Australia. Dimensions, features of the geographical location of Australia Who does Australia border on?

Territory and natural environment.Australia, as well as New Zealand, really located on the geographical periphery of the world, which cannot be said about their role in the global economy (Table. 11.1). In many ways, these countries are united by the history of education and modern state-political status. They were formed as British settler possessions and were settled by immigrants from this country. At the beginning of the 19th century. the colonies united into a federation, and a century later received dominion status and full independence within the British Commonwealth. Modern Australia is a highly developed industrial-agrarian country, an active participant in international economic and political relations, and one of the world's centers for the supply of mineral raw materials. Now it is a member of the Commonwealth, led by Great Britain. However, many Australians today are no longer satisfied with traditional dependence on Great Britain.

Australia is a state that occupies an entire continent. Tasmania, as well as a number of small islands. Its official name is Commonwealth of Australia- indicates the federal structure of the country. The Union includes 6 states: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, as well as two territories: the Northern Territory and the Capital Territory (in addition, the capital Canberra is part of a special administrative unit). According to many economic indicators (primarily GDP and its size per capita), Australia is one of the most developed countries in the world. A state with a developed market economy is also New Zealand (belonging to the countries of Oceania), located mainly on two islands - Northern And Yuzhny, separated Cook Strait.

Australia is the only country in the world that occupies the entire territory continent, therefore it has only sea-

Table 11. Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand: statistical data bank

Chinese borders. Its territory is isolated from other continents, large markets for raw materials and sales of products. One of the most favorable factors geographical location Australia is its relative proximity to the countries of the dynamically developing Asia-Pacific region.

Australia - flattest continent in the world. Mountains and hills occupy only 5% of the area, the rest of the area is mainly deserts and semi-deserts, overgrown with prickly grass and shrubs. Located primarily in tropical and subtropical latitudes, where the influx of solar radiation is high, the Australian mainland is heating up greatly. Due to the weak ruggedness of the coastline and the elevation of the marginal parts, the influence of the seas surrounding Australia has little effect in the interior parts of the continent. Therefore, the climate of most of Australia is characterized by extreme aridity. Australia is the driest continent on Earth. Noticeable amounts of precipitation are observed only in the north and northeast of the mainland. The areas of the coastal plains and eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, as well as about. Tasmania.

The hot climate and insignificant and uneven precipitation over most of the continent lead to the fact that almost 60% of its territory is deprived of flow to the ocean and has only a sparse network of temporary watercourses. No other continent has such a poorly developed network of inland waters as Australia.

The comparative uniformity of the natural conditions of the Australian continent, associated with its small size, low contrast of geological structure and relief, as well as the position of most of it within the subequatorial and tropical zones, are the reason for the less pronounced natural differentiation in comparison with other inhabited continents.

With a certain degree of convention, within Australia it is possible to distinguish physical-geographical regions depending on the specific

relief features and changes in zonal and climatic conditions:

1) Northern Australia, including three northern peninsulas
va - Cape York, Arnhemland And Kimberly(Tasmanland), and also at
parts of the continent adjacent to them from the south (up to parallels 18 - 20°
S);

2) East Australian region, covering the eastern
mainland coast and East Australian Mountains;

3) Central Plains, whose borders in the east pass
dats along the western foot of the East Australian Mountains, on
west - along the eastern edge of the Western Australian Plane
mountains, in the north the region is limited by low plateau-like
mi massifs along which the watershed between the basin
mi bay Carpentaria and lakes Air;

4) plateaus and mountains of Western Australia, representing
is the most extensive area bordering on the north with oblast
region of Northern Australia, in the east - with the Central Ravs
ninami, in the northwest and south it reaches the shores of the Indian
ocean (according to zonal position and natural conditions this
the region can be compared to the Sahara);

5) Southern massifs,"fitting" into a relatively small
huge region located on the shores of the Indian Ocean to
east of the Great Australian Bight, by its nature
conditions significantly different from neighboring regions;

6) Southwestern region, washed on three sides by indium
ocean and bordering the plateau of Western Australia (at
the native conditions of the region are close to the region of the Southern Massifs);

7) Tasmania island- isolated physical-geographical
region on the border of the subtropical and temperate zones of the South
hemispheres.

A distinctive feature of Australian nature is its endemicity. Australia is a sanctuary country where “fossil” plants and animals are still preserved. The first colonists did not find plant species characteristic of Europe on the mainland. Subsequently, European and other species of trees, shrubs and grasses were introduced to Australia. Grapes, cotton, grains (wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn, etc.), vegetables, many fruit trees, etc. are well established here.

Australia has a variety of mineral resources. This is one of the richest countries in the world in mineral resources. New discoveries of mineral resources made on the continent over the past decades have brought the country to one of the first places in the world in reserves and production of such minerals as coal, uranium, iron, manganese, lead-zinc and copper ores, bauxite, nickel, gold,

silver, diamonds, cobalt, tantalum, etc. Geological surveys have established that in the bowels of the Australian continent and on the shelf off its coast there are large deposits of oil and natural gas.

Under the deserts and semi-deserts of the continent, at a depth of 20 to 200 m, huge reserves of highly mineralized warm and hot water have been discovered, which can be used for household and other needs.

Population. The beginning of the European colonization of Australia was marked by the voyage of J. Cook, who in 1770 explored the eastern coast of the mainland and declared it a British possession. The first settlers were 850 convicts and about 200 soldiers and officers who sailed from England in May 1787 and reached the southeast coast of Australia on January 26, 1788 (January 26 has since been celebrated as a national day in the country). They founded the first European settlement on the mainland, called Sydney - in honor of the then Secretary of the Colonies of England. Over the next few decades, about 160 thousand convicts were exiled to Australia from England and several hundred thousand free colonists left, who became permanent residents of these distant lands.

The presence of rich grazing lands east of the Great Dividing Range has led to the development of large sheep farms here. To provide them with labor, the authorities began to encourage free immigration to Australia from the metropolis. Discoveries in the 50s XIX century gold deposits in the southeast and west of the mainland caused a new massive wave of immigration to Australia, from virtually all over the world. As a result, the colony's population growth accelerated markedly. At the beginning of the 20th century. Almost 3.8 million people lived in the Commonwealth of Australia. At the same time, the role of immigration remained predominant or very significant. Over the course of the century, the population continued to increase, currently reaching almost 20 million people.

About 77% of the modern population of Australia are descendants of settlers from the British Isles, who formed the Anglo-Australian nation. The rest are immigrants from other European countries, and in recent years - from Asian countries. The country is home to over 200 thousand people from the territory of the former USSR, including several tens of thousands of Russians. Indigenous people - Aboriginal people - make up 1.2% of the total population of Australia.

The role of the indigenous people of the Australian continent, including the islanders Torres Strait(about 7 thousand islanders belonging to the Melanesian group of peoples live on these islands, which are part of Australia), has always remained minimal in the process of socio-economic development of the state. By the time the whites arrived, 300 - 500 thousand people lived on the mainland.

