Australia - natural environment, features of the economy, popula on
Australia - natural environment, features of the economy, popula on Lesson plan (Polish) Lesson plan (English) Australia - natural environment, features of the economy, popula on
Link to the lesson
Before you start you should know
how to interpret the contents of general geographic and thematic maps; how to make a description of chosen features of a natural environment based on the contents of a thematic map; that features of the natural environment influence farming methods in a given region.
You will learn
to determine the geographical location and surface area of Australia; to characterise the features of Australia's natural environment; to identify the causes of its low population density and uneven population distribution; to identify the relationships between the distribution of the main economic sectors and the elements of Australia's natural environment.
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl nagranie abstraktu
The features of Australia's natural environment
Australia is a land which is flat and not very varied in terms of topography. The area's average height above sea level is merely 292 metres. Three large topographic forms are clearly visible on a hipsometric map.
Australia - hypsometric map Source: licencja: CC BY 3.0. The hot and dry types of tropical climate predominate in Australia, occuring inland and on its West Coast. A hot variety of a subequatorial climate prevails in the North, with relatively high precipitation. In turn, the South coast has a humid subtropical climate, also with fairly high precipitation. Australia's climate influences the other elements of its natural environment, and their mutual interactions determine the formation of the landscapes characteristic of this land. The hot and dry tropical climate which is prevalent over the greatest part of Australia's area shapes the water network on this continent. Australia is the poorest land in terms of surface water in the world – endorheic basins occupy as much as 44% of the surface in the central part of Australia, where the dry valleys of intermittent rivers, which are filled with water by sporadic heavy rainfall, occur. Intermittent rivers and streams are called creeks. Salt lakes and salt pans found at the bottom of basins are an important element of Australia's water network. The largest of them is Lake Eyre, locate in a depression 12 metres below sea level in the middle of the land. Its area varies depending on the amount of rainfall. One of Australia's large permanent rivers is Murray, which has its source in the Australian Alps. Along with its largest tributary – the river Darling – it creates the most important river system in the land. However, Australia has significant freshwater bodies of water located in artesian basins. Their surface occupies around 1/3 of the continent. The largest of them is the Great Artesian Basin which is found in the central part of the Australian central lowlands.
Task 1
Read the informa on in the chart below.
The location of natural plant formations is determined by the amount of rainfall and its yearly range. Deserts and semideserts occur in the central part of the continent. Scrub is a plant community typical of these regions, and consists of dense thickets of dry eucalyptus or acacia shrubs.
Popula on
Before the arrival of Europeans, Australia was inhabited by a native population – Aborigines. They led a hunter‐gatherer lifestyle. They used very simple tools and types of weapons. They didn't even know what a bow was, but they did, however, invent the boomerang – an instrument used to hunt birds. A boomerang which is thrown correctly will turn in an arc and return to the hunter if it misses its target. Aborigines currently represent a small population group, numbering around 400 thousand. Today, some of them still live in the poorly populated, undeveloped inland, and some are attempting to adapt to the new social conditions.
Contemporary Australian society formed as a result of immigration from Great Britain – descendants of immigrants now constitute over 80% of the country's population. The distribution of the population between the continent's coasts and its inland areas in Australia is highly disproportionate. All of Australia's larger cities, with the exception of the capital – Canberra (390 thousand inhabitants), were founded on the coast. Many of them are large ocean ports. The urban population makes up as much as 89.4% of the general population. The largest cities are: Sydney (4.8 million), Melbourne (4.2 million), Brisbane (2.2 million) ), Perth (1.8 million) and Adelaide (1.3 million). The rural population is made up of farmers living on huge farms, which means that rural buildings are very spread out. Village settlements were not created in Australia, as they were on other continents. In 2015, Australia had a population of 23.9 million inhabitants, and the average population density for 1 km2 was just 3 people.
Task 2
Using informa on from various sources, elaborate on the issues related to popula on.
