Physical Features

Formerly called “Ayer’s Rock” Immense monolith in the middle of the red, sandy plains of Australia’s outback 1,142 ft. high 5.8 miles around Sacred site to the Aboriginal people, one of the oldest societies on Earth

“Comprised of over 3,000 individual reef systems and coral cays with literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands” One of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World o Larger than the Great Wall of China o Only living thing on Earth visible from space

Great Dividing Range Located along the East coast of Australia Creates a rain shadow inside the continent The Outback—area of little rain or vegetation in center of Australia Accounts for Australia’s population being roughly 22 million and America’s being approximately 311 million despite being about the same size (if you discount Alaska)

Rain Shadows?!? When warm moist winds blow inland from the ocean toward a coastal mountain range the winds are forced upward over the mountains as these warm winds rise the air cools and the moisture falls out as precipitation. This is called orographic precipitation. On the other side of the mountain, the air descends and warms, drying it out as the precipitation ends. This side of the mountain can be much dryer, and is called the Rain Shadow.

Great Dividing Range

The Outback A vast, remote, arid area of Australia Very low rainfall (rain shadow) Hence low population (and infrastructure) Mining & Herding—Primary Occupations Location: inland Australia

Located on Southern Island of New Zealand 450 km long Contains over 3,000 glaciers (of at least a hectacre) Highest peak is Mt. Cook/Aoraki

Glaciers of Southern Alps Fox Glacier Heli-hiking on Franz Joseph Glacier

Subcontinent located to north-east of Africa Largest peninsula on Earth (approx. 3.2 sq km) Primarily comprised of desert (but also has fertile river valleys and mountains)

Ganges River

Approximately 1,500 mile long river arises in Himalayas Created boundary between India & Bangladesh Most heavily populated river basin in world (400 million total or a population density of about 1,000 people per square mile) Most sacred river in Hindu religion Unfortunately, also among top five… Worst polluted!

Gobi Desert A cold desert located between China & Mongolia Home to Genghis Khan’s Mongol Empire (think the hordes that attacked Mulan) Caused by rain shadow from Himalayas 5 th Largest desert in the world Asia’s largest desert

World’s Highest Mountain Range Has the five highest peaks in the world including: #1 Everest (29,029 ft) #2 K2 (28,251 ft) The highest mountain outside of Asia is Aconcagua in the Andes (22, 841 ft) while there are OVER 100 mountains peaks exceeding 26,000 ft in the Himalayas!!!

World’s oldest lake (at least 25 million years) Also, deepest (ave. 2,442 ft.) in the world & the clearest Contains approx. 20% of world’s surface, fresh water Located in southern Siberia Formed in rift valley (like Africa’s) Home to more than 1,700 plant species (2/3 of which are unique to it)

Indian Subcontinent (Peninsula)

Southerly region of Asia projecting into Indian Ocean India includes the largest portion Was attached to Africa in Pangea Plate shifts over millions of years caused it to collide with Asia Formed the Himalayan Mounts