GEOGRAPHY OF AUSTRALIA

   The Outback

   The Outback is a great vast land.  It makes up most of Australia, about 70 percent.  The outback is mostly made of great plains and low plateaus.  It is also a very dry place.
   Though the outback does not receive much rain, it doesn't lack underground water.  However, the underground water is too salty for people to drink and crops to grow.  That's why hardly any people live there.

Oceans to Rivers

   Since Australia is an island, it is surrounded by water.  Most of this water are oceans, though there are only two around it.  The Pacific, which is west of Australia, and the Indian, which is east of Australia.
   The other large bodies around Australia are called seas.  Three seas - the Tasman, to the southwest, the Timor, to the south, and the Coral, to the north - surround the Land Down Under.  The Great Australian Bight (a gulf) is southeast of Australia.

States and Cities

    The country has a very low population for its size, only about 17,000,000 people!  The largest city, Sydney, has 3, 600,000 people.  The low population is a result of only living is 30% of the land.
    Australia consists of six states and two territories.  The states are Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.  The two territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.  Some large cities are Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and Darwin.

Climate

    Temperatures are wild in the Aussie land.  It usually snows in June, July and August.  It goes to as high as 104°F in December, January and February.  Because Australia is so large and has many different geographical areas, temperatures are very different across that nation.
      Rainfall is also crazy in Australia.  Seventy percent of the country receives less than 20 inches of rain each year.  Droughts sometimes last for ten years!  However, this amazing country also has a city (Carins) that gets over eight feet of rain each year!
     

From the outrageous outback to the crazy climate, Australia has an incredibly diverse geographical character.  

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