Aboriginal and immigrant popula ons
Popula on distribu on – causes
Popula on numbers
The economy of the Australian Union
Australia's history of settlement influenced the speed of its economic development, and features of the natural environment determined which economic sectors could develop and where. Australia is a continent which is very poor in water. Despite this, as much as 53.4% of its area is used agriculturally. The largest area – 47.1% of the country's area – is taken up by meadows and pastures, which are, however, covered in sparse and dry semidesert and savannah vegetation. Artesian basins function as the main water storage for agriculture. The field of Australian agriculture which is of the most importance is animal husbandry – of sheep and cattle. Sheep grazing areas are found in the region of the Great Artesian Basin and in the Murray‐Darling river basin. As much as 3/4 of the entire sheep population is made up of Merinos.
This breed provides excellent quality thin wool and is well adapted to the conditions in the semi‐dry central terrains. Australia has been in 1st place for years in terms of sheep population and the production of high quality wool. It is currently 2nd in the world (behind China) in terms of sheep population (75.5 million sheep) and the export of wool (18.6% of world export). The extensive cattle breeding which occurs in the North of the country and in the central part of the Great Dividing Range is of great importance. In turn, intensive cattle breeding is developing around large cities, mainly for milk production.
Australian agriculture is highly dependent on natural environment conditions. Factors which intensify agricultural production are:
an increase in areas which are artificially watered; increasing use of chemical fertilizers; increasing mechanisation, in both plant production and animal husbandry (for example, machines for shearing sheep); the usage of airports both for the transport of agricultural produce and for agrotechnical treatments.
Cereals dominate crops, however the yield from one hectare is not very high, for example, wheat produces 17.6 dt/ha (in Poland 44.3 dt/ha). A large cultivated area makes it possible to obtain large surpluses of agricultural products. Australia is a leading exporter of agricultural products: wool, meat, wheat or sugar from sugar canes.
Australia is a continent which is rich in various mineral resources. Until the end of the 19th century, an economy developed based on the transport of raw materials, mainly to Great Britain. As a result of the changes brought about by the two great wars in the 20th century, as well as the fall of the British Empire, Australia becan to develop branches of the processing industry, becoming one of the richest countries in the world. Its current employment structure is characteristic of countries with a high level of economic development.
Task 3
Elaborate on the issues related to Australia's economy.
Employment structure Agriculture – crops
Branches of industry
Mineral resources
Task 4
Using the knowledge you have acquired during the lesson, complete the exercises below. Exercise 1
Match the extreme points of Australia to their co-ordinates and names.
West 153°37ʹE The South-East Cape
North 10°42ʹS Cape Byron
East 43°38ʹS Cape Steep
South 113°08ʹE Cape York
Exercise 2
The photograph shows one of Australia's ci es. Choose the correct name.
Perth Canberra Sydney Melbourne Exercise 3
Enter the correct answers into the text.
1st, Murray-Darling, Great Artesian Basin, 2nd, merinos, wool, China, 75.5 million sheep
Sheep grazing areas are found in the region of the ...... and in the ...... river basin. As much as 3/4 of the en re sheep popula on is made up of ...... This breed provides excellent quality thin ...... and is well adapted to semi-dry terrains. Australia has been in ...... place for years in terms of sheep popula on and the produc on of high quality wool. It is currently in ...... place in the world behind ...... in terms of sheep popula on ......
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
What influences the fact that in Australia, the ho est month is January and the coolest is July, which is the opposite to in Poland?
the continent's geographical location the evaporation of hot springs in the Great Artesian Basin the hole in the o-zone layer Task 5
Look at the photograph, which shows an artesian well built in the region of the Great Artesian Basin. Why do you think the water is flowing out so violently? What influences it? Write your observa ons below.
Source: licencja: CC 0, [online], dostępny w internecie: pixabay.com.
Write your conclusions below
Keywords
Australia, Australia's economy, Australia's natural environment
Glossary
Aborigines
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
Aborygeni – rdzenni mieszkańcy Australii. Przybyli do Australii około 40–65 tys. lat temu prawdopodobnie z południowo‐wschodniej Azji, przez pomost wyspowy dzisiejszej Indonezji i wyspę Nową Gwineę. Prowadzili koczowniczy tryb życia.
