Australia and Oceania Notes

Great Dividing Range Located: East Coast This is where most rivers begin

Central Lowlands Rivers: –Darling –Murray Why important?

Outback

Great Barrier Reef Location: NE Coast World’s largest reef National Park Made up of 2,500 small reefs of coral Length: 1,250 miles (Basically New York City to Miami) Coral are the limestone skeletons of tiny sea animals

Coral

Islands Melanesia –“Black Islands” Micronesia –“Little Islands” Polynesia –“Many Islands” New Zealand Photo of New Zealand

Climate and Vegetation Australia –Tropical Rainforest –Desert –Grassland Oceania –Tropical Rainforest Coconut Palms New Zealand –Marine West Coast (Temperate) Manuka: Small Shrub Kauri Tree Photo of Manuka and Kuari Tree

Native Cultures Aborigines in Australia –Means “from the beginning” –Came from SE Asia –Nomads at first –Traveled in Clans (means family group) Maori in New Zealand –Came from Pacific Islands of Polynesia by boat –Est villages where farmed and fished

Aborigines

Maori

European Settlement Colonization –Why?

Natural Resources Australia –Only 10% Farming Wheat Barley Fruit Sugarcane –Ranching: Cattle, Sheep, Chickens –Minerals: Bauxite –Coal and Petroleum New Zealand –Fertile Soil (55%) –Sheep and Wool –Timber –Hydroelectric Power (75%) –Geothermal Energy (Water heated underground by volcanoes) –Fishing Industry