Rigen, mainly in its southeastern part. The indigenous people who survived the mass extermination were expelled from their native lands and pushed into the most deserted and unsuitable territories for life or were confined to reservations. By the end of the 20th century. most of the aborigines were concentrated in the driest lands (Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia). Since the mid-60s, when the overwhelming majority of discriminatory restrictions were abolished and Aboriginal people were recognized as “citizens of Australia,” thousands of them flocked to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane in search of a livelihood. On the outskirts of the largest cities, de facto segregated ghettos of indigenous Australians arose.

The continent's indigenous people now make up about 1% of the country's total population. Most of them are in the Northern Territory and the Torres Islands. There they lead a traditional lifestyle of hunters and gatherers, maintaining a mystical, from the point of view of Europeans, attitude towards mother earth. There are relatively few aborigines in cities, and they are considered the most disadvantaged and unfortunate, because they have been torn out of their usual environment and not all have adapted to civilization. Until 1967, Aboriginal people were not recognized as Australian citizens at all, and some “scientists” tried to prove their similarity to Neanderthals. Today, the Australian government has changed its attitude towards the indigenous people of the country, is trying to educate them and compensate for the loss of their ancestral lands. To this we add that the banner of the indigenous people of Australia looks like this: the upper half is black (their skin), the lower half is red (the color of the earth and the blood shed by the aborigines who defended their land), a yellow circle in the center (the sun, the giver of life).

And although today there is a complex process of the indigenous population realizing the commonality of their interests, the consolidation of numerous Aboriginal communities into a national minority, it would be premature to talk about the existence of their special “regional identity” due to differences in language, religious beliefs, level of community development, etc. .

In this regard, neither in the formation of the first colonies in Australia and their unification into a federal state, nor in the formation of the modern political-administrative structure and economic regions, the factor of the indigenous population played practically no role. And only in recent decades, in connection with the ongoing demands of the Aboriginal people to recognize their rights to “traditional lands”, the government of South Australia (in contrast to the hard position of the governments of Western Australia and Queensland) entered into the first agreement in the country’s history with the indigenous inhabitants of the tribe pitjantjatjara, according to which he is recognized as “inalienable property” of a tenth of the state’s territory (an area approximately equal to Austria and Hungary combined). It is unlikely, however, that this

connections to overestimate the possible impulses of regionalism, as in the case of the organization of cooperative cattle breeding farms of the aborigines of the tribe yungngora in Nunkanbah (northwest Australia).

Of all major regions of the world, Australia least densely populated. At the same time, the contrasts in settlement within the continent are also extremely large. Approximately 1/4 of the country's area, which has the natural prerequisites for this, is populated and developed - the South-East, North-East and South-West. More than 80% of the country's population is concentrated here. The vast majority of Australian cities are also located here, including the largest - Sydney (4 million people), Melbourne (3.5 million), Brisbane (1.4 million), Perth (1.2 million), Adelaide (1.1 million people). The overall level of urbanization (85%) in Australia is very high.

The hinterlands are very sparsely populated. The population there lives on isolated farms located tens or hundreds of kilometers apart from each other. In some areas there are small towns associated with the primary processing of agricultural products or mineral raw materials.

As you know, Australia is still experiencing the consequences of its remoteness from the most important centers of world civilization. This remoteness can be figuratively called the “tyranny of distance.” Along with the vast expanses (taking into account the low population density!) of the green continent, colossal natural resources, the remoteness gave rise to some features of the national character. (Australians are accustomed to a slow-paced life, which is probably why the type of Australian who likes to sit and gossip over a bottle of beer, the Australian with a “beer belly,” has emerged.)

Let us cite, not without subjectivity, E. Kish’s opinion about the inhabitants of this continent, stated back in 1934: “A real Australian has no ambitious desire to be accepted in a “better society”; unlike Europe, titles and orders, even wealth in itself, do not inspire admiration here; Unlike America, here it seems ridiculous to value everything in the world only by its purchase price. The main rule of an Australian is to make your life as easy as possible without burdening your mind or heart.”

While this somewhat disappointing verdict cannot be taken at face value, it does capture some of the characteristics of the changing Australian mentality fairly well. Today, “the image of a white tribe living in Asia and subservient to Great Britain” is being transformed, if only due to the fact that the number of new emigrants from Asia has noticeably increased here. At the beginning of the 21st century. More than 300 thousand Muslims already lived in Australia, of which 100 thousand lived in Melbourne. For this reason alone, Australia is gradually overcoming traditional English customs. On the other hand, the rapid growth in the number of Muslims introduces a certain “dissonance” into the traditional Australian identity, since until recently the continent remained purely Christian.

Tian. Among believers in Australia and New Zealand, Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, etc. predominate.

However, we should not forget about such components of Australian identity as “English-speaking peripherality”, the language of moral and political concepts of Western civilization, etc.

State. Australia has a federal parliamentary structure and, as noted above, includes 6 states - New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, as well as 2 territories - Northern and Australian Capital Territory. The capital of the state is Canberra (over 300 thousand people).

The Commonwealth of Australia was founded on January 1, 1901 by uniting six self-governing British colonies on a federal basis, which became states of the new state. The designated territories - the Northern and Australian Capital Territories, which traditionally were subordinate to the national government of the Union, now have powers comparable to those of the state governments. The legislative, judicial and executive institutions of the federal government of the Union are concentrated in the capital of the country Canberra. The federal system coexists with parliamentary institutions similar to the British parliamentary model.

Canberra- the political, scientific and cultural center of the state. Together with its suburbs, Canberra forms the Australian Capital Territory, which is an independent administrative unit. Canberra's population is more than 350 thousand people.

Canberra was founded in 1913. The city received the official status of the capital of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1927. Canberra initially differed from other large Australian cities built according to Western European style. High-rise buildings were not allowed here, and the capital was not supposed to perform important industrial functions. It was built mainly as the seat of government and one of the centers for the development of culture and science in Australia. The city's layout included a whole system of squares surrounded by ring and radial streets. Trade, administrative, cultural and educational zones were separated by cozy parks with an abundance of green spaces. Transport links between urban areas were provided through a network of major highways and bridges. A significant event in the life of the capital was the opening of the National University (1952). This provided representatives of the younger generation with the opportunity to obtain prestigious professions without leaving Canberra for Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth - cities whose universities (the oldest in Australia) have long been famous for their excellent level of education. In addition, after the Second World War, many new secondary schools opened in Canberra, not only private, privileged, but also public, intended

for children from low-income families. In the second half of the 20th century. Scientific research activities began to develop intensively in Canberra, cinemas, theaters and other cultural and entertainment institutions were built, museums and exhibitions were opened. Along with cultural construction, housing construction also expanded widely. Currently, Canberra is one of the most beautiful modern capitals in the world.

Australia is a member of the Commonwealth, the head of state is the British monarch, who is represented by the Governor-General, appointed on the recommendation of the Australian government. According to the strict rule underlying the parliamentary system, this nominal head of state acts only with the knowledge of the government, in particular the prime minister. The Prime Minister is traditionally the leader of the parliamentary majority party.