Merinos
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
merynosy – rasa owiec bardzo cenionych ze względu na runo. artesian waters
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
wody artezyjskie – wody podziemne występujące pod ciśnieniem hydrostatycznym, zdolne do samoczynnego wypływu na powierzchnię ze studni. artesian wells
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
studnie artezyjskie – studnia, powstająca przez wywiercenie otworu do wód artezyjskich – głęboko położonych warstw wodonośnych, w których woda znajduje się pod ciśnieniem hydrostatycznym. Lesson plan (Polish)
Temat: Australia – środowisko przyrodnicze, cechy gospodarki, ludność
Adresat
Uczeń klasy VIII szkoły podstawowej
Podstawa programowa
XVII Wybrane problemy i regiony geograficzne Australii i Oceanii: środowisko przyrodnicze: rozmieszczenie ludności i gospodarka.
Uczeń:
1) przedstawia specyfikę środowiska przyrodniczego Australii i Oceanii;
2) identyfikuje prawidłowości w rozmieszczeniu ludności i główne cechy gospodarki Australii na tle warunków przyrodniczych.
Ogólny cel kształcenia
Uczeń poznaje środowisko przyrodnicze i główne cechy gospodarki.
Kompetencje kluczowe
porozumiewanie się w językach obcych; kompetencje informatyczne; umiejętność uczenia się.
Kryteria sukcesu Uczeń nauczy się:
określać położenie geograficzne i wielkość powierzchni Australii; charakteryzować cechy środowiska przyrodniczego Australii; wskazywać przyczyny niskiej gęstości zaludnienia i nierównomiernego rozmieszczenia ludności; wskazywać związki między rozmieszczeniem głównych działów gospodarki a składnikami środowiska przyrodniczego Australii.
Metody/techniki kształcenia
podające pogadanka. aktywizujące dyskusja. eksponujące pokaz. programowane z użyciem komputera; z użyciem e‐podręcznika. praktyczne ćwiczeń przedmiotowych.
Formy pracy
praca indywidualna; praca w parach; praca w grupach; praca całego zespołu klasowego.
Środki dydaktyczne
e‐podręcznik; tablica interaktywna, tablety/komputery; mapa fizyczna Australii; atlasy geograficzne; rzutnik multimedialny.
Przebieg lekcji
Przed lekcją
Uczniowie zapoznają się z treścią abstraktu. Przygotowują się do pracy na lekcji w taki sposób, żeby móc przeczytany materiał streścić własnymi słowami i samodzielnie rozwiązać zadania.
Faza wstępna
Nauczyciel korzysta z aplikacji Wisielec, programu LearningApss, w celu zapoznania uczniów z tematem lekcji. Uczniowie rozwiązują zadanie, którego hasłem jest Australia. . Nauczyciel podaje cele lekcji . Nauczyciel uruchamia program Google Earth, prosi chętnego ucznia o zdjęcia satelitarne Australii.
Faza realizacyjna
Uczniowie wyszukują w atlasach mapę Australii i określają położenie geograficzne kontynentu. Wyszukują skrajne punkty. Ochotnik omawia położenie geograficzne, korzysta z mapy ściennej Australii. Wskazuje skrajne punkty i określa ich współrzędne geograficzne. Uczniowie podają cechy linii brzegowej Australii. Uruchomienie na tablicy multimedialnej mapy hipsometrycznej z e‐podręcznika. Uczniowie odczytują obiekty geograficzne i określają ich położenie geograficzne. Omówienie czym charakteryzuje się basen artezyjski oraz jak powstaje studnia artezyjska. Wykorzystanie schematu z e‐podręcznika Basen Artezyjski. Uczniowie na podstawie map w atlasie geograficznym określają strefy klimatyczne oraz typy klimatu. Określają czynniki przyrodnicze, które decydują o klimacie Australii. Analiza diagramów klimatycznych znajdujących się w e‐podręczniku. Uczniowie korzystając z atlasów geograficznych określają naturalne formacje roślinne Australii. Praca w parach. Opracowanie zagadnienia związanego z ludnością: A) ludność pierwotna i napływowa, B) rozmieszczenie ludności‐przyczyny ,C) liczba ludności. Wskazane osoby odczytują opracowane informacje, rozmieszczenie ludności omawiają w oparciu o mapę ścienną. Praca w parach- gospodarka : struktura zatrudnienia; rolnictwo- uprawy, przemysł- gałęzie przemysłu, surowce mineralne. Uczniowie korzystają z podręcznika, Internetu oraz z atlasów geograficznych. Wskazani uczniowie omawiają opracowane zagadnienie, korzystają z mapy ściennej Australii.
