Instructions Use the slides in this presentation to locate, label, and describe the physical features of Australia. Be sure to create a symbol for each feature that you can use to show where it is on the map. Be careful and make sure you put the information in the correct area.

New Zealand SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Symbol Key Mountains Rock Lake Basin Outback Reef

Lake Hillier

Lake Hillier is located on an island off the southeast coast of Western Australia. From above the lake appears to be a solid bubble gum pink color. It is approximately 600 meters long and is surrounded by a rim of sand and eucalyptus trees. No one is sure exactly what causes it to have a pink color, but scientist think it could be a dye created by small organisms in the lake or by a bacteria found in the salt crust.

Lake Eyre Lake Eyre is a salt lake located in the deserts of northern South Australia. When full, it is the largest lake in Australia. The lake is normally dry, and fills completely only an average of twice in a century, but partial, minor fillings happen much more often. Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia at approximately 15 meters below sea level.

The Outback All of inland Australia and most of north and north-west Australia is generally known as the Outback. It takes up 2.5 million square miles of land, covering most of the continent. This huge plain contains multiple deserts, dry grasslands and a harsh climate. The Outback receives little rain due to a rain shadow caused by the Great Dividing Range. The area’s harsh features causes it to have a very small population, but several mining camps and cattle and sheep ranches dot the region.

Ayers Rock Ayers Rock is one of the oldest rocks on Earth. This huge, reddish rock is located in the middle of Australia, within the Outback. "Uluru," as Ayers Rock is called by Aborigines, gets it red color from the iron that rusts at the surface. Uluru was formed over a period of about 500 million years, and was created when sand piled up on the bottom of an ocean that once covered the middle of Australia. Over the years, wind and rain have beat at the rock. By now, the flattened top is 1,142 feet above the plains and the base is an amazing 5 miles around! Aborigines believe the rock has spiritual powers.

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range is Australia’s only substantial mountain range. It stretches across the entire eastern coastline measuring 2,300 miles in length. This series of plateaus and low mountains creates a rain shadow that produces fertile farmlands on the eastern side of the continent, while the western half has turned into harsh deserts and dry grasslands. The fertile farmland of the east coast is where most of Australia’s population is located.

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef lies off Australia’s northeastern coast. Coral formations have piled up for millions of years to create a colorful chain that stretches 1,250 miles. This make it the largest coral reef in the world! A coral reef is a structure formed by the skeletons of small sea animals. The Great Barrier Reef forms a natural break between the strong waves of the Pacific and the coast of Australia.

Great Artesian Basin The Great Artesian Basin is an underground water resource that covers one-fifth of Australia’s land mass. It is the largest and deepest artesian basin in the world; stretching over 660,00 sq. miles. The Great Artesian Basin takes up most of Queensland and part of the Northern Territory. Because water is scarce in this area, Australians use the basin as their main source of water by drilling wells.