Australia's foreign policy activities in modern times have traditionally been structured in accordance with the position of Great Britain, and since the second half of the 20th century. and the USA. In alliance with Great Britain, Australia participated in the First World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945). The events of World War II in the Pacific led to a close rapprochement between Australia and the United States. After the end of the war, Australian troops, along with the US Army, fought on the Korean Peninsula (1950 - 1953) and in Vietnam (1966 - 1972). Australians helped the Americans during the Gulf War (1991 - 1992), in the peacekeeping mission in Somalia (1992), and supported the occupation of Iraq (2003).

The basis of modern Australian foreign policy is maintaining a balance between the country's proximity to the Asia-Pacific region and the dominant US-British political orientation.

Australia's economy and internal differences. The key role in the country's economy belongs to the mining industry and agriculture, which significantly distinguishes Australia from other industrialized countries and somehow brings it closer to Canada. By production range metal ore(iron ore, zinc, lead) Australia occupies a leading position in the world.

Mining industry Australia is distinguished by its high technical equipment, large volumes of production of various minerals and their high exportability. The country ranks first in the world in the mining of bauxite, zinc, and diamonds, second in the mining of iron ore, uranium and lead, and third in the mining of nickel and gold. It is also one of the world leaders in the production of coal, manganese, silver, copper, and tin. Australian fuels and raw materials are sent primarily to Japan, the USA and Western Europe. Oil and natural gas resources meet the country's internal needs.

Traditional mining areas, which remain important today, are located in the south-east and south of the country in the states of New South Wales and South Australia. Coal (Sydney-Newcastle area), lead-zinc (Broken Hill) and iron ores (Iron Knob) are mined here. The significance of the mining center is Mount Isa(Queensland), where more than half of all Australian copper is produced. Gold mining takes place in the south of Western Australia (Kalgoorlie).

Areas of new development of Australia's mineral resources are currently located in the north and west of the country. These are coal basins and deposits of copper ore in the Gladstone area, deposits of cobalt and nickel ores in Townsville (Queensland), copper, bismuth ore and gold in Tennant Creek (Northern Territory). The world's largest deposits of high-quality bauxite are developed on the Cape York Peninsula in Weipa. Here, some bauxite is processed into alumina, some goes to the Gladstone alumina refinery or is exported. The exploitation of manganese ores on the island has been organized. Groot Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, where the largest export port operates.

In the area of ​​the administrative center of the Northern Territory (Darwin), a uranium ore belt has been explored, which accounts for almost all the reserves of this raw material in the country.

Newly discovered diamond deposits are being developed in the north of Western Australia. Another profile of Western Australia is the mining and processing of nickel ores in the south of the state (Kambalda - Kalgoorlie - Kuinana) and iron ores in the north-west (Hamersley or Pilbara basin), from where, through Port Headland and Dampier, raw materials are exported to Japan and some others countries.

The main role in the production of oil and natural gas is played by the continental shelf in Bass Strait and in the north-west near the island. Barrow. The prospects for the second basin are more related to the development of natural gas, which is already being exported to Japan in liquefied form in noticeable quantities.

Australia also occupies a leading place in the world in the mining of precious stones such as sapphire and opal.

The example of Australia shows that raw material specialization is not a sign of backwardness. It is important that Australia has highly developed industries manufacturing industry (automotive industry, electronics and electrical engineering, production of agricultural machinery, etc.), the products of which are still superior in value to the products of the mining industry. The city is a kind of capital of the entire mining industry. Broken Hill, located in the southeast of the country. The specificity of Australia is

highly developed food(especially meat) industry, largely export-oriented.

Agriculture- high-quality, diversified, technically well-equipped, with a pronounced export character. In terms of total value of agricultural exports, Australia is second only to the United States, and in terms of its value per capita it is unrivaled. The country exports wheat, meat, sugar, sheep wool, In terms of population, it ranks first in the world. The most important and specific branch of Australian livestock farming is sheep breeding.

Already in the middle of the 19th century. Australia has become Britain's main wool supplier. The development of sheep farming was facilitated by local natural conditions, the growing demand of the metropolis for wool, the transportability of wool and leather as trade products, and the extensiveness of the industry, which did not require much labor. Almost half of the sheep population is in the south-eastern states (New South Wales and Victoria). Sheep farms in the interior regions of the country are called sheep stations (shipstation). At such stations, pastures are divided by wire into sections (paddocks) with their own watering place, safety stocks of hay, etc.

Structure transport Australia is determined by the size of its territory and the nature of its geographical location. Road transport is widespread, but air transportation has become especially developed. A network of scheduled airlines exists in all major Australian cities. Small aviation is widespread, connecting almost all populated areas of the country. Air transport also serves international communications. Meanwhile, the bulk of cargo transportation outside the country is carried out by sea.

In the structure of Australia's merchandise exports, the predominant place is occupied by mineral raw materials and fuels, followed by agricultural products and only then engineering products. The largest import items are finished products: cars, telecommunications equipment, oil, electronic computer equipment, airplanes.

Australia's main trade relations are developing with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Leading trading partners include Japan, the USA, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. Economic relations with Russia occupy an insignificant place.

For a vast and sparsely populated country with its “dispersed” economy, it is of great importance transport. Its cargo turnover is sharply dominated by sea and rail transport. Air transport plays a colossal role.

Given the size of the continent and the relatively small population, the sharp territorial contrasts in the level of habitability and economic development are not surprising. In the specialized literature, 5 large economic regions are most often identified in Australia (I.F. Antonova, 1986):

1) South-Eastern - the economic “core” of the state. Re
gion covers the states of New South Wales, Victoria, adjacent
extending to them the south-eastern part of South Australia and including
includes the territory of the federal capital. Here they find
xia largest cities of the continent - Sydney and Melbourne, about
At least 2/3 of the country's total population lives, about
80% of manufacturing industry products are concentrated
up to 70% of the sheep population, more than half the length
railway roads, etc. The region acquired such importance due to
favorable natural conditions and early colonization;

2) North-East region covers the territory of the state
Queensland with capital Brisbane(the third largest city in the country
population). Climatic conditions are not very comfortable for
economic activity, nevertheless the region stands out
its livestock farming (especially cattle breeding)
livestock), mining;

3) West Central - the largest in area (40%
territory of the country) and the driest (exactly within its borders
The Great Sandy Desert, Gibson Desert and
Great Victoria Desert). In the domestic section
labor institute is distinguished by the mining industry and
wheat harvesting;

4) The northern region is characterized by extreme natural
conditions, poor development (which is also explained by the last
consequences of the previously pursued “white Australia” policy, the prohibition
volume on the entry of Asian migrants into the country). Basis of the economy
region - again mining and agriculture
farming;

5) Tasmania, which occupies a unique position among others
many regions due to their island position, natural conditions
Viyam in the temperate climate zone. Economic profile is acute
va is associated mainly with the development of hydropower and color
metallurgy, tourism, agriculture.

Australia plays an important role in global politics and economics. It is the most important global raw material and energy base. In terms of overall economic development, Australia is one of the top ten Western countries. Meanwhile, Australia remains the arena of rivalry between the largest American-

Chinese, Japanese and British corporations. Australia's importance in the development of the Asia-Pacific region is growing.

Test questions and assignments

1. Why are attempts to consider Australia and Oceania as a single cultural and historical macroregion without any basis? 2. In what regions and why is the indigenous population of Australia concentrated today? 3. No continent has so many drainless areas (60% of its surface) as Australia. How can such a deficit of surface water be compensated? 4. What are the features of specialization and location of the economy of the Commonwealth of Australia?