Faza podsumowująca
Na zakończenie zajęć nauczyciel pyta: Gdyby z przedstawionego na lekcji materiału miałaby odbyć się kartkówka, jakie pytania waszym zdaniem powinny zostać zadane? Gdyby uczniowie nie wyczerpali najistotniejszych zagadnień, nauczyciel może uzupełnić ich propozycje. Na zakończenie zajęć nauczyciel zadaje uczniom pytania: Co na zajęciach wydało wam się ważne i ciekawe? Co było łatwe, a co trudne? Jak możecie wykorzystać wiadomości i umiejętności, które dziś zdobyliście?
Chętni lub wybrani uczniowie podsumowują zajęcia
Praca domowa
Chętni uczniowie biorą udział w rozwiązaniu quizu z wiedzy o Australii, wykorzystują do tego telefony komórkowe z dostępem do Internetu: https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5a045a32313d55110033c866 ćwiczenia interaktywne na tablicy multimedialnej, zawarte w e‐podręczniku. Nauczyciel ocenia pracę uczniów, biorąc pod uwagę wkład i ich możliwości.
W tej lekcji zostaną użyte m.in. następujące pojęcia oraz nagrania
Pojęcia Aborigines
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
Aborygeni – rdzenni mieszkańcy Australii. Przybyli do Australii około 40–65 tys. lat temu prawdopodobnie z południowo‐wschodniej Azji, przez pomost wyspowy dzisiejszej Indonezji i wyspę Nową Gwineę. Prowadzili koczowniczy tryb życia.
Merinos
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
merynosy – rasa owiec bardzo cenionych ze względu na runo.
artesian waters
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
wody artezyjskie – wody podziemne występujące pod ciśnieniem hydrostatycznym, zdolne do samoczynnego wypływu na powierzchnię ze studni.
artesian wells
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
studnie artezyjskie – studnia, powstająca przez wywiercenie otworu do wód artezyjskich – głęboko położonych warstw wodonośnych, w których woda znajduje się pod ciśnieniem hydrostatycznym.
Teksty i nagrania
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl nagranie abstraktu Australia - natural environment, features of the economy, population
Australia is a land which is flat and not very varied in terms of topography. The area's average height above sea level is merely 292 metres. Three large topographic forms are clearly visible on a hipsometric map.
The hot and dry types of tropical climate predominate in Australia, occuring inland and on its West Coast. A hot variety of a subequatorial climate prevails in the North, with relatively high precipitation. In turn, the South coast has a humid subtropical climate, also with fairly high precipitation. Australia's climate influences the other elements of its natural environment, and their mutual interactions determine the formation of the landscapes characteristic of this land. The hot and dry tropical climate which is prevalent over the greatest part of Australia's area shapes the water network on this continent. Australia is the poorest land in terms of surface water in the world – endorheic basins occupy as much as 44% of the surface in the central part of Australia, where the dry valleys of intermittent rivers, which are filled with water by sporadic heavy rainfall, occur. Intermittent rivers and streams are called creeks. Salt lakes and salt pans found at the bottom of basins are an important element of Australia's water network. The largest of them is Lake Eyre, locate in a depression 12 metres below sea level in the middle of the land. Its area varies depending on the amount of rainfall. One of Australia's large permanent rivers is Murray, which has its source in the Australian Alps. Along with its largest tributary – the river Darling – it creates the most important river system in the land. However, Australia has significant freshwater bodies of water located in artesian basins. Their surface occupies around 1/3 of the continent. The largest of them is the Great Artesian Basin which is found in the central part of the Australian central lowlands.
The location of natural plant formations is determined by the amount of rainfall and its yearly range. Deserts and semideserts occur in the central part of the continent. Scrub is a plant community typical of these regions, and consists of dense thickets of dry eucalyptus or acacia shrubs.
