Multiple Choice

What percentage of Australia's land is used for farming?

• Fifty

• Thirty

• Twenty-five

• Ten

Open Ended

Discuss one important thing that you learned about Australia today.