Related information.

Political and economic-geographical position.
Australia is the only state in the world that occupies the territory of an entire continent, so Australia has only maritime borders. Australia's neighboring countries are New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and other island states of Oceania. Australia is remote from the developed countries of America and Europe, large markets for raw materials and sales of products, but many sea routes connect Australia with them, and Australia also plays an important role in the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia has a federal structure and includes 6 states:
New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia - and 2 territories: Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory. The country's territory is 7,682 thousand sq. km, located on the Australian mainland, Tasmania and other islands.
The capital of Australia is Canberra. Australia is a federal state within a commonwealth led by Great Britain. The head of state is the Queen of England, represented by the Governor-General, who is appointed on the recommendation of the Australian government. The highest legislative body is the Federal Parliament, consisting of the Senate, elected for 6 years (76 members, half renewed every 3 years) and the House of Representatives (148 members), elected for 3 years.
General elections took place in March 1993. Executive power formally belongs to the executive council headed by the governor general, but is actually exercised by the government headed by the prime minister. Each state has its own constitution, authorities and administration. A special management system has been installed in the territories.
Governor General - William Hayden;
Prime Minister - Paul Keating.
The leading party in Australia is the Australian Labor Party (ALP), formed in 1891. The basis of the party is made up of trade unions, which are members of it as collective members, youth and women's organizations, and there is also individual membership. The policy of the party is largely determined by the parliamentary faction; if the party wins the elections, the parliamentary leader automatically becomes prime minister. Party leader - Paul Keating. The Liberal Party of Australia, founded in 1944, expresses the interests of the big bourgeoisie, the National (Agrarian) Party of Australia, founded in 1916, expresses the interests of large landowners and pastoralists, forms a coalition with the Australian Labor Party, there are many more parties in Australia (Australian Party Democrats, Nuclear Disarmament Party, Rural Australia Party, etc.).
Population.
In 1996 Australia's population was 18,284,373 people, so Australia's place in the world in terms of population is in the forties.
77% of the Australian population are descendants of immigrants from the British Isles - the English, Irish, Scots, who formed the Anglo-Australian nation, the rest are mainly immigrants from other European countries, aborigines and mestizos - 250 thousand people. (1991). The majority of the country's population are immigrants. One in four Australians was born overseas. After World War II, an immigration program began, during which the country's population was increased from 7.6 million people in 1947. up to 15.5 million people in 1984 About 60% of this growth came from immigrants and their Australian-born children.

Population of Australia.

Index
Population, million people
Share of urban population, %
Share of rural population, %
Men, %
Women, %
Number of births, per thousand population
Number of deaths, per thousand population
Natural increase
Lifespan: Men Women

As can be seen from the table, Australia belongs to countries with type I reproduction.
Out of 18,322,231 people. men aged 1 to 14 years - 2,032,238, from 15 to 64 - 6,181,887, from 65 and older - 934,374, women aged from 1 to 14 years - 1,929,366, from 15 to 64 - 6,017,362, from 65 and older - 1,227,004 people.
Population density varies across the country. This is explained by the fact that about half of Australia's territory is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts that are not suitable for habitation. Therefore, the population density in desert areas is less than a person per square kilometer, and on the east coast the climate is much more favorable, which is why large Australian cities are located here - Sydney (3.6 million people), Melbourne (3 million people), Brisbane (1.2 million people) ), and the population density here is from 1 to 10 people. per sq. km., also on the west coast in the region of Perth (1.2 million people) the population density is up to 10 people. per sq. km.
Australians are mostly city dwellers. At the beginning of the twentieth century. 50% of the country's population lived in cities, after the Second World War - 70%, in the 60s. The rural population was 16% in the 80s. - 14%. The process of urbanization continued all the time and its pace was steadily increasing, according to forecasts at the end of the twentieth century. the rural population will be 8%.
More than 70% of Australians live in 12 large cities of the country: in the federal capital, state capitals and Northern Territory and cities with a population of more than 100 thousand people. Melbourne and Sydney are home to about 40% of the country's population.

