The highest point in Australia. What is the highest mountain in Australia. eastern australia
This area includes the East Australian Mountains and East Coast mainland. Its southern part geographic location goes beyond the tropics and belongs to the subtropical zone, but the change natural conditions towards the south due to the influence of the mountain is not very significant.
The East Australian Mountains are a Paleozoic mountain system leveled and uplifted by faults in the Tertiary. The eastern slopes of the mountains are steep, the more gentle western slopes gradually turn into a strip of hilly foothills.
In the extreme south-east of the region is the most high part mountains of Australia - Australian. These mountains do not actually deserve their name. They represent a horst with an average height of 1500 m, composed of folded Paleozoic rocks and dissected by deep river valleys. Only separate massifs from the more stable ones rise above the common surface of the horst. Their peaks, eaten away by kar funnels - traces of mountain Quaternary glaciation, reach the highest height on the entire mainland. Only they have a real mountain look. The highest peak - Mount Kosciuszko rises to 2234 m.
On the western slopes of the mountains, where precipitation is less, the forests take on a park character and consist of eucalyptus and some coniferous trees.
IN upper parts low-growing forest grows on the mountains, and from a height of 1600-1900 m it is replaced by subalpine crooked forest and thickets of shrubs from heather, myrtle, dwarf beech and areas of cereals. This zone is dominated by humus-calcareous soils.
The primary forests of the region, especially its coastal part, have been cut down in many places; in other places, poplars, oaks and other plants imported from Europe have appeared in their composition. Enough large areas occupy plowed land and orchards. Along the coast and in the valleys are the largest cities in Australia and a large number of small settlements.
Wild animals are preserved. This is a typical fauna of Australia, which is characterized by various arboreal marsupials, such as sugar squirrel, couscous and tree kangaroo. The platypus lives by the rivers. Many different birds, most of which are bright and colorful.
Most of the Australian mainland is occupied by plains. That is why, when talking about the mountains of Australia, few people can give more or less informative data. In fact, mountain ranges occupy a fifth of the mainland, and they are located in the East.
The Great Dividing Range is the youngest mountains in Australia.
The fourth longest mountain range in the world is called the Great Dividing Range (BVH). Its length is 4000 kilometers. It is located on the east and southeast coast. The array goes around Victoria, South Wales and Queensland.
At the state level, CWH is of great importance. Gold, various minerals, coal, gas and oil are mined on its territory. In addition, there are a large number of reserves and national parks, which also make a profit.
A unique feature of the BVH is that this rock formation in Australia is the youngest on the mainland. Its appearance is dated Cenozoic era. If we consider the landscape of Australia, which was observed a million years ago, then there were other mountain ranges in the place of the BVH. Subsequently, they crumbled, and mountains formed in their place, consisting of granite, limestone, various volcanic rocks and other materials.
East Australian mountains
On average, the peaks that are located in the East Australian mountains cannot be called high. They are approximately 700 meters. The highest point is Mount Kosciuszko, its height is 2228 meters. In the northern part of the massif, the height of the mountains is small, but towards the south it increases. And the largest mountains are located in the east. The western part of the massif is actually flat, it includes only elevated plateaus and small hills. The massif under consideration is divided by basins approximately in the center, as a result of which the western and eastern parts are formed.
The Darling and Murray rivers start in the East Australian mountains. In addition, several small streams begin to flow here. They build dams that generate electricity.
In general, here you can find a large number of unique and beautiful places. These are waterfalls, and caves, and similar natural gifts. In order to make it convenient for travelers to get acquainted with the beauties of Australian nature, there are roads and railways. They are laid directly through the mountain ranges. 
Red Mountain - amazing a natural phenomenon in the center of Australia
Despite the fact that Red Mountain, also called Ayers Rock or, is not part of the mountain ranges, it also needs to be paid attention. Firstly, it is the largest rocky monolithic formation in the whole world. For the most part, this is what attracts a large number of tourists, as well as local residents.
Secondly, the mountain got its name for a reason. Depending on how it falls sunlight depending on the weather, the rock formation may change its color. At sunset, the mountain usually turns blood red or scarlet. In serene daytime, it has a delicate pink hue.
In addition to its natural uniqueness, Red Mountain bears many traces from the past. The first cave paintings are carved on it. Shamans worshiped the Goddess Uluru, both many centuries ago and up to the present. That is why one should not refuse the opportunity to see such an amazing element of Australia, because the location in the central part of the mainland allows you to get to Uluru from any city.
blue mountains australia
The reserve called "Blue Mountains" is located on the territory of the BVH, in the state of South Wales. The Blue Mountains gained their popularity after they were recognized as World Heritage Sites under the leadership of UNESCO. The fact is that 90 species of eucalyptus plants grow on the slopes in the reserve. Each one is constantly releasing essential oils into the air. As a result, the air turns blue. If you look at the reserve from afar, you can see a huge blue cloud that immerses the Blue Mountains.
Undoubtedly, thanks to the variety of essential oils and ecological cleanliness, visitors to the reserve will be able to improve their health quite well.
Was there a volcano? Or are there volcanoes in Australia
A mountain called "Pseudo-volcano" also deserves attention. For a long time, she misled not only local residents, but also scientists. It was supposed to be the only active volcano on the mainland.
In fact, at a depth of 6 thousand meters under the "Pseudo-volcano" a large coal seam has been burning for more than a hundred years. Therefore, smoke periodically rises from the mouth of the mountain. The reservoir burns extremely slowly, and it does not pose any threat.
Thus, the mountains of Australia have not only a unique natural formation, each of them has its own history and characteristics. But even the most interesting story cannot be compared with the impressions that visitors to the Australian mountain ranges get when they look at the landscapes.
