B A III YEAR A.N.COLLEGE PATLIPUTRA UNIVERSITY, PATNA. BY DR. BHAWANA NIGAM Physiography of Australia Introduction  Australia is smallest continent of the world but the sixth-largest country in the world.  The population of Australia is concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts.  The geography of the country is extremely diverse, ranging from the snow capped mountains of the Australian Alps and Tasmania to large deserts, tropical and temperate forests.  Neighboring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the French dependency of New Caledonia to the east, and New Zealand to the southeast  It is located in Oceania between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean TYR TO FIND THEM IN YOUR ATLAS

Student kindly take notes of all the sea like TIMOR SEA, ARAFURA SEA, CORAL SEA, TASMAN SEA,

Next the location of GULF OF CARPENTHRIA, GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT, BASS STRAIGHT, GREAT DIVIDING RANGE, GREAT BARRIER REEF. note:-

 Oceania :- scattered island of pacific ocean are known as OCEANIA. It is culturally divided into 1. Australia 2. New Zealand 3. Melanesia 4. Micronesia 5. Polynesia.

 Australia is located between 10○20’ and 43○20’s latitudes and 112○30’E and 153○30’E longitudes.  Australia is bounded by Timor sea and Arafura sea in the north-west  By Torres strait in the north –east  by south Pacific ocean in the East  By Antarctic ocean in the south  By Indian Ocean in the West. RELIEF/ PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISION

 Australia can be divided into 4 physiographic divisions:-

Western Australian Great Artesian shield Basin

Eastern Coastal Uplands Plains.

Western Australian shield

 Occupies the western part of Australia  Covers about 50% of the continent  Extends from Indian oceanic coast to MacDonnell range.  The shield is divided into different physical features known as “lineaments”.  These include- uplands; intervening lowlands and deserts. uplan Intervenin desert g ds lowlands s • • Great sandy •Kimberly Eucla basin/ desert nullorbore plain •Gibson desert Plateau •Barkley •Great Victorian • tableland desert Arnhem •Salina land •Tanami desert • •Gibson basin Simpson desert land •Sturt stony desert

Kimberly plateau Arnham land Australian deserts Great artesian basin

 Largest Artesian basin of the world  Covering about 15 lakh sq. km  Extend from the Carpentaria gulf in the north to the Murray basin in the new south Wales.  It include three basins;-  Carpentaria Basin  Eyre Basin  Murray-Darling basin. Great artesian basin Great artesian basin

Carpentri EYRE Murray- Darling a basin basin Basin

•Occupies southern part of •Between the •Extends over the central and the great Artesian basin Northern Australia ROPER basin and •Drained by the rivers •Lowest part of Australia, 17 Murray and Darling Isa upland meters below the sea level •River murray originates from •The basin is drained by •Extensive flat area the Australian ALPS, and rivers like EYRE, the flows into ENCOUNTER covered by DIAMENTINA, the bay. THOMPSON, the BARCOO. sediments •The Darling river originates •Palaya ( lakes formed due to from north east and meets deposited by the solution of rocks), and salt the river Murray in its lower pans are common here. rivers course.

Eastern Uplands

 Also known as AUSTRALIAN CORDILLERA  Extends from YORK peninsula to in the north to BASS STRAIT in the south  It again apperars in TASMANIA island.  The eastern part is in the form of continuous low mountains known as GREAT DIVIDING RANGE.  it has complex nature made of folding , faulting, wrapping and igneous intrusion.  Gentle slope in the east but steep slope in the west.  It is formed during late tertiary era  In new south Wales , the height increases and are separated by Escarpments( faulted blocks of rocks at right angle)  It the middle lies BLUE MOUNTAIN; HEIGHT BETWEEN 900-1500 METERS  Highest peak MOUNT KOSCIUSKO (2234 meters); in the exterme SE of great dividing range.  In Victoria, the range turns towards west, lowered and terminates in low hills known as Grampians.  Tasmania island is an uplifted dome and a part of Great Dividind Range.

COASTEL PLAINS

 There are narrow plains along the northern western and southern part of Australia.  Wide coastal plain along the Great Australian Bight ; known as NULLORBOR PLAIN.  Narrow coastal plain along the western coast made up of deposits of sediments made by rivers and sea.  The eastern coast does not have coastal plain due to presence of Great Dividing range..

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