Natural resources and conditions.
Australia is rich in a variety of mineral resources. New discoveries of mineral ores made on the continent over the past 10-15 years have propelled the country to one of the first places in the world in reserves and production of minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, and lead-zinc ores.
The largest deposits of iron ore in Australia, which began to be developed in the 60s of our century, are located in the Hamersley Range in the north-west of the country (the Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth, etc. deposits). Iron ore is also found on the islands of Kulan and Kokatu in King's Bay (in the north-west), in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron Knob, etc.) and in Tasmania - the Savage River deposit (in the valley of the Savage River).
Large deposits of polymetals (lead, zinc with an admixture of silver and copper) are located in the western desert part of the state of New South Wales - the Broken Hill deposit. An important center for the extraction of non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, zinc) developed near the Mount Isa deposit (in Queensland). Deposits of base metals and copper are also found in Tasmania (Reed Rosebery and Mount Lyell), copper in Tennant Creek (Northern Territory) and in other places.
The main gold reserves are concentrated in the ledges of the Precambrian basement and in the southwest of the mainland (Western Australia), in the area of ​​​​the cities of Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, Northman and Wiluna, as well as in Queensland. Smaller deposits are found in almost all states.
Bauxite occurs on the Cape York Peninsula (Waipa deposit) and Arnhem Land (Gove deposit), as well as in the southwest, in the Darling Range (Jarrahdale deposit).
Manganese-containing ores are found on Groot Island - in the Gulf of Carpentaria and in the north-west of the country - in the Pilbara region.
Uranium deposits have been discovered in various parts of the mainland: in the north (Arnhem Land Peninsula) - near the South and East Alligator rivers, in the state of South Australia - near Lake. Frome, in Queensland - the Mary Catlin field and in the western part of the country - the Yillirri field.
The main deposits of hard coal are located in the eastern part of the mainland. The largest deposits of both coking and non-coking coal are developed near the cities of Newcastle and Lithgow (New South Wales) and the cities of Collinsville, Blair Athol, Bluff, Baralaba and Moura Keanga in Queensland.
Geological surveys have established that in the bowels of the Australian continent and on the shelf off its coast there are large deposits of oil and natural gas. Oil has been found and produced in Queensland (Mooney, Alton and Bennett fields), on Barrow Island off the northwest coast of the mainland, and on the continental shelf off the southern coast of Victoria (Kingfish field). Gas deposits (the largest Ranken field) and oil were also discovered on the shelf off the northwestern coast of the continent.
Australia has large deposits of chromium (Queensland), Gingin, Dongara, Mandarra (Western Australia), and Marlin (Victoria).
Non-metallic minerals include clays, sands, limestones, asbestos, and mica, which vary in quality and industrial use.
The water resources of the continent itself are small, but the most developed river network is on the island of Tasmania. The rivers there are fed with mixed rain and snow and are full of water throughout the year. They flow down from the mountains and are therefore stormy, rapids and have large reserves of hydroelectric power. The latter is widely used for the construction of hydroelectric power stations. The availability of cheap electricity contributes to the development of energy-intensive industries in Tasmania, such as the smelting of pure electrolyte metals, the production of cellulose, etc.
The rivers flowing from the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range are short and flow in narrow gorges in the upper reaches. Here they may well be used, and in part they are already used for the construction of hydroelectric power stations. When entering the coastal plain, rivers slow down their flow and their depth increases. Many of them in estuarine areas are even accessible to large ocean-going vessels. The Clarence River is navigable for 100 km from the mouth, and the Hawkesbury for 300 km. The flow volume and regime of these rivers are different and depend on the amount of precipitation and the time of its occurrence.
On the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, rivers originate and make their way through the interior plains. The largest river in Australia, the Murray, begins in the area of ​​Mount Kosciuszko. Its largest tributaries - the Darling, Murrumbidgee, Goulbury and some others - also originate in the mountains.
Food p. The Murray and its channels are mainly rain-fed and, to a lesser extent, snow-covered. These rivers are fullest at the beginning of summer, when the snow melts in the mountains. In the dry season, they become very shallow, and some of the Murray's tributaries break up into separate standing reservoirs. Only the Murray and Murrumbidgee maintain a constant flow (except in exceptionally dry years). Even the Darling, Australia's longest river (2450 km), gets lost in the sands during summer droughts and does not always reach the Murray.
Almost all rivers of the Murray system have dams and dams built, around which reservoirs are created, where flood waters are collected and used to irrigate fields, gardens and pastures.
The rivers of the northern and western coasts of Australia are shallow and relatively small. The longest of them, the Flinders, flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. These rivers are fed by rain, and their water content varies greatly at different times of the year.
Rivers whose flow is directed to the interior of the continent, such as Coopers Creek (Barku), Diamant-ina, etc., lack not only a constant flow, but also a permanent, clearly defined channel. In Australia, such temporary rivers are called creeks. They are filled with water only during short rain showers. Soon after the rain, the river bed again turns into a dry sandy hollow, often without even a definite outline.
Most lakes in Australia, like rivers, are fed by rainwater. They have neither a constant level nor a drain. In summer, the lakes dry up and become shallow saline depressions. The layer of salt at the bottom sometimes reaches 1.5 m.
In the seas surrounding Australia, sea animals are hunted and fished. Edible oysters are bred in sea waters. In the warm coastal waters in the north and northeast, sea cucumbers, crocodiles and pearl mussels are fished for. The main center for artificial breeding of the latter is located in the area of ​​​​the Koberg Peninsula (Arnhem Land). It was here, in the warm waters of the Arafura Sea and Van Diemen Bay, that the first experiments on the creation of special sediments were carried out. These experiments were carried out by one of the Australian companies with the participation of Japanese specialists. It has been found that pearl mussels grown in the warm waters off the northern coast of Australia produce larger pearls than those off the coast of Japan, and in a much shorter time. Currently, the cultivation of pearl mussels has spread widely along the northern and partly northeastern coasts.
Since the Australian continent for a long time, starting from the mid-Cretaceous period, was isolated from other parts of the globe, its flora is very unique. Of the 12 thousand species of higher plants, more than 9 thousand are endemic, i.e. grow only on the Australian continent. Endemics include many species of eucalyptus and acacia, the most typical plant families of Australia. At the same time, there are also plants here that are native to South America (for example, southern beech), South Africa (representatives of the Proteaceae family) and the islands of the Malay Archipelago (ficus, pandanus, etc.). This indicates that many millions of years ago there were land connections between the continents.
Since the climate of most of Australia is characterized by extreme aridity, its flora is dominated by dry-loving plants: special cereals, eucalyptus trees, umbrella acacias, succulent trees (bottle tree, etc.). Trees belonging to these communities have a powerful root system, which goes 10-20, and sometimes 30 m into the ground, thanks to which they, like a pump, suck out moisture from great depths. The narrow and dry leaves of these trees are painted mostly in a dull gray-greenish color. Some of them have leaves facing the sun with their edges, which helps reduce the evaporation of water from their surface.

