In history’s page, let every stage

Advance Australia’s Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross

We’ll toil hearts and hands;

To make this Commonwealth of ours

Renowned of all the lands;

For those who’ve come across the seas

We’ve boundless plains to share;

With courage let us all combine

To advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

THE NATIONAL FLAG OF AUSTRALIA

The national flag of Australia is the only one to fly over the whole continent. The small Union Jack in the upper left corner represents the historical link with Britain. The large seven-pointed star represents the six states and the Territories. The small stars form the Southern Cross, the symbol of the Southern Hemisphere night sky.

THE COAT OF ARMS

The coat of arms of Australia was granted by King George V in 1912. On the coat of arms is a shield containing the badges of the six states. The supporters are native Australian fauna – a kangaroo and an emu. In the design there is also a yellow-flowered native plant wattle.

THE NATIONAL DAY OF AUSTRALIA

The national day of Australia is January 26. It marks the date in 1788 when Captain Arthur Philip, of the British Royal Navy, commanded a fleet of 11 ships and sailed into port Jackson (Sidney Cove).

1. Structure and relief

Geographical position

The name Australia comes from the Latin word australis, meaning southern. The countries official name is Commonwealth of Australia. Australia is the only country in the world that is also a continent. It lies entirely south of the equator, between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Australia is about 11,000 kilometers southwest of North America and nearly 3,000 kilometers southeast of mainland Asia. Because of its position on the globe Australia is often referred to as being the Land Down Under – it lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere.

Once this land was called Terra Australia Incognita – the unknown southern land. For centuries the continent was just a blur and a mystery in the minds of early European explorers. The Australia of today began to take shape some 50 million years ago when it broke away from the great southern continent known as Gondwanaland. This land mass at one time incorporated Africa, South America and India. Because of its age Australia is a land in which even animals and plants, developed in isolation, are different and found nowhere else in the world. Some varieties of birds and animals developed after Australia’s formation as a separate continent. Contrasts coexist in every corner of the land.

The total area of Australia is 7,713,000 square kilometers. It ranks as the sixth largest country in the world. Its population is over 19,000,000 people. The density of population is 2 people per 1 square kilometer.

Australia is the world’s largest island. From east to west it stretches for 3,983 kilometers. Its coastline is 27,948 kilometers. The Australian continent spans four time zones. It takes almost three days to cross by express train. Highway One, the coastal road around the continent is almost as long as the distance from London to Honolulu. Cattle stations (farms) in the Northern Territory are larger than some European states.

Australia was the last inhabitable land mass to be discovered by Europeans and the last to be settled by them.

Australia is dry, thinly populated land. Only a few areas along or near the coast receive enough rainfall to support a large population. The southeastern coastal region has the most people by far.

Australia occupies a favorable geographical position in the southern hemisphere. From mainland Asia it is separated by the Indonesian archipelago and the Timor Sea. The world’s second largest island, New Guinea, lies directly north of Australia. The northwest of Australia is washed by the Coral Sea, where close neighbors of Australia, the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides are to be found. To the east there are only coral reefs and a few small islands. New Zealand, which has close ties of culture and common interests with Australia, lies about 2,000 kilometers southeast of Australia across a part of the Pacific Ocean called the Tasman Sea. The Indian and the Pacific Oceans meet

along the south coast of Australia. There is one large island south of mainland Australia. It is called Tasmania and is one of the six states making up the Commonwealth of Australia. West of Australia there are only a few small islands between that continent and Africa.

Australia is surrounded by water, like an island, but geographers classify it as a continent because of its great size. Sometimes it is referred to as an island continent. Most of Australia is low and flat. The highest and most mountainous land lies along the east coast. Nearly all the land west of this region, about 90 per cent of the total land area, consists of plains and plateaus.

Physical Features

Geographically Australia may be divided into three major land regions. They are the Eastern Highlands, the Central Lowlands and Western Plateau.

The Eastern Highlands extend from Cape York Peninsula in extreme northeastern Australia to the south coast of Tasmania. A low plain with sandy beaches and rocky cliffs stretches along the Pacific coast. This region receives more rainfall than any other part of the country. The Eastern Highlands are also known as the Great Dividing Range because their slopes divide the flow of the rivers in the region. In the extreme southern part of the eastern Highlands rise the Australian Alps, the highest mountains on the continent. The highest peak, Mount Kosciusko, rises 2,228 meters above sea level. The highest peaks in the Australian Alps are snow covered in winter and attract many skiers.