Before the arrival of Europeans, Australia was inhabited by a native population – Aborigines. They led a hunter‐gatherer lifestyle. They used very simple tools and types of weapons. They didn't even know what a bow was, but they did, however, invent the boomerang – an instrument used to hunt birds. A boomerang which is thrown correctly will turn in an arc and return to the hunter if it misses its target. Aborigines currently represent a small population group, numbering around 400 thousand. Today, some of them still live in the poorly populated, undeveloped inland, and some are attempting to adapt to the new social conditions.
Contemporary Australian society formed as a result of immigration from Great Britain – descendants of immigrants now constitute over 80% of the country's population. The distribution of the population between the continent's coasts and its inland areas in Australia is highly disproportionate. All of Australia's larger cities, with the exception of the capital – Canberra (390 thousand inhabitants), were founded on the coast. Many of them are large ocean ports. The urban population makes up as much as 89.4% of the general population. The largest cities are: Sydney (4.8 million), Melbourne (4.2 million), Brisbane (2.2 million) ), Perth (1.8 million) and Adelaide (1.3 million). The rural population is made up of farmers living on huge farms, which means that rural buildings are very spread out. Village settlements were not created in Australia, as they were on other continents. In 2015, Australia had a population of 23.9 million inhabitants, and the average population density for 1 km2 was just 3 people.
Australia's history of settlement influenced the speed of its economic development, and features of the natural environment determined which economic sectors could develop and where. Australia is a continent which is very poor in water. Despite this, as much as 53.4% of its area is used agriculturally. The largest area – 47.1% of the country's area – is taken up by meadows and pastures, which are, however, covered in sparse and dry semidesert and savannah vegetation.
Artesian basins function as the main water storage for agriculture. The field of Australian agriculture which is of the most importance is animal husbandry – of sheep and cattle. Sheep grazing areas are found in the region of the Great Artesian Basin and in the Murray‐Darling river basin. As much as 3/4 of the entire sheep population is made up of .
This breed provides excellent quality thin wool and is well adapted to the conditions in the semi‐dry central terrains. Australia has been in 1st place for years in terms of sheep population and the production of high quality wool. It is currently 2nd in the world (behind China) in terms of sheep population (75.5 million sheep) and the export of wool (18.6% of world export). The extensive cattle breeding which occurs in the North of the country and in the central part of the Great Dividing Range is of great importance. In turn, intensive cattle breeding is developing around large cities, mainly for milk production.
Australian agriculture is highly dependent on natural environment conditions. Factors which intensify agricultural production are:
an increase in areas which are artificially watered; increasing use of chemical fertilizers; increasing mechanisation, in both plant production and animal husbandry (for example, machines for shearing sheep); the usage of airports both for the transport of agricultural produce and for agrotechnical treatments.
Cereals dominate crops, however the yield from one hectare is not very high, for example, wheat produces 17.6 dt/ha (in Poland 44.3 dt/ha). A large cultivated area makes it possible to obtain large surpluses of agricultural products. Australia is a leading exporter of agricultural products: wool, meat, wheat or sugar from sugar canes. Australia is a continent which is rich in various mineral resources. Until the end of the 19th century, an economy developed based on the transport of raw materials, mainly to Great Britain. As a result of the changes brought about by the two great wars in the 20th century, as well as the fall of the British Empire, Australia becan to develop branches of the processing industry, becoming one of the richest countries in the world. Its current employment structure is characteristic of countries with a high level of economic development. Lesson plan (English)
Topic: Australia - natural environment, features of the economy, population
Addressee
Elementary school students VIII
Program basis
XVII. Selected problems and geographical regions of Australia and Oceania: natural environment: population distribution and economy.
Students:
1) presents the specificity of the natural environment of Australia and Oceania;
2) identifies the regularities in population distribution and the main features of the Australian economy against the background of natural conditions.
General aim of education
The student will learn about the natural environment and the main features of the economy.
Key competences
communication in foreign languages; digital competence; learning to learn.
Criteria for success The student will learn:
determine the geographical location and size of Australia's area; characterize the features of Australia's natural environment; indicate the causes of low population density and uneven population distribution; indicate the relationship between the distribution of the main sectors of the economy and the components of the natural environment of Australia.
Methods/techniques
expository talk. activating discussion. exposing exposition. programmed with computer; with e‐textbook. practical exercices concerned.
Forms of work
individual activity; activity in pairs; activity in groups; collective activity.