Tropical rainforests grow in the far north and northwest of the country, where it is hot and the warm northwest monsoons bring moisture. Their tree composition is dominated by giant eucalyptus, ficus, palm trees, pandanus with narrow long leaves, etc. The dense foliage of the trees forms an almost continuous cover that shades the ground. In some places on the coast itself there are thickets of bamboo. In places where the shores are flat and muddy, mangrove vegetation develops.
Rain forests in the form of narrow galleries stretch for relatively short distances inland along river valleys.
The further south you go, the drier the climate becomes and the more intense the hot breath of the deserts is felt. Forest cover is gradually thinning. Eucalyptus and umbrella acacias are located in groups. This is a zone of wet savannas, stretching in a latitudinal direction to the south of the tropical forest zone. In appearance, savannas with sparse groups of trees resemble parks. There is no shrubby growth in them. Sunlight freely penetrates through a sieve of small leaves of trees and falls on the ground covered with tall, dense grass. Forested savannas are excellent pastures for sheep and cattle.
The central deserts of the mainland, where it is very hot and dry, are characterized by dense, almost impenetrable thickets of thorny low-growing shrubs, consisting mainly of eucalyptus and acacia trees. In Australia these thickets are called scrub. In some places the scrub is interspersed with vast, devoid of vegetation sandy, rocky or clayey desert areas, and in some places with thickets of tall turfy grasses (spinifex).
The eastern and southeastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, where precipitation is high, are covered with dense tropical and subtropical evergreen forests. Most of these forests, as elsewhere in Australia, are eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees are valuable industrially. These trees are unrivaled in height among hardwood species; some of their species reach 150 m in height and 10 m in diameter. Wood growth in eucalyptus forests is high and therefore they are very productive. There are also many tree-like horsetails and ferns in the forests, reaching 10-20 m in height. At their top, tree ferns bear a crown of large (up to 2 m in length) feathery leaves. With their bright and fresh greenery, they somewhat enliven the faded bluish-green landscape of eucalyptus forests. Higher in the mountains there is a noticeable admixture of damarra pines and beech trees.
The shrub and grass cover in these forests is varied and dense. In less humid variants of these forests, the second layer is formed by grass trees.
On the island of Tasmania, in addition to eucalyptus trees, there are many evergreen beech trees related to South American species.
In the southwest of the mainland, forests cover the western slopes of the Darling Range, facing the sea. These forests consist almost entirely of eucalyptus trees, reaching considerable heights. The number of endemic species here is especially high. In addition to eucalyptus trees, bottle trees are widespread. They have an original bottle-shaped trunk, thick at the base and sharply tapering at the top. During the rainy season, large reserves of moisture accumulate in the trunk of trees, which are consumed during the dry period. The undergrowth of these forests contains many shrubs and herbs, full of bright colors.
In general, Australia's forest resources are small. The total area of ​​forests, including special plantations consisting mainly of softwood species (mainly radiata pine), amounted to only 5.6% of the country's territory at the end of the 1970s.
The first colonists did not find plant species characteristic of Europe on the mainland. Subsequently, European and other species of trees, shrubs and grasses were introduced to Australia. Grapes, cotton, grains (wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn, etc.), vegetables, many fruit trees, etc. are well established here.
In Australia, all types of soils characteristic of tropical, subequatorial and subtropical natural zones are represented in a natural sequence.
In the area of ​​tropical rainforests in the north, red soils are common, changing towards the south to red-brown and brown soils in wet savannas and gray-brown soils in dry savannas. Red-brown and brown soils containing humus, some phosphorus and potassium are valuable for agricultural use.
The main wheat crops in Australia are located within the red-brown soil zone.
In the marginal regions of the Central Plains (for example, in the Murray Basin), where artificial irrigation is developed and a lot of fertilizers are used, grapes, fruit trees, and forage grasses are grown on sierozem soils.
In the ringed interior desert territories of semi-desert and especially steppe areas, where there is grass and in some places shrub-tree cover, gray-brown steppe soils are common. Their power is insignificant. They contain little humus and phosphorus, so when using them even as pastures for sheep and cattle, phosphorus fertilizers are required.
The Australian continent is located within three main warm climate zones of the southern hemisphere: subequatorial (in the north), tropical (in the central part), subtropical (in the south). Only a small part of. Tasmania lies within the temperate zone.
The subequatorial climate, characteristic of the northern and northeastern parts of the continent, is characterized by an even temperature range (during the year the average air temperature is 23 - 24 degrees) and a large amount of precipitation (from 1000 to 1500 mm, and in some places more than 2000 mm). Precipitation is brought here by the humid northwest monsoon, and falls mainly in summer. In winter, during the dry period of the year, rain falls only sporadically. At this time, dry, hot winds blow from the interior of the continent, which sometimes cause droughts.
In the tropical zone on the Australian continent, two main types of climate are formed: tropical wet and tropical dry.
A tropical humid climate is characteristic of the extreme eastern part of Australia, which is within the zone of southeast trade winds. These winds bring moisture-rich air masses from the Pacific Ocean to the mainland. Therefore, the entire area of ​​​​the coastal plains and eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range is well moistened (on average 1000 to 1500 mm of precipitation falls) and has a mild, warm climate (the temperature of the warmest month in Sydney is 22 - 25 degrees, and the coldest is 11.5 - 13 degrees).
Air masses bringing moisture from the Pacific Ocean also penetrate beyond the Great Dividing Range, losing a significant amount of moisture along the way, so precipitation falls only on the western slopes of the ridge and in the foothills area
Situated primarily in tropical and subtropical latitudes, where solar radiation is high, the Australian mainland is warming greatly. Due to the weak ruggedness of the coastline and the elevation of the outlying parts, the influence of the seas surrounding the mainland has little effect in the internal parts.
Australia is the driest continent on Earth, and one of the most characteristic features of its nature is the wide distribution of deserts, which occupy vast spaces and stretch for almost 2.5 thousand km from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.
The central and western parts of the continent are characterized by a tropical desert climate. In summer (December-February), average temperatures here rise to 30 degrees, and sometimes higher, and in winter (June-August) they drop to an average of 10-15 degrees. The hottest region of Australia is the north-west, where in the Great Sandy Desert the temperature remains at 35 degrees and even higher almost all summer. In winter, it decreases slightly (to about 25-20 degrees). In the center of the mainland, near the city of Alice Springs, in the summer the temperature during the day rises to 45 degrees, and at night drops to zero or lower (-4-6 degrees).
Central and western parts of Australia, i.e. approximately half of its territory receives an average of 250-300 mm of precipitation per year, and the surrounding area of ​​the lake. Air - less than 200 mm; but even these minor precipitations fall unevenly. Sometimes there is no rain at all for several years in a row, and sometimes the entire annual amount of precipitation falls in two or three days, or even in a few hours. Some of the water quickly and deeply seeps through the permeable soil and becomes inaccessible to plants, and some evaporates under the hot rays of the sun, and the surface layers of the soil remain almost dry.
Within the subtropical zone, there are three types of climate: Mediterranean, subtropical continental and subtropical humid.
The Mediterranean climate is characteristic of the southwestern part of Australia. As the name suggests, the climate of this part of the country is similar to that of the European Mediterranean countries - Spain and Southern France. Summers are hot and generally dry, while winters are warm and humid. Relatively small temperature fluctuations by season (January - 23-27 degrees, June - 12 - 14 degrees), sufficient precipitation (from 600 to 1000 mm).
The subtropical continental climate zone covers the southern part of the mainland adjacent to the Great Australian Bight, includes the environs of the city of Adelaide and extends somewhat further east into the western regions of New South Wales. The main features of this climate are low precipitation and relatively large annual temperature fluctuations.
The subtropical humid climate zone includes the entire state of Victoria and the southwestern foothills of New South Wales. In general, this entire zone is characterized by a mild climate and a significant amount of precipitation (from 500 to 600 mm), mainly in the coastal parts (the penetration of precipitation into the interior of the continent decreases). In summer, temperatures rise to an average of 20-24 degrees, but in winter they drop quite significantly - to 8-10 degrees. The climate of this part of the country is favorable for growing fruit trees, various vegetables and forage grasses. True, to obtain high yields, artificial irrigation is used, since in summer there is not enough moisture in the soil. Dairy cattle (grazing on forage grasses) and sheep are raised in these areas.
The temperate climate zone includes only the central and southern parts of the island of Tasmania. This island is largely influenced by the surrounding waters, and its climate is characterized by moderately warm winters and cool summers. The average January temperature here is 14-17 degrees, June - 8 degrees. The predominant wind direction is western. The average annual precipitation in the western part of the island is 2500 mm, and the number of rainy days is 259. In the eastern part the climate is somewhat less humid.
In winter, snow sometimes falls, but it does not last long. Heavy rainfall favors the development of vegetation, and especially grasses, which grow all year round. Herds of cattle and sheep graze on evergreen lush natural and improved by sowing forage grasses all year round.
The hot climate and insignificant and uneven precipitation over most of the continent lead to the fact that almost 60% of its territory has no flow to the ocean and has only a sparse network of temporary watercourses. Perhaps no other continent has such a poorly developed network of inland waters as Australia. The annual flow of all the rivers of the continent is only 350 cubic km.
Industry of Australia.
Australia's mining industry plays an important role in the country's economy.
According to scientific research, an average of 50 tons of iron ore, 55 tons of limestone, 4 tons of zinc, 200 tons of coal, 175 cubic meters are mined per year per Australian resident. crude oil. Australia is one of the world's main exporters of minerals, although it only develops 0.02% of Australia's entire territory, because... in some regions there are difficulties of access or remoteness of deposits, or unprofitability of development.
During the 1980s a large influx of investment in the mining and manufacturing industries led to an increase in production rates. Australian workers are the most skilled. Working conditions today are dramatically different from working conditions 10 or more years ago. The need to use new technologies is constantly increasing, and therefore industry today includes new branches of science and technology, business administration and marketing, environmental control, etc.
Below are tables showing the state of industry in Australia in different years.
Iron and steel industry of Australia.