The Central Lowlands are generally flat. Many rivers of the area fill up only after heavy rains and their beds are dry most of the year. In the southern part of the Central Lowlands farmers grow wheat. Most of the rest of the region is too dry or too hot for most kinds of crops. However, much of the land is covered with coarse grass or shrubs and is used to graze livestock. The west-central part of the region is a barren, sandy desert. Lake Eyre, the lowest point in Australia, lies 16 meters below sea level along the southern edge of this desert.

The Western Plateau covers the western two-thirds of Australia. Deserts cover the central part of the Western Plateau. Except in the south and northeast, the deserts gradually give way to land covered by grass and shrubs. Much of this land is used to graze livestock. A vast, dry treeless plateau called the Nullarbor Plain extends about 640 kilometers along the southern edge of the region.

This region contains the four major deserts of the country. The Simpson Desert lies along the western edge of the Central Lowlands. The three other deserts – the Gibson Desert, the Great Sandy Desert, the Great Victoria Desert - cover the central part of the Western Plateau. They occupy about one-third of Australia.

Rivers and Lakes

Rivers and lakes are of vital importance for Australia. They provide the cities and towns with drinking water, and they supply farmers with much-needed water for irrigation. However, most of the Australia’s rivers are dry at least part of the year. They fill with water only during the rainy season. The rainy season occurs in summer in northern Australia, and in winter in southern Australia. Dams and reservoirs on all the largest rivers store water for use during the dry season.

The longest permanently flowing river in Australia is the Murray River. It starts in the snowy Mountains and flows westwards 2,589 kilometers. It empties into the ocean southeast of Adelaide. During the southern dry season, the Murray is fed by the country’s longest river, the Darling. The Darling is dry along most of its course in the winter. Its flow increases in summer, when the northern and central parts of the Eastern Highlands receive most of their rain.

Australia’s only large permanent lakes have been artificially created. They include Lake Argyle in western Australia and Lake Gordon in Tasmania. Most of Australian natural lakes are dry for months or years at a time. Dry lakes are called playas. Most of the time playa is simply a dry bed of a salt clay. It fills with water only after heavy rains. The largest playas are in South Australia. They include Lake Eyre, Lake Torrens, Lake Gairdner and Lake Frome.

Australia has a lot underground water. But most of it is too salty for people to drink or for use as irrigation water. In many areas, however, the water is not too salty for livestock to drink. Much of Australia’s underground water is artesian water. Artesian water is tapped under such great pressure that it is gushed to the surface through any opening.

Australian’s chief source of artesian water is a vast underground rock formation called the Great Artesian Basin. Most of the water in the Great Artesian Basin is quite salty and so can be drunk only by livestock. The water in the coastal basin has less salt. Some of this water is used for irrigation. Adelaide, Perth and many smaller communities get some drinking water from coastal basins.

Climate

Australia lies south of the equator, and so its seasons are opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere. The southern part of the continent has four distinct seasons. Winter, the wettest and the coolest season in Australia, lasts from June through August. Summer, which is the hottest and the driest season, lasts from December through February.

Tropical northern Australia has only two seasons – a wet season and a dry one. The wet season corresponds with summer and lasts from November through April. The dry season corresponds with winter and lasts from May through October.

The northern and northeastern coast of Queensland is tropical jungle and rain forest. The wet season brings heavy downpours and violent storms. In summer the air is very humid and the wearing of clothes is a discomfort.

In general Australia has a warm, dry climate. But climate differs from one part of the country to another. Almost all the precipitation is in the form of rain. Snow falls only in the extreme southeastern highland. July is the coolest month in every part of Australia. Winter temperature is 2C. Frost and snow occur. Frost and snow occur in the Australian Alps and Tasmania.

The Great Barrier Reef

Australia is a land of geographical surprises. In central Australia there is Ayers Rock, the largest monolith on earth. It is about 2.4 kilometers long and 300 meters high and has numerous small caves. The walls of many of the caves are covered with rock paintings made long ago by Aboriginal artists. It is a popular tourist attraction.

The Great Barrier Reef, which runs along the northeastern coast of Australia, is the world’s largest coral reef and also one of the Australia’s most popular tourist attractions. Although its name suggests one reef, the Great Barrier Reef is a chain of more than 2,500 reefs. It also includes many small islands. The reefs and islands extend in a nearly unbroken chain for about 2,000 kilometers. The reefs are composed of about 400 species of corals of many shapes and colors. The waters about the Great Barrier Reef are warm all year round. The warm waters and the beauty of the coral formations attract swimmers and skin divers. It is also a resort area.