Mysterious country "on the other side" the globe broke many world records in various industries. Australia is the only state that occupies the entire continent; it still has the longest fence (more than 5 and a half thousand kilometers; built to protect against the largest pasture in the country (34 thousand sq. Km); it owns the longest reef - the Great Barrier; Australia - the only continent, where not in it - the most poisonous snakes; this continent is the lowest of the existing ... The list can be continued for a long time. The question of which mountain in Australia is the highest can be answered, but the highest peak in the world in another transcription) is not. However, he distinguished himself among others, equal.
Where is located in Australia
Since it is already clear which mountain in Australia is the highest, let's figure out where it is located. In the southeast of the mainland there are the Australian Alps, which themselves represent the highest Australian ridge and include the highest Australian mountain - Kosciuszko Peak. Its height reaches 2228 m.
In addition to the popular ski resort, these places are known for cattle breeding, both breeding and slaughter. From here come the largest deliveries of lamb and fine wool. The dams, lakes and hydroelectric stations included in the Snowy River project contribute a considerable share to the welfare of the state.
Funny cases with the name
The beginning of the story with the name of the peak was quite standard: a Polish explorer named Strzelecki, who was the first to climb the peak and decided that it was the highest in Australia, named it after Andrzej Kosciuszko, who became national hero not only the homeland of the traveler - Poland, but also the United States, Belarus and Lithuania, and besides, also an honorary citizen of France. However, some time later it turned out that the neighboring rock is higher, albeit only by 20 meters. Out of respect for the hero of several countries, the names were reversed. So earlier Kosciuszko Peak was called Mount Townsend.
And that's not all curiosities with the name of the summit! Before it received its modern name, it was called Tar-Gan-Zhil and was considered sacred. Some residents still mention the old name. In addition, they pronounce the new as they read - Koziosko, from the English spelling Kosciusko.
What is remarkable about the peak
It is no longer interesting which mountain in Australia is the highest, it is more important that it is located in the Australian Alps. And this mountain system famous for the fact that it snows much more than in Switzerland. Therefore, among tourists, skiers are primarily interested in Kosciuszko Peak. Although people who are indifferent to this sport were not left offended: you can ride a lift to the top, admiring the magnificent landscapes, or you can take walking tour on a convenient and safe road.
Is an integral component national park, bearing the same name. A pleasant part of the park are numerous thermal pools and lakes, warm even in the snowy season. So lovers of swimming do not neglect this opportunity.
Geographic paradox
In fact, it is not entirely correct to ask which mountain in Australia is the highest. Do not forget that the country occupies not only the mainland, it also owns the islands surrounding it. And if you do not share them with the continental part, it turns out that the largest mountain in Australia is a snow-capped volcano called Mawson Peak, which is located on Heard Island. The island itself lies between Africa and Australia in the Indian Ocean. And the volcano has a height of 2745 meters, which is more than half a kilometer higher than the "growth" of the Kosciuszko peak.
Photograph of a panoramic view of the East Australian Mountains.
Medium-altitude, folded-blocky, mostly Hercynian in age, the East Australian Mountains stretch along the eastern coast of the mainland. They are covered with dense evergreen forests on the windward slopes and deciduous-evergreen woodlands on the leeward slopes; they serve as a continental watershed and are fragmented into separate massifs. According to the nature of the landscapes, they can be divided into two regions: northern (up to 28 ° S) and southern. The first is called the mountains of Queensland, the second is the mountains of New South Wales. Much wider and lower than their southern extension, the Queensland Mountains consist of three longitudinal structural and morphological zones: coastal crystalline plateaus and massifs, middle basins and the Great Dividing Range or the Great Divide. Coastal crystalline plateaus and massifs, with an average height of about 1000 m, are composed mainly of granites and quartzites. They rise steeply above a narrow coastal lowland and are dissected by river canyons. highest height they reach the Bellenden-Ker ridge (Mount Bartle-Freer-1611 m), rising on the eastern edge of the Atherton watershed plateau. Small volcanoes and crater lakes have been preserved on the plateau. It is believed that the activity of volcanoes proceeded in the post-Pliocene and that they are the youngest in Australia. The climate of the coastal lowlands and windward slopes of the mountains is hot, the rainy season lasts from December to April. The sky at this time is covered with thick clouds, the relative humidity of the air reaches 85%. The average temperatures of the warmest months (December-January) are uniformly high (24-26°С) and decrease from the northern border of the region to the southern one by only 1°С. During the dry season, heavy rainfall occurs only between 15° and 20° S. sh., on a mountainous coast, favorably oriented to the prevailing southeast winds at this time. The annual amount of precipitation here reaches 4000 mm. This is the wettest area in Australia. North of 19°S sh. the slopes of the mountains are covered with humid subequatorial forests. Their floristic composition is similar to the forests of Malaya, with which Australia maintained a temporary territorial connection until the Neogene. These forests are very rich in species composition. Tall trees are supported by plank roots, props, the trunks are densely intertwined with vines. The most typical palm trees in these forests are Archontophoenix alexandrae, Livistona australis and Kentia spp., slender silver tarriertia (Tarriertia argyrodendron), the leaves of which are covered with a silvery coating on the back side, ficuses, bananas. Often found characteristic of South-East Asia and India, rattan liana (Calamus muelleri), as well as climbing wild pepper (Piper mestom).
