AUSTRALIA POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY Australia is island country and

AUSTRALIA

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY �Australia is island, country, and continent �Roughly the size of the U. S. �It is made up of six states and two territories � Plus many island territories in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and they claim territory in Antarctica �Most of its population is on the southeastern coast (four reasons why)

POPULATION DENSITY MAP WHY? 1. Good River Systems

CLIMATE Tropical Rainforest Tropic of Capricorn Temperate 2. Temperate climates/middle latitudes are ideal for agriculture 3. Many of Australia’s deserts are on or near the Tropic of Capricorn

4. Great Divide Range – forced settlers to stay near the coast until a pass was found

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY �Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY �Ayers Rock (Uluru) and the Olgas are sacred Aboriginal sites �The two mountains are actually one solid sandstone rock �Ayers Rock is located nearly in the center of Australia �The mountain changes color depending on the time of day

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY �OUTBACK – refers to any region outside the urban areas �Technically, it is arid and semiarid interior regions �AKA – “the Bush”

WAVE ROCK

NULLARBOR PLAINS 300 feet cliffs What do you think formed these cliffs?

NAME THAT AUSSIE WILDLIFE

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY �Aborigines refer to the indigenous people that came about 40, 000 years ago � 1606 Dutch first landed on the western island

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY continue � 1770 Captain Cook arrived in Botany Bay and claimed it for the Britain �Instead of being hanged prisoners could be transported to prison colonies in Virginia and Maryland. After the U. S. independence the British began “Transporting” prisoners to Australia in 1786 �For good behavior a prisoner could be released and given a land grant �By 1793 FREE settlers began colonizing

ABORIGANESE �Mirrors the American Indian culture in many ways �Tribal �Removal Act �Government Reservation lands �Many casino are popping up on reservations �Similar problem today

CULTURE �SPORTS INCLUDE �AUSSIE FOOTBALL �CRICKET �TENNIS �GOLF �SURFING �RUGBY SYDNEY OPRA HOUSE

BEWARE OF SHARKS

G’day mate Translate that phrase? The Big Smoke dunny Good on ya! Up a gum tree Oz Drongo In trouble or sticky situation Cyclone Kid biscuit Hard yacker toilet Australians Willy-Willy Nipper A city Tiring work Idiot Shark biscuit Swagman cookie New surfer Hobo

PACIFIC RIM �Ring of Fire - The Pacific Islands are primarily formed by volcanic activity �Atoll – Island formed when volcanos recede and coral reefs remain Atufu Atoll Molokini Hawaii

Polynesia �Greek phrase for sub region of Oceania �Made up of over a thousand island �Largest culture group in the Pacific

POLYNESIAN TRIANGLE �Ranges from Hawaii in the North �New Zealand in the southwest �Easter Island to the southeast

RA LIA AU ST NEW ZEALAND

NEW ZEALAND CULTURE �Often called Kiwi’s after a flightless bird �Known as the daredevil’s capital �Passionate about their Ruby team

NEW ZEALAND �Two islands �North Island – Forest and fertile lowlands � Most of the population �South Island – larger with many mountains � Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand �Economy �Agriculture and Sheep herding (wool) �Movie Industry (Lord of the Rings) �Tourism

�Languages �English - from British colonies �Maori – from indigenous New Zealanders �N. Z. might have spoke Dutch if the Maori hadn’t killed first Dutch explorers Haka – Rugby ritual based on Maori war dance � Tattooing was a social status started in Polynesia � Chiefs and warriors would have facial tattoos (moko) �

�Mariana Trench – At 36, 201 feet or just around 7 miles deepest point on Earth �That’s over 6000 feet more than Everest is tall �Off the island Guam

Easter Island 37 feet tall Not only do we not know why they were built, but we also don’t know how?