Index
Iron ore production, million tons: By ore weight By metal content
Iron smelting, million tons
Steel production, million tons

Main iron ore deposits: Pilbara (Western Australia), Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth deposits, on the islands of Kulan and Cockatoo in King's Bay (in the north-west), in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron Knob, etc.) and in Tasmania - the Savage River field (in the Savage River valley).
The main centers of iron and steel industry in Australia are located on the east coast (the cities of Port Kembla, Newcastle, Melbourne).
Non-ferrous metallurgy of Australia.

Index
Copper production, thousand tons
Production of refined copper from ores and secondary raw materials, thousand tons
Consumption of refined copper, thousand tons
Zinc production, thousand tons
Production of pig zinc, thousand tons
Lead mining, thousand tons
Production of refined lead from primary and secondary raw materials, thousand tons
Tin mining, thousand tons
Production of primary tin, thousand tons
Aluminum production, thousand tons
Production of primary aluminum, thousand tons
Index
Production of secondary aluminum, thousand tons
Aluminum consumption, thousand tons
Nickel production, thousand tons
Cobalt production, thousand tons
Manganese production, thousand tons
Bauxite, thousand tons
Gold production, t

The main centers of the non-ferrous metallurgy are Sydney, Bell Bay, Risdon, Port Kembla, Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Fuel and energy industry
Australia.

Index
Oil, million tons
Gas, billion cubic meters
Hard coal, million tons
Brown coal, million tons
Installed capacity of power plants at the end of the year, million kW.
Electricity production, billion kWh
Hydroelectric power, billion kWh

Chemical and oil refining
Australian industry.

Index
Sulfur production, thousand tons
Production of basic inorganic acids, thousand tons: Sulfuric Nitrogen Solyanaya	1762 126 38	1776 174 43,4	2175 180 62,7
Production of caustic soda, thousand tons
Chlorine production, thousand tons
Production of mineral fertilizers, thousand tons: Nitrogen Phosphorus					230,2 809,8
Gasoline production, million tons
Production of motor and diesel fuel, million tons
Production of fuel oil (furnace and naval fuel), million tons
Production of lubricating oils, million tons
Production of kerosene and jet fuel, million tons
Production of synthetic resins and plastics, thousand tons
Production of chemical fibers and threads, thousand tons
Index
Production of synthetic rubber, thousand tons

The main centers of the chemical and oil refining industry are Sydney, Clyde, Melbourne, Gladstone, Perth.

Forestry, woodworking industry
and construction industry
Australian materials.

Index
Wood export, million cubic meters
Lumber production, million cubic meters
Production of fibreboards, million sq.m.
Production of particle boards, thousand cubic meters
Paper production, thousand tons
Cement production, million tons
Lime production, million tons
Asbestos production, thousand tons

The main centers of light and food industry are Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart.

Light industry
Australia.

Index
Production of cotton yarn, thousand tons
Index
Production of wool yarn, thousand tons
Total fabric production, million sq.m.
Production Cotton fabrics, million sq.m.
Production of woolen fabrics, million sq.m.
Production of silk fabrics, million sq.m.
Production of carpets and carpet products, million sq.m.

Food industry
Australia.

Index
Granulated sugar production, thousand tons
Margarine production, thousand tons
Catch of fish and seafood (including catch of sea animals, whales, crustaceans and mollusks), thousand tons
Production of grape wine, thousand hectoliters
Beer production, thousand hectoliters
Production of soft drinks, thousand hectoliters
Extraction of edible salt, million tons

Mechanical Engineering Australia.

Index
Launching of seagoing merchant vessels (with a capacity of 100 gross registered tons and above), thousand gross registered tons
Production of cars and buses, thousand units
Production of passenger cars, thousand units
Production of trucks, thousand units.
Bus production, thousand units
Production of grain harvesters, thousand units
Production of broadcast televisions, thousand units.

Since the development of industry since 1967. In Australia, 25 cities with a population of over 40 thousand people were built. , 12 ports and 1900 km laid. Railway tracks.

Agriculture Australia.

In Australia, both crop farming (horticulture, grain farming) and livestock farming (cattle and sheep breeding) have developed.
The Australian agricultural map shows that the intensity of land use decreases with distance from the coast.
Australia's east coast has a warm and mild climate, allowing for sheep to be slaughtered on pastures, dairy cows, and horticulture and grain farming.
On the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, where sufficient rainfall occurs, there is a strip of red-brown forest soils, rich in humus, and, when fertilized, suitable for growing wheat and other crops. This is where Australia's “wheat belt” stretches.
The southwestern part of Australia is characterized by a Mediterranean climate, conducive to the development of intensive agriculture.
Victoria and the south-west foothills of New South Wales have a subtropical climate, conducive to the cultivation of fruit trees, a variety of vegetables and forage grasses.
Heavy rainfall and slight temperature fluctuations on the island. Tasmania allows the raising of cattle and sheep.
The steppe and semi-desert regions of Australia are the world's largest sheep breeding areas. Sheep, being on private farms, are kept on natural pasture all year round.
Wool is Australia's leading export, generating billions of dollars annually for producers and creating jobs across the country. Therefore, the Australian Wool Corporation is supporting a broad-based research program into the application of robotics in the wool industry. This research has been ongoing since 1973. to this day.
Robotics is also used in gardening. The robotics system increases the productivity of the orchards several times, since the robot selects the fruit “calibrated” each time, which avoids further sorting.
Productivity is key, and without further development of agricultural robotics, and if products are produced at uncompetitive prices, Australia could be forced out of global product markets.

Structure of agricultural land
Australia

Development of transport and other industries
service industry in Australia.

The seas and oceans that wash the shores of Australia are important for the economic life of the country. Australia's main trade links with other countries and continents are carried out by waterways. Huge ocean liners export Australian goods - wheat, meat, butter, cheese, valuable minerals (iron ore, non-ferrous metals and their alloys, coal, bauxite, etc.), as well as industrial products. Finished products, semi-finished products and raw materials needed by industry, agriculture, transport and other sectors of the Australian economy come to Australia from overseas.
Air transport is also important for Australia. A network of regular airlines exists in many major Australian cities, and small aviation has also become widespread. Australian airports handle millions of passengers every year.
The most developed highway and rail transport networks are located on the east coast of the mainland. Transport routes extend from the major ports of East and West Australia (Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne) into the interior of the mainland. Pipeline transport has also been used in Australia. From oil and gas production sites (Mumba, Jackson, Roma, Muni) pipelines go to ports in the East.

Length and density of transport
ways of Australia.

Index
Length of transport routes, thousand km: Railways Car roads
Density of the network of transport routes (km of transport routes per 1000 sq. km of territory) Railways Car roads

Australia offers tourists everything that their restless soul craves: white sandy beaches, modern cities, quaint deserts, lush jungles and unique wildlife.
In Australia you can:
- try to mine gold. In places that experienced a gold rush in the last century, gold is still found today;
- learn to jump with a parachute. It is a popular sport here and Australia hosts many international skydiving competitions;
- go kayaking down mountain rivers. Also a popular pastime;
- fly in hot air balloons. They hang in the skies of Australia continuously.
- learn to scuba dive. They will help and even issue a certificate, however, without the right to be an instructor in this dangerous form of leisure;
- drive a rented car across the whole of Australia - ten days is enough, but memories!
- catch fish from the heart both in the sea and in rivers;
- go rock climbing. Fanatics of this cause flock here from all over the world;
- go sledding... from the sand dunes!