Numerous orchids and ferns. Cycads (Macrozamia spp., Bowenia spp.) grow in river valleys, pandanus (Pandanus spp.) grow in swampy valleys, and mangroves are common in estuaries flooded by the tide. Humid subequatorial forests rise up the mountain slopes up to 1000 m. Above them, they are replaced by mountain-type forests, the composition of which is poorly understood. It is only known that, along with the disappearance of the most heat-loving species (primarily palm trees), conifers appear in them: Araucaria cunninghamii and A. bidwillu, Agathis robusta and A. palmerstoni, Podocarpus. Mountain-forest brown soils under moist subequatorial forests are formed under conditions of good moisture and washing on the weathering crusts of sedimentary and mainly crystalline rocks. A strip of lateritic soils extends on the coastal lowland. South of 19°S sh. climatic conditions do not favor the growth of humid subequatorial forests, mainly due to winter dryness and lower temperatures. Therefore, they give way to tropical rainforests, poorer in species composition, less dense, with a significant admixture of eucalyptus. The median basins are elongated along the East Australian Mountains. They are of tectonic origin, but were subsequently widened and deepened by regressive river erosion in easily eroded Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks. The basins are separated by low watersheds, have a hilly relief, the rivers flow in them in wide valleys. The first basin from the north is crossed by the rivers Berdekin and Sattor; the second collects the waters of Queensland's largest river, the Fitzroy; the third is developed by the Burnett River system; fourth by the Brisbane River. The basins lie in the wind shadow and receive up to 750-1000 mm of precipitation per year. Therefore, they are covered with eucalyptus woodlands. The Great Dividing Range is poorly expressed in relief and deserves the more modest name of the Great Dividing Range. This is a gently sloping swell 500-700 m in height, composed mainly of Paleozoic rocks, covered in the north by basaltic lavas. The top of the swell is a flat surface of the Miocene peneplain, swamped in places, with lakes in depressions, shallow and often saline. Nevertheless, the watershed plays a very important role in the distribution of runoff: the rivers flowing into the Coral Sea, into the Gulf of Carpentaria, into the inland runoff basin-Lake Eyre and into the Darling system begin from it. The shift of the continental divide west of the high coastal mountains was the result of the Neogene and Quaternary history of the East Australian Mountains. After meridional faults along the coast and a general uplift, the watershed passed along the coastal granite massifs.
Then, at the beginning of the Quaternary period, the East Australian mountains were again uplifted, and the Great Divide acquired the character of a vault. The uplift led to a sharp revival of the deep erosion of rivers on the windward slopes of the former watershed. The rivers crossed it in rapids gorges and intercepted the currents of ancient rivers in longitudinal basins, formerly heading west. Thus, the Great Dividing Range received its significance as a watershed, which was facilitated by poorly eroded basalt covers crowning its northern and southern parts. Basalt covers were the parent rock for the development of black soils, coinciding in their distribution with savannahs. In other areas, eucalyptus sparse forests on red soils predominate; in the south, a significant area is occupied by forests of cypress callitris. The mountains of New South Wales are a narrow belt of closed watershed massifs composed of Paleozoic crystalline and sedimentary rocks. Fault tectonics, tertiary lava covers and volcanic cones, as well as the nature of the rocks that make up individual ranges, are of great importance in the relief. Mountains begin to the south of Brisbane with fold-block New England mountains. They reach an average height of 1200-1300 m (Mount Ben Lomond-1524 m) and have softly undulating peaks. The watershed runs along the western edge of the range, which is lower than the eastern one. The rivers break through the eastern edge, which is elevated along the fault line, in deep gorges. The largest of these is the Clarence River, which is also the largest river in the mountains of New South Wales. From the north and south, the New England Mountains are framed by the Hastings and Liverpool horst ranges, filled with basalts. The rivers divide them with steep-walled stepped canyons. The Liverpool Ridge breaks off in the south to a tectonic depression widened by the erosional activity of the Hunter River. Behind the Hunter Valley, the Blue Mountains begin, composed of sandstones and limestones and divided into a complex mosaic of steep plateaus by canyons, the depth of which reaches 300-800 m. watersheds river canyons widen into huge steep and stepped amphitheatres. Karst is widely developed in the limestones of the western part of the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains break off to a wide tectonic depression, behind which rises the crystalline peneplain of the Australian Alps (Monaro Plateau). This is the most elevated massif of the East Australian mountains, composed of granites and quartz porphyries. It is divided into blocks by longitudinal valleys, stepwise rising to the west.
They have traces of Quaternary glaciations trough valleys, kars, glacial lakes and ridges of terminal moraines On the Monaro Plateau lie the sources of the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Snowy River, which have large reserves of hydropower. A new tectonic depression separates the Monaro plateau from the Victorian Alps. The last name is more than conditional, since there are no alpine forms in their relief. It would be more correct to call them the Victorian mountains. They consist of fragmented horst plateaus and massifs, have a latitudinal strike due to tertiary faults, which were accompanied by outpourings of basalts. Volcanic landforms are especially developed west of Melbourne, where lava flows almost completely surround the Ballarat granite plateau. To the south, the Victorian Alps fall steeply to the graben of a large Australian valley, partially flooded by the sea (Port Phillip Bay). Erosive dismemberment of mountains actively proceeds on the southern windward moist slope; the northern arid slope is cut by low-flowing river valleys and covered with scree. The climate in the mountains of New South Wales is subtropical monsoonal. Their northern part (28°-35° S) is characterized by a summer maximum of precipitation. brought by east and northeast winds of the western periphery of the South Pacific High. However, the winter is not completely dry, as the cyclonic precipitation of the polar front penetrates to Brisbane and further north. In the southern part of the uplands, the share of winter cyclonic precipitation increases. On the Monaro plateau, winters are cold and snowy. snow cover long time(at the top of Kosciuszko all year round) is preserved in gorges on the leeward slopes, where the snow is carried by strong east winds. The slopes of the mountains have retained, despite heavy felling, significant areas of forests, especially on their eastern side. Humid subtropical forests are most dense south of Sydney. The main forest-forming tree is the almond eucalyptus (Eucalyptus amig-dalina), sometimes reaching a height of 150 m. The trunk of this giant is up to 10 m in diameter. The liviston palm (Livistona australis) coming here from the north and emerging beeches give a peculiar appearance to the forests. The lower layer of these forests is filled with tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica, etc.) with delicate feathery bays. In the undergrowth there are shrubs from the myrtle family, legumes, as well as casuarina. Tree trunks are covered with epiphytes and twisted around lianas. Thin, stony, mountain-forest brown soils have formed under the forests. The reduction of forest tracts has led in many places to catastrophic landslides and erosion of soil horizons.