Teaching aids
e‐textbook; interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers; physical map of Australia; geographical atlases; projector.
Lesson plan overview
Before classes
Students get acquainted with the content of the abstract. They prepare to work on the lesson in such a way to be able to summarize the material read in their own words and solve the tasks themselves.
Introduction
The teacher uses the Wisielec application, the LearningApss program, to familiarize students with the topic of the lesson. Students solve the task, whose slogan is Australia.. The teacher gives the goals of the lesson. The teacher launches the Google Earth program, asks the willing student for satellite images of Australia.
Realization
Students search the atlas for the map of Australia and determine the geographical location of the continent. They search for extreme points. The volunteer discusses the geographical location, uses the Australian map of the wall. It indicates the extreme points and determines their geographical coordinates. Students give the characteristics of Australia's coastline. Launching a hypsometric map from an e‐textbook on a multimedia board. Students read geographic objects and determine their geographical location. Discussion of what is characterized by the artesian pool and how an artesian well is being created. Using the schema from the e‐textbook of the Artesian Basin. Students based on maps in a geographical atlas determine the climate zones and climate types. They determine the natural factors that determine the climate of Australia. Analysis of climate diagrams contained in the e‐textbook. Students using geographical atlases determine the natural plant formations of Australia. Work in pairs. Development of the issue related to the population: A) primary and migrant population, B) distribution of population‐cause C) population. The indicated persons read the developed information, the population distribution is discussed based on the wall map. Work in pairs - economy: employment structure; agriculture- crops, industry- branches of industry, mineral resources. Students use the textbook, the Internet and geographical atlases. The indicated students discuss the problem, use the Australian map of the wall.
Summary
The teacher asks: If there was going to be a test on the material we have covered today, what questions do you think would you have to answer? If the students do not manage to name all the most important questions, the teacher may complement their suggestions. The teacher asks the students questions: What did you find important and interesting in class? What was easy and what was difficult? How can you use the knowledge and skills you have gained today?
Willing/selected students summarize the lesson.
Homework
Eager students take part in the solution of the knowledge quiz about Australia, they use for this mobile phones with Internet access: https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5a045a32313d55110033c866 interactive exercises on the multimedia board, included in the e‐textbook. The teacher assesses the students' work, taking into account the contribution and their possibilities.
The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson
Terms
Aborigines Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
Aborygeni – rdzenni mieszkańcy Australii. Przybyli do Australii około 40–65 tys. lat temu prawdopodobnie z południowo‐wschodniej Azji, przez pomost wyspowy dzisiejszej Indonezji i wyspę Nową Gwineę. Prowadzili koczowniczy tryb życia.
Merinos
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
merynosy – rasa owiec bardzo cenionych ze względu na runo.
artesian waters
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
wody artezyjskie – wody podziemne występujące pod ciśnieniem hydrostatycznym, zdolne do samoczynnego wypływu na powierzchnię ze studni.
artesian wells
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl
Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka
studnie artezyjskie – studnia, powstająca przez wywiercenie otworu do wód artezyjskich – głęboko położonych warstw wodonośnych, w których woda znajduje się pod ciśnieniem hydrostatycznym.
Texts and recordings
Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl nagranie abstraktu Australia - natural environment, features of the economy, population
Australia is a land which is flat and not very varied in terms of topography. The area's average height above sea level is merely 292 metres. Three large topographic forms are clearly visible on a hipsometric map.
The hot and dry types of tropical climate predominate in Australia, occuring inland and on its West Coast. A hot variety of a subequatorial climate prevails in the North, with relatively high precipitation. In turn, the South coast has a humid subtropical climate, also with fairly high precipitation. Australia's climate influences the other elements of its natural environment, and their mutual interactions determine the formation of the landscapes characteristic of this land. The hot and dry tropical climate which is prevalent over the greatest part of Australia's area shapes the water network on this continent. Australia is the poorest land in terms of surface water in the world – endorheic basins occupy as much as 44% of the surface in the central part of Australia, where the dry valleys of intermittent rivers, which are filled with water by sporadic heavy rainfall, occur. Intermittent rivers and streams are called creeks. Salt lakes and salt pans found at the bottom of basins are an important element of Australia's water network. The largest of them is Lake Eyre, locate in a depression 12 metres below sea level in the middle of the land. Its area varies depending on the amount of rainfall. One of Australia's large permanent rivers is Murray, which has its source in the Australian Alps. Along with its largest tributary – the river Darling – it creates the most important river system in the land. However, Australia has significant freshwater bodies of water located in artesian basins. Their surface occupies around 1/3 of the continent. The largest of them is the Great Artesian Basin which is found in the central part of the Australian central lowlands.
