1. Australia The Land Down Under

2. Australia Geography & History SS6G12: Locate on a world and regional physical-political map: the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Ayers Rock and Great Victoria Desert SS6G13: Describe how Australia’s location, climate and natural resources have affected where people live. SS6G14: Explain the impact of English colonization on the language and religion of Australia.

3. Geography of Australia Continent that is also a country and island Great Dividing Range: largest mountain range in Australia Ayers Rock: 12 stories high; 6 miles wide Coral Sea: home to Great Barrier Reef Southern Hemisphere: Summer is Dec-March Outback is the dry interior of country 90% of people live in urban (cities) areas

4. Coral Sea Off the northeast coast of Australia, forming part of the Pacific Ocean, is the Coral Sea. The Coral Sea is warm, but there are many storms.

5. Great Barrier Reef  Billions of tiny organisms called coral join together to form the Great Barrier Reef.  It is an underwater system of coral that is the world’s largest living organism.  It is now a protected park and a scuba diving adventure.

6. Great Barrier Reef Underwater system of coral (live) that creates the world’s largest organism.

7. Ayers Rock/Uluru  Ayers Rock is a huge rock jutting out of the desert in Australia. It was named after Sir Henry Ayers, a government official, in 1873.  The rock is called Uluru by the Anangu Native People of Australia. They consider it a sacred place.

8. Ayers Rock/Uluru: 12 stories high; 6 miles wide. Sacred to Aborigines.

9. Great Victoria Desert The Great Victoria Desert is the third-largest desert in the world. Home to the Ngaanyatjarra Native People, it was named for Queen Victoria in 1875. Covers part of Western and Southern Australia

10. Great Victoria Desert

11. Aboriginal Land  Humans came to the island 50,000-70,000 years ago. Over 750,000 people, in 250 different language groups, hunted and gathered food and used stone tools all over the island. They are now called Aboriginals, people from the origins.

12. Aboriginal Culture Aboriginal cultures are diverse, but many honor the Dreamtime, a sacred time when ancestor spirits shared in the Creation. Their stone-age culture did not change until contact with Europeans. Today 3% of Australians are Aboriginal.

13. Aborigines in Australia

14. British Exploration European explorers visited the island looking for spices, but they did not stay. In 1768, Captain James Cook explored the land, claimed it for England, recommended colonization, and called it New South Wales. The name Australia, which means “southern” in Latin, was made official in 1804.

15. James Cook, first to sail & land on east coast (1770) 1768 left England 1770 landed in Botany Bay 90 men on ship

16. Captain James Cook

17. Prison Colony Dutch sailors ‘discovered’ but did not colonize (1600’s) British prisoners were sent to colonies overseas. Starting in 1788, England shipped prisoners to 10,000 miles to New South Wales. Over the next 100 years, 160,000 British convicts arrived. Some decided to stay after serving. Europeans introduced Christianity in 1788. Irish convicts were mostly Roman Catholic. Other convicts and those who managed them were from various denominations. Today most Australians are Christians. Other religions combined make up less than 5 percent of the population,

18. Gold Rush and Immigration In 1850, gold was discovered in Australia; immigrants eagerly made the journey from England. In 1901, Australia was granted independence.

19. Constitutional Monarchy Australia is no longer a British colony, but it is still connected to the United Kingdom. Australian soldiers served heroically with Britain in both world wars. Australia is a constitutional monarchy. The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is the ceremonial head of state. The flag of Australia includes the British flag in the upper left corner and scattered stars on dark blue. Queen Elizabeth II photo is featured on Australian currency.

20. Impact of European Diseases and Weapons Some Aborigines people welcomed the colonist. Some thought whites were the spirits of the dead. Others tried to protect their hunting lands and homes. The most damaging things Europeans brought to Australia were diseases. Smallpox, for instance was knew and they had no immunity. It is estimated that half of the indigenous people of Australia died from diseases brought by Europeans.

21. Aborigines Migrated from Asia 60,000 years ago Hunter-gatherers 315,000 at time of English colonization, but disease dramatically reduced their numbers. Today, most live in Northern Territory; 27% of population there. Today, 2% of total Australian population

22. Great Dividing Range: largest mountain range in Australia

23. OUTBACK is the dry interior of country and is the largest part of Australia (about 70%).

24. 90% of people live in urban areas