Above the upper limit of the forest (1600-2000 m), only the Monaro plateau rises, entering the alpine zone. The herbaceous cover of alpine meadows on peat-meadow soils is dominated by Compositae and snow grass (Genus caespitosa). Lots of bush heather.
AUSTRALIA (Australia), the smallest mainland and part of the world; located along with the adjacent islands (Tasmania, Kangaroo, Melville, Bathurst, Groote Island, etc.) southern hemisphere.
General information. The area is 7631.5 thousand km 2 (with islands about 7704.5 thousand km 2). The extreme points of the mainland: in the north - Cape York (10 ° 41 'south latitude), in the south - Cape Southeast Point (39 ° 11' south latitude), in the west - Cape Steep Point (113 ° 05' east longitude), on in the east - Cape Byron (153°34' E). The southern tropic crosses the mainland almost in the middle. From the south, west and north, Australia is washed by the Indian Ocean and its seas (Timor and Arafura), from the east - by the seas of the Pacific Ocean (Tasman and Coral). The coastline is poorly dissected. Two large bays protrude deep into the mainland: in the south - the Great Australian, in the north - Carpentaria, which separates the largest peninsulas of Cape York and Arnhem Land. The largest of the islands within the continental shelf is Tasmania, separated by Bass Strait. Along the northeast coast for 2300 km stretches Bolshoi barrier reef- unique coral formation included in the World Heritage List.
Relief. Australia is the lowest of the continents; average height about 215 meters. The absolute height of 95% of the territory does not exceed 600 m (see the map of Australia). In Western Australia, a plateau prevails (height 400-500 m) with numerous ridges and mesas. In the west, the flat-topped Hamersley Ridge (altitude 1251 m) rises, in the southwest - the low-mountain ridges Darling (altitude 571 m) and Sterling (altitude 1096 m), in the east the strongly dissected ridges of McDonnell (altitude 1511 m) and Musgrave (altitude
1440 m), in the north - the Kimberley Plateau (height 937 m). Intermountain troughs of Central Australia correspond to vast stratal and accumulative plains: Nullarbor with karst landforms, desert and flat Central Lowland with a depression, Lake Eyre North (the lowest point in Australia, 16 meters below sea level), the interfluve of Murray (Murray) and Darling, coastal plain Gulf of Carpentaria. In the relief of Eastern Australia, the Great Dividing Range stands out with steep eastern and gentle hilly (so-called downs) western slopes, it stretches for 4 thousand kilometers along the eastern and southeastern coasts of the mainland.
It consists of a number of isolated plateaus and low-mountain ranges (Gregory, Clark, and others), separated by river valleys and longitudinal intermountain basins; it is crossed by the transverse ridges Drummond, Expedition, Liverpool, and others south of 28° south latitude. The Great Dividing Range is a narrow chain of mid-mountain massifs and ranges (from north to south): Hunter, Blue Mountains, Kallarin and the high Australian Alps with Australia's highest peak - Mount Kosciuszko (altitude 2228 m) in the Snowy Mountains. On the tops of the Snowy Mountains there are forms of mountain-glacial relief. The southern margin of the mainland is occupied by mid-mountain and low-mountain folded blocky ridges Flinders (height
1180 m) and Mount Lofty (height 932 m).
Geological structure. The territory of Australia is tectonically divided into the Precambrian Australian platform, which includes the western and central parts of the continent along with the Arafura Sea, and the Tasmanian Paleozoic fold belt in the east (see Tectonic Map). The structures of the Tasmanian Belt and the Australian Platform are partly covered by a cover of a young platform (Great Artesian Basin syneclise).
The Australian platform is a fragment of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, which broke up in the Mesozoic. Outcrops of metamorphic rocks of the Archean-Middle Proterozoic basement form shields (blocks) Yilgarn, Pilbara, Aranta, Musgrave, Goler, etc., as well as ledges in the northwest and north (Pine Creek). Blocks of Archean consolidation and Proterozoic mobile belts are distinguished in the basement structure. The Pilbara and Yilgarn blocks are Archean granite-greenstone areas composed of rocks of the granite-gneiss complex and greenstone belts. The oldest zircons on Earth (4150 million years) were found in the quartzites of the Yilgarn block. The greenstone belts of the Pilbara block are of Middle Archean (3.5-3 billion years), and the Yilgarn block are of late Archean (3-2.7 billion years) age and are composed of basalts, komatiites, felsic volcanic rocks and clastic rocks. Outcrops of unreworked Archean formations are also known on the Gawler Plateau and the Pine Creek ledge. Early Proterozoic folded systems, composed of volcanic-sedimentary rocks and granitoids, developed in the interval from 2.2 to 1.6 billion years. These are the systems of Hols Creek and King Liopold with the age of the final deformations of 1.85 billion years, Pine Creek, Tennant Creek - 1.9-1.7 billion years, Capricorn - 1.75-1.6 billion years. In the William and Mount Ise fold systems, active tectonic development continued in the Middle Proterozoic until
1.4 billion years. In Central Australia, the Aranta, Musgrave, Albany-Fraser, and Paterson blocks underwent repeated tectonic deformations, metamorphism, and granitization during the Early and Middle Proterozoic, with the formation of mobile polymetamorphic belts. The last episode of magmatic activity in these belts in the interval of 1000-900 million years led to the final consolidation of the basement of the Australian platform. The formation of the platform cover began in the Late Archean (Hamersley protosyneclise - 2.8-2.4 billion years) and continued in the Proterozoic in the Nabberu basin (2.2-1.7 billion years), MacArthur, Birrindudu and Kimberley (1, 8-1.4 billion years), Bangemoll, Victoria River and South Nicholson (1.4-1 billion years), Amadius, Officer, Ngalia, Georgina (about 900 million years). In the Phanerozoic, syneclises (troughs) of Joseph-Bonaparte Bay, Canning, Yukla, grabens (troughs) of Perth, Carnarvon, Fitzroy aulacogen, etc. were formed.
The Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic are represented by shallow marine, lagoonal, and continental deposits of all systems. In the Cambrian, there was an outpouring of plateau basalts in the Kimberley Basin. At the end of the Carboniferous - the beginning of the Permian, a cover glaciation developed. In the Late Cretaceous, as a result of rifting, the separation of Australia from Antarctica and the Hindustan block ended. In the east of Australia there is an extended (3500 km) Tasmanian fold belt, in which fold systems stand out from west to east - Adelaide-Kanmantu, Thomson, Lachlan and New England, which completed their development, respectively, in the Cambrian, early Ordovician, Ordovician, Middle Devonian and at the end of the Paleozoic . The Lachlan and New England fold systems are separated by the Sydney Bowen Foredeep. Since the Triassic, the entire territory of Australia has developed in a platform mode. The cover of the Jurassic-Cretaceous age forms a large (2000 km across) syneclise of the Great Artesian Basin, overlying the folded formations of the Tasmanian belt, the Carpentaria and Murray depressions.
Minerals. Australia occupies a leading position among parts of the world in terms of reserves of uranium, diamonds, nickel, titanium in ilmenite-rutile placers. It is also extremely rich in ores of lead, zinc, tantalum, gold, iron, manganese, bauxites, phosphorites, brown and black coal, oil and natural gas, etc. (table).
Uranium deposits with unique reserves are known on the Gawler plateau (Olympic Dam) and the Pine Creek ledge (Jabiluka, Ranger). The East Kimberley is home to one of the world's largest primary diamond deposits, the Argyle lamproite pipe. Deposits of nickel-cobalt sulfide ores (Kambalda) and gold ores (Kalgoorlie) are associated with the Archean greenstone belts of Western Australia. Gold mineralization is also noted in the structures of the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic (Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, etc.). Nickel ore deposits are known in the Musgrave block. Pyrite deposits of lead, zinc, silver, and copper are concentrated in Proterozoic structures - the Mount Isa folded system, the MacArthur Basin, and others (Broken Hill, MacArthur River, Mount Isa). Deposits of lead ores - on the island of Tasmania. Deposits of ferruginous quartzites are associated with the Late Archean-Early Proterozoic sedimentary strata, the reserves of which in the Hamersley Basin (iron ore basin) are among the largest in the world. Deposits of tantalum ores - in Western Australia (Greenbushes and Woogdina). The weathering crusts along the Archean granites and Lower Proterozoic volcanic rocks are associated with bauxite deposits (Gov, Weipa). Phosphorite deposits are known in the Cambrian deposits of the Georgina Basin (Queensland and the Northern Territory). Huge reserves of coal are concentrated in the Permian deposits of Eastern Australia (the Sydney and Bowen coal basins). Oil and gas fields located in the Gipsland sedimentary basins in the Bass Strait, Carnarvon (Barrow), the Perth Trough, on the shelves of the western and northwestern coasts, they are open in the interior of Australia (the Amadius depression and the Great Artesian Basin), oil shale - in the states of Queensland and Tasmania. In Eastern Australia there are numerous deposits of ores of tungsten, molybdenum, tin, antimony, bismuth, vanadium, significant in terms of reserves. Tungsten deposits are known on King Island in Bass Strait. Small deposits of manganese ores - on the island of Groot Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in the states of the Northern Territory, Western Australia (WoodyWoody deposit). In the beach sands of the eastern and southwestern coasts - this means the amount of rutile, zircon, ilmenite, monazite. Australia has large resources of precious and ornamental stones, among which noble opal and sapphire play the main role (deposits in the states of South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland).
Climate. Australia is the driest continent on Earth (see maps average temperature air and annual precipitation). Climatic conditions characterized by high amounts solar radiation- from 5880 to 7500 MJ/m 2 per year. More than 50% of the territory is located in the tropical zone, the northern tip is in the subequatorial zone, and the southern tip is in the subtropical zone. In the north, precipitation falls mainly in summer (December - February), in the south - in winter (June - August). The dividing line between summer and winter precipitation maxima runs from 20-25°S in the west to 30-32°S in the east. Deviations of precipitation amounts from annual norms average from 15% to 40%; west of the Great Dividing Range, droughts are common, although in some months the amount of precipitation exceeds the annual norm. During the dry season, fires occur intermittently, mainly in the state of New South Wales.