The location of natural plant formations is determined by the amount of rainfall and its yearly range. Deserts and semideserts occur in the central part of the continent. Scrub is a plant community typical of these regions, and consists of dense thickets of dry eucalyptus or acacia shrubs.
Before the arrival of Europeans, Australia was inhabited by a native population – Aborigines. They led a hunter‐gatherer lifestyle. They used very simple tools and types of weapons. They didn't even know what a bow was, but they did, however, invent the boomerang – an instrument used to hunt birds. A boomerang which is thrown correctly will turn in an arc and return to the hunter if it misses its target. Aborigines currently represent a small population group, numbering around 400 thousand. Today, some of them still live in the poorly populated, undeveloped inland, and some are attempting to adapt to the new social conditions.
Contemporary Australian society formed as a result of immigration from Great Britain – descendants of immigrants now constitute over 80% of the country's population. The distribution of the population between the continent's coasts and its inland areas in Australia is highly disproportionate. All of Australia's larger cities, with the exception of the capital – Canberra (390 thousand inhabitants), were founded on the coast. Many of them are large ocean ports. The urban population makes up as much as 89.4% of the general population. The largest cities are: Sydney (4.8 million), Melbourne (4.2 million), Brisbane (2.2 million) ), Perth (1.8 million) and Adelaide (1.3 million). The rural population is made up of farmers living on huge farms, which means that rural buildings are very spread out. Village settlements were not created in Australia, as they were on other continents. In 2015, Australia had a population of 23.9 million inhabitants, and the average population density for 1 km2 was just 3 people.
Australia's history of settlement influenced the speed of its economic development, and features of the natural environment determined which economic sectors could develop and where. Australia is a continent which is very poor in water. Despite this, as much as 53.4% of its area is used agriculturally. The largest area – 47.1% of the country's area – is taken up by meadows and pastures, which are, however, covered in sparse and dry semidesert and savannah vegetation.
Artesian basins function as the main water storage for agriculture. The field of Australian agriculture which is of the most importance is animal husbandry – of sheep and cattle. Sheep grazing areas are found in the region of the Great Artesian Basin and in the Murray‐Darling river basin. As much as 3/4 of the entire sheep population is made up of .
This breed provides excellent quality thin wool and is well adapted to the conditions in the semi‐dry central terrains. Australia has been in 1st place for years in terms of sheep population and the production of high quality wool. It is currently 2nd in the world (behind China) in terms of sheep population (75.5 million sheep) and the export of wool (18.6% of world export). The extensive cattle breeding which occurs in the North of the country and in the central part of the Great Dividing Range is of great importance. In turn, intensive cattle breeding is developing around large cities, mainly for milk production.
Australian agriculture is highly dependent on natural environment conditions. Factors which intensify agricultural production are:
an increase in areas which are artificially watered; increasing use of chemical fertilizers; increasing mechanisation, in both plant production and animal husbandry (for example, machines for shearing sheep); the usage of airports both for the transport of agricultural produce and for agrotechnical treatments.
Cereals dominate crops, however the yield from one hectare is not very high, for example, wheat produces 17.6 dt/ha (in Poland 44.3 dt/ha). A large cultivated area makes it possible to obtain large surpluses of agricultural products. Australia is a leading exporter of agricultural products: wool, meat, wheat or sugar from sugar canes. Australia is a continent which is rich in various mineral resources. Until the end of the 19th century, an economy developed based on the transport of raw materials, mainly to Great Britain. As a result of the changes brought about by the two great wars in the 20th century, as well as the fall of the British Empire, Australia becan to develop branches of the processing industry, becoming one of the richest countries in the world. Its current employment structure is characteristic of countries with a high level of economic development.