External economic relations.
Australia is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ANZUS Pact, and is part of the commonwealth led by Great Britain.
Australia is one of the world's largest exporters.
Main indicators of foreign trade
(in current prices billions of dollars)
Australia.

Indicators
Foreign trade turnover
Foreign trade balance

77% of the population of Australia are immigrants from different parts of the Earth and Australians speak not only English, the state language, but also Portuguese, German, Greek, Russian, etc. Modern Australia is a country of mass immigration, annually accepting 100-150 thousand people, therefore Australia has direct cultural ties with many countries around the world.

...

Hubble's Law and Redshift

Over the centuries, different cosmological models replaced each other, but it was considered absolutely unshakable that the Universe is infinite in time and space. The starry sky overhead was a symbol of eternity and immutability. Hubble's law. In the 20th century, two experimental facts became known confirming the expansion of the Universe: red...

The theme of the Motherland and people in the poem Dead Souls

My thoughts, my name, my works will belong to Russia. Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol began writing the poem in 1835 on the persistent advice of Pushkin. After many years of wandering around Europe, Gogol settled in Rome, where he devoted himself entirely to working on the poem. He considered its creation as the fulfillment of the oath he gave to Pushkin, as the fulfillment of a writer’s duty to the Motherland...

In the section on the question, Australia borders on the one asked by the author I-beam the best answer is Yes, Australia has no land connections with other countries
Australia is surrounded by oceans and seas - in the west it is bordered by the Indian Ocean, in the south by the Pacific Ocean, in the northeast by the Coral Sea and in the north by the Arafura Sea, the Timir Sea and the Gulf of Arpenteria.
Geographically, Australia is located between the Indian and Pacific oceans, so we can only talk about maritime borders... .
In the north, Australia borders with East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, in the northeast with Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, and in the southeast with New Zealand.

Answer from Throw[guru]
Australia does not border anyone because it is on a separate continent)

Answer from I'm leaving for real, I won't be back soon)[guru]
With water) .

Answer from Adaptation[guru]
Australia doesn't border anyone! because the country occupied the entire continent provided to it

Answer from CHEETAH[guru]
It does not border anyone by land.

Answer from Leonora Yunusova[active]
Australia is the smallest continent and, at the same time, the largest island on the planet.
Therefore, it has no land borders with any countries. Australia's jurisdiction includes the large island of Tasmania and many small islands on the east coast. The world-famous Barrier Reef, consisting of many small coral islands, is also located here.
By sea, the country's neighbors are New Zealand and the Pacific island states: Indonesia, Vanuatu, New Guinea.
Australia is distinguished by a high level of well-being of its inhabitants and a comfortable climate (not counting the arid desert zone).

Means “entrance to the lakes” - in this place an extensive network of rivers and lakes flows into the ocean, creating ideal conditions for fishing.

Indeed, at the pier in Lakes Entrance there were many fishing trawlers, which immediately sold fresh fish and shrimp. Almost all vacationers in this place in Victoria could see a boat; many hotels have corners with tables for cutting fish.

Well, where there are fish, there are pelicans.

And the fishermen, accordingly...

In general, apart from fish and a couple of beaches, there is nothing special to see in Lakes Entrance, except for the private maritime museum Griffiths Sea Shell Museum, where you could find just tons of different types of shells, preserved and dried fish and other sea creatures.

Not far from Lakes Entrance are the Buchan Caves.

Well, after visiting the caves, it was nice to have a glass of local beer at the Bullant Brewery.

25 Aug 2012 12:12

We were already in Canberra in 2008, stopping for a couple of days on our way to Sydney. Then we saw that there are many places in the city that can be visited in a few days.

Before leaving Canberra we visited the Australian Parliament building. There were several police officers at the entrance who let visitors through a frame, like at airports. After walking through the halls and offices, visiting the green roof, we moved on...

15 Aug 2012 02:10

Consulting group the Economist Intelligence Unit has published its list of the world's best cities, with Melbourne topping it for the second year in a row.

The top ten cities look like this:

Great Ocean Road

20 Jul 2012 03:02

We took a trip to the Great Ocean Road last December and just added everything from that trip yesterday.

You can drive the entire road in one day if you leave early in the morning, don’t stop everywhere, and return directly along the highway. To take our time with sightseeing, we stayed for a couple of nights right in the center of the road, in the town of Port Campbell (Summer's Rest Units).

On the first day it was cloudy, so we had to wear jackets, but on the second day the sun came out and it became much more fun.

A few attractions we visited:

Despite s18(1) of the Spam Act 2003 (Cth), I agree and acknowledge that any message Vodafone sends me will not contain an unsubscribe facility. I understand that I can, at any time, opt out of receiving marketing material by contacting Vodafone Customer Care.

In general, Australian laws do not have to be followed, the main thing is to communicate this in small print.

23 Feb 2012 05:13

She received the surname Macpherson from her stepfather Neil Macpherson.

Thanks to her ideal body proportions (90-61-89), at the age of 18, Elle signed her first contract with the famous modeling agency Click Model Management.

In 1985, Elle decided to marry photographer and creative director of Elle magazine Gilles Bensimon, who was 20 years older than Macpherson. Thanks to her marriage, Elle appeared in every issue of Elle magazine for six years.

In 1986, Elle made the cover of Time magazine. By that time, she had already been on the covers of magazines such as Cosmopolitan, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Playboy. Elle also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times during her career.

In 1989, MacPherson and Bensimon divorced, and along with her husband, Elle lost her largest employer, Elle magazine. This period in the girl’s career and life is difficult, but Elle pulls herself together and decides to move on.

Elle Macpherson in the movie "On the Edge"

In 1990, the first film starring the famous model, Alice, directed by Woody Allen, was released. Then she plays in several films: “Sirens” (with Hugh Grant), “Batman and Robin” (with George Clooney), “On the Edge” (with Anthony Hopkins) and others.

Also in 1990, Macpherson launched her lingerie line, Elle Macpherson Intimates, which is sold exclusively in Australia.

In 1995, together with her supermodel friends, Elle opened the Fashion Café restaurant chain, which did not become profitable and was closed in 1998.

In 1999, Elle Macpherson starred in five episodes of the popular TV series Friends.

In 2003, Elle was engaged to French financier Arpad Busson, with whom she had two sons, Flynn in 1998 and Cy in 2003.

In 2005, the couple broke up, and today Elle and her children live in London.

Smile!

22 Feb 2012 02:08

I read in the local newspaper today about what to do when traveling, and I saw this advice:

Smile. Always smile.

It"ll get you places you wouldn"t believe. From persuading Parisian waiters to speak English to figuring out where the hell you"re supposed to be sitting on that train, a little smile and a good attitude will get you help in no time. NB: There"s an exception to this rule – it "s called Russia. (They"ll think you"re mad.)

In translation:

Smile! Always smile.

This will open up so many new opportunities for you that you never dreamed of. For example, a waiter from Paris suddenly speaks English, or you finally find that fucking seat on the train - just smile a little and act accordingly.

One exception to this rule is Russia. They'll think you're crazy.