Since the 1980s, there has been an “ozone hole” over Australia, which is associated with a sharp increase in the incidence of melanoma among the white population of the mainland. In the subequatorial climate zone the summer monsoon (up to 70% of precipitation falls) and winter dry seasons are clearly expressed. Constantly high air temperatures are characteristic - up to 20-28 ° С; before the start of rains - up to 40 ° C. The north coast is sometimes hit by tropical hurricanes; in 1974 Hurricane Tracy devastated the city of Darwin. Two sectors are distinguished in the tropical climatic zone: continental dry desert and semi-desert (from the coast of the Indian Ocean in the west to the Great Dividing Range in the east) and oceanic (on the east coast and windward mountain slopes) with hot, humid summers and warm, less humid winters. The mountains, although not high, prevent the advancement of wet air masses, and precipitation falls mainly on the coast and the eastern slopes of the ridges. In the central part of Australia, where during all year round continental tropical air dominates, and annual precipitation does not exceed 250 mm, tropical desert climate (with the hottest Great Sandy Desert in Australia). The average summer air temperature is 28-30°C, although it often rises to 40°C (the absolute maximum is 53.1°C), the winter temperature is 12-20°C (there are sharp cold snaps). Annual and especially daily temperature amplitudes reach 35-40°C. Precipitation usually falls in the form of short showers northern winds in summer and with the south - in winter. Relative air humidity 30-40%. In the southwestern part of the mainland, as well as in the southeastern, in the Murray River basin, there is a Mediterranean type of climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. On the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and in the north of Tasmania, the climate is monsoonal, evenly humid (up to 1500 mm of precipitation per year). The average temperature of the winter months is 5-10°C. In the Australian Alps, large amounts of precipitation are combined with significant seasonal fluctuations in air temperature (there are frosts down to -20 ° C in the mountains). The Nullarbor Plain receives very little rainfall (up to 250 mm) and is characterized by significant seasonal temperature differences (summer 22-24°C, winter 10-12°C). The southern part of the island of Tasmania enters temperate zone. The constant influence of the western air transport causes an abundance of precipitation on the western coast and mountain slopes. Seasonal differences in temperature (15°C in summer and 10°C in winter) are insignificant; in the mountains frosts down to -7°С.
Inland waters . Australia is characterized by a weak development of surface runoff (see map River runoff). The volume of river flow in Australia is only 350 km 3 (less than 1% of the total flow of the Earth's rivers), and the thickness of the runoff layer is about 50 mm per year (6 times less than in Europe, 8 times less than in South America). The most developed river network is on the island of Tasmania, where the rivers are full-flowing throughout the year, flow down from the mountains, are turbulent, rapids and have large reserves of hydropower. Australia's rivers are fed almost exclusively by rain. Only on the humid eastern outskirts of the mainland do non-drying short deep rivers, and the runoff layer increases to 400 mm per year. About 10% of the territory has a drain into the Pacific Ocean. Almost 30% belongs to the Indian Ocean basin, 60% belongs to the area of inland flow. The main watershed is the Great Dividing Range. From its western slopes flow the largest and most full-flowing Murray (Murray) rivers with the Darling tributary, which make up the largest river system mainland. The Murray (length 2570 km) is shorter than its tributary Darling (the longest river in Australia - 2740 km), but the most full-flowing (together with the tributary Murrumbidgee) river in Australia. The basin area of these rivers is 1057 thousand km2.
The rivers of the Murray Darling system have a large economic importance, their waters are used in hydropower and for irrigation of fertile but arid lands. In 1974, a project was carried out to transfer part of the flow of the Snowy River to the Murray River basin. Short, fast, rapids and the most full-flowing rivers flow towards the Coral and Tasman Seas with a clearly defined summer maximum: Fitzroy, Berdekin, Hunter, etc. In the lower reaches, some rivers are navigable: Clarence 100 km from the mouth, Hawkesbury 300 km. The largest rivers in the northern part of Australia - the Flinders, Victoria and Ord, flowing into the Arafura and Timor Seas, are navigable in the summer in the lower reaches. They often overflow their banks during the summer monsoon rains, and in winter they are weak narrow watercourses, which dry up in places in the upper reaches. The rivers of the southwestern part during the dry summer season turn into chains of shallow reservoirs. In desert and semi-desert areas, a network of dry channels, called "screams" in Australia, is preserved, filled with rainwater for a very a short time. A particularly dense network of screams (Cooper Creek, Diamantina, Air Creek, etc.) in the Central Plain, where they head to the drainless drying lake Air North. The Nullarbor Plain, devoid of intermittent streams, has an underground water network that flows towards the Great Australian Bight. On the Ord River, Australia's largest reservoir in terms of area, Ord Argyle (about 800 km 2), was created.
There are many lakes and ancient lake basins in Australia. For the most part lakes are drainless and saline, many are filled only after rains. The largest lake, Air North, in the wettest years reaches an area of 15,000 km 2 ; in the dry period, it breaks up into shallow water bodies separated by salt marshes. Large salt lakes include Torrens, Gairdner, Frome, and others. In the western part of Australia, numerous endorheic lakes form a plain of salt lakes. On the Gordon River (Tasmania Island) is Australia's largest reservoir in terms of volume, Gordon (11.8 km 3). Especially large in Australia are groundwater resources, including artesian waters, whose basins occupy one third of the mainland (about 2.5 million km 2). 6500 artesian wells in more than 30 artesian basins provide water for industrial, agricultural and domestic purposes. The largest of them: the Great Artesian Basin, Murray, Moreton-Clarence, Yukla, Officer, Georgina, Canning, Carnarvon, Perth, Gipsland. Due to strong mineralization, not all The groundwater usable.
Soils. In most of Australia, in inland arid and semi-arid regions, primitive soils of tropical and subtropical deserts and semi-deserts. In Western Australia, gravel soils and semi-fixed ferruginous nodular sands (products of ancient soil formation) predominate, on the plains of the Central Lowland - sandy-clay and clay soils, around the salt lakes - solonchaks. As moisture increases and the degree of lateritization of the soil stratum increases, the primitive soils of deserts are replaced by reddish-brown semi-desert and red-brown soils of savannahs. IN subequatorial belt podzolized red soils and podzolized lateritic soils were formed, in the subtropical - gray-brown (often solonetzic) and brown soils are characteristic. In the mountains under the forests, red-yellow ferralitic soils are formed, and on the island of Tasmania - brown and yellow-brown forest soils. Often, especially in the subtropics, so-called binomial soils are found, which have a buried profile of ancient soil. Australia is a continent of ancient weathering crusts, lateritic in the north and west, siliceous in the southeast. In the vast ancient lake basins and runoff hollows, dark-colored merged soils have formed. All these types of soils are poor in biophilic elements and require significant doses of fertilizers. Among the destructive processes, secondary salinization, water erosion and deflation are the most common.
Vegetation. The flora and fauna of Australia is distinguished by antiquity and a high degree of endemism. The Australian floristic kingdom, which includes Australia and Tasmania, has no equal in terms of the number of endemics: out of 12 thousand species of higher plants, 80% are endemic (for example, about 500 species of the genus Acacia and about 500 species of the genus Eucalyptus, the most typical representatives Australian flora). Along with this, there are representatives of genera and families common in South America (southern beech), South Africa(Proteaceae) and in Southeast Asia (ficus, pandanus, etc.). Formations are represented in Australia rainforest, wet and dry sclerophilic forests, tropical and subtropical woodlands, various types bushes, savannahs, semi-deserts and deserts (see map Geographical zones and zones). An important role in their distribution is played by the degree of moistening of the territory. On the peninsula of Arnhem Land, on the low coastal plains, mangroves are found. The northern and eastern margins of the mainland are occupied by indigenous humid tropical evergreen forests. Giant eucalyptus trees, ficuses, palm trees, pandanuses predominate in their composition. Along the river valleys, the tropical rain forest penetrates into the zone of humid savannahs with rare groups of trees (eucalyptus, bottle tree, acacia). To the south, on the eastern outskirts of Australia, rising along the humid eastern and southeastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, dense tropical and subtropical forests grow (from eucalyptus trees, tree ferns, representatives of the genus Callitris). With an increase in continentality, forests are replaced by tropical woodlands, shrubs and savannahs.
In the interior of Australia, dense, almost impenetrable thorny thickets of low shrubs are common (low acacias and shrub forms of eucalyptus predominate), as well as extensive sandy (Large sandy desert, big desert Victoria, Simpson, and others) deserts with typical tall turf grasses (spinifex). There are rocky or clay-saline (Gibson) deserts with saltwort-shrub vegetation. Deserts and semi-deserts occupy about 70% of the territory. In the south-west of Australia, on the western slopes of the Darling Range, monodominant forests grow from the bordering eucalyptus - yarraha (height up to 150 m). On the island of Tasmania, wet mixed forests (eucalyptus, southern beeches, tree ferns) are common on the western windward margins, and steppe meadows are on the eastern slopes. Forests, including artificial plantations of American radiata pine, occupied (2000) about 5% of the mainland, including tropical rainforests less than 0.5%. In the guise of modern Australian landscapes huge role plants imported from other regions of the world (food, fodder and technical), which replaced natural vegetation on large areas. Alien species of plants (buffalo grass, cryptostegia, giant bashful mimosa, prickly pear, etc.) have become malicious weeds.
Anthropogenic landscapes are significantly different from natural ones. into the sphere economic activity about 65% of the territory is involved. About 40% of all forests have been reduced, including 75% of tropical rainforests (separate massifs in the east have been preserved), more than 60% of wetlands of the coastal zone in the south and east of Australia have been lost. The most profound changes have been made in the natural landscapes of the subtropical belts. Almost all coastal plains and intermountain basins have been turned into cultivated pastures, orchards and plantations. To the west of the Great Dividing Range, grazing and arable land predominates. The largest tracts of irrigated land are concentrated here and the largest amount of grain is produced (the so-called wheat-sheep belt), fruits, vegetables, etc. Fields, orchards, plantations and vineyards are combined with cultivated pastures, also irrigated. The Nullarbor Plain has preserved almost unchanged landscapes with shrub and semi-desert formations. In Western Australia, within the subtropical belt, pastures and arable land are widespread, in the extreme southwest - forestry, on the southwest coast - arable and horticultural landscapes, mainly around the city of Perth and other cities. The rest of the territories (except for protected lands) are occupied by pastures. In the main agricultural areas, soils are subject to processes of secondary salinization and accelerated erosion. On the island of Tasmania, mainly in the eastern part, pastures, arable lands and horticultural and plantation anthropogenic landscapes predominate.
Animal world Australia and the adjacent islands are so peculiar that it stands out as a special Australian zoogeographic region. The fauna is characterized by poverty species composition, endemism and the presence of relics. There are only 235 species of mammals, 720 - birds, 420 - reptiles, 120 - amphibians (90% of vertebrate species are endemic). The area is distinguished by the uniqueness of mammals: only here their most primitive representatives live - monotremes (oviparous platypus, echidna and prochidna). Particularly diverse marsupials (more than 10 endemic families): carnivores (marsupial mice, marsupial rats, marsupial martens); marsupial anteaters (one species - in the southwest of Australia); marsupial moles (in the sandy deserts of Central Australia); climbing marsupials - possums (in humid tropical and subtropical forests lead mainly an arboreal way of life); koalas (one species, marsupial bear, inhabits eucalyptus forests); wombats (marsupial marmots); kangaroos (kangaroo rats, wallabies, real kangaroos) found in various natural landscapes (deserts, forests, etc.).
On the island of Tasmania, two representatives of marsupials that are absent on the mainland live - the marsupial wolf and the marsupial devil. The higher mammals of Australia are represented by only two orders - bats ( the bats) and rodents (beaver rats, rabbit rats, kangaroo mice - all from the mouse family). The birds are very diverse: emu, cassowary, lyrebird, birds of paradise, different kinds parrots and pigeons (including the crowned pigeon), honeysuckers, weed chickens. Waterfowl nest on rivers and lakes: black swan, geese, etc. Among reptiles there are frilled lizard, moloch, asps. In tropical rainforests, endemic species of ants, termites, butterflies and beetles are numerous. Inland waters are rich in fish, including endemic species (lungfish cattail). Johnson's crocodile and snake-necked tortoise are common. Predators include dingoes and foxes. Numerous are rats, camels, and rabbits (which have destroyed the grass cover over vast areas), brought from the Old World as pets or objects of hunting. found in southern Tasmania typical representative Antarctic fauna - little penguin. As a result of anthropogenic impacts, 10 out of 144 species of marsupials and 8 out of 53 local species of rodents became extinct. Due to deforestation, many species of animals have become endangered, about 17% of mammal species are listed in the IUCN Red List. The introduced representatives of the faunas of other continents caused big damage nature.
Specially Protected Areas. In Australia, there are more than 4.5 thousand specially protected natural areas of various categories, occupying about 8% of the area of Australia, including about 500 national parks and natural monuments (among them the symbol of Australia, the remnant massif of Ere Rock). 12 national parks are included in global network biosphere reserves, 15 are included in the World Heritage List. In 1879, the Royal National Park, the first on the mainland and the second in the world, was created in the state of New South Wales, located 32 km south of Sydney. The most significant include the world's largest marine park, the Great Barrier Reef (an area of 500,000 km 2) and Kakadu National Park.
History of geographical research. Even in ancient times, it was assumed that in the Southern Hemisphere there is a vast continent stretching to the polar latitudes. Ptolemy (2nd century), and then scientists of the late Middle Ages, showed on maps the continent south of the Tropic of Capricorn and called it Terra Australis Incognita (Unknown South Land). It is believed that the Dutchman V. Janszon was the first European who landed in 1606 on the Australian coast in the Gulf of Carpentaria. In the same year, the Spaniard L. Torres discovered the strait, named after him. In the 1620s, the Dutch navigators J. Carstens, W. van Kolstert, F. Thijsen and P. Neyts discovered the peninsulas of Arnhem Land and Cape York, as well as the western part south coast Australia. By 1640 Dutch sailors had visited the western, northern and southern coasts. In 1642, the Dutchman A. Tasman passed south of the mainland and discovered an island, which he called Van Diemen's Land. Later, this island was renamed in honor of the discoverer and became known as Tasmania. In 1644, Tasman, moving along the northern coast of Australia, proved that the open land was much smaller than expected and did not go into the cold polar latitudes. The western part of Australia is called New Holland.
In 1770, the English navigator John Cook discovered the east coast of Australia and declared new land colony of Great Britain, naming it New South Wales. In 1778, the first English penal colony was founded (on the site of modern Sydney). In 1798, the Englishman J. Bass went around the island of Tasmania and mapped the strait, later named after him. His compatriot captain of the Royal Navy M. Flinders in 1797-1803 sailed around the entire mainland, and on his maps (since 1814) appeared modern name- Australia.
Exploration of the interior of the mainland to find land suitable for grazing began in the 19th century. The first expedition to overcome the Blue Mountains was led in 1813 by G. Blacksland. The Englishman C. Sturt discovered (1829-30) the Darling River and went down the Murray River to the mouth. During the English expeditions in 1830-45, T. Mitchell discovered vast fertile plains to the west of the Great Dividing Range; E. Air mapped the Torrens and North Air lakes, the Flinders and Gawler ridges, and in 1841 traveled along the south coast to Albany. In 1840, the Polish traveler P. Strzelecki discovered the highest peak - Mount Kosciuszko. In 1844-45, the German traveler L. Leichhardt walked along the Great Dividing Range to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and then went to west coast peninsula of Arnhem Land, where the city of Darwin is now located. From north to south, the British expeditions of R. Burke and W. Willis (1860) and J. Stuart (1862) crossed the mainland; from east to west in the 1870s - the English expeditions of J. Forrest, E. Giles, P. Warburton. By the end of the 19th century, all of Australia's major geographic features were mapped.
peoples. Indigenous people Australia - Aboriginal Australians, whose ancestors first appeared on the mainland about 60 thousand years BC (a discovery of a man from Lake Mungo, 62 thousand years ago). From the end of the 16th century, Australia began to be settled by Europeans, in the 17th century - mainly by the Dutch, from the end of the 17th century - by the British. As a result of the colonization of Australia by immigrants from the British Isles, the main population modern Australia- Anglo-Australians.
In the 19th century, especially after the "gold rush" of the 1850s and 60s, immigrants from Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, China, the USA, and Canada appeared in Australia. Immigration to Australia continued into the 20th century, including from Malaysia, the Philippines, India and Pakistan. After the 2nd World War, thousands of refugees and displaced persons found themselves in Australia, after the Hungarian events of 1956 - about 14 thousand Hungarians, after the Czechoslovak events of 1968 - about 6 thousand Czechs and Slovaks, in the 1970s - about 15 thousand refugees from Lebanon, about 70 thousand - from Indochina. Now in Australia there are about 100 ethnic groups speaking, according to various estimates, 75-100 languages, not counting English and Aboriginal languages. About 25% of the Australian population is of non-British ethnic origin. Thus, the number of Maltese in Australia exceeds the Maltese population of Malta. Ethno-territorial and professional groups have developed: Italian farmers in New South Wales, German vine growers in the Barrosa Valley; there are large Italian, Greek, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian and other communities in the cities.
See the map of Australia. Peoples. See also the Population section of the article Australia (state).
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