Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James Cook took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country was able to take advantage of its natural resources in order to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change Australia’s status, from a commonwealth headed by the British monarch to a republic, was defeated in 1999.
The Western Plateau constitutes the western half of the Australian continent. Made of ancient rocks, the plateau rises near the west coast – the iron-rich Hamersley range representing its highest elevation in the northwest – and then falls eastward toward the centre of the continent. The arid landscape alternates between worn-down ridges and plains, and depressions containing sandy deserts and salt lakes. There is little surface water. The flatness of the plateau is interrupted by the MacDonnell and Musgrave ranges in the centre of the continent and the Kimberley and Arnhem Land plateaus in the north. Sheep and cattle are raised on large holdings in parts of this region. The Central Lowlands forming the Great Aftesian Basin, and river systems including the Carpentaria, Eyre, and Murray basins constitute a nearly continuous expanse of lowland that runs north to south. The river systems feed into Lake Eyre, the Bulloo system, or the Darling River. Artesian bores make cattle and sheep raising possible through much of the semiarid Central Lowlands.
The Eastern Highlands, known as the Great Dividing Range, and the relatively narrow eastern coastal plain constitute Australia’s third main geographic region. This has the greatest relief, the heaviest rainfall, the most abundant and varied vegetation, and the densest human settlement. A notable feature of the eastern marine environment is the Great Barrier Reef. The world’s largest coral reef complex, it lies off the northeast coast stretching some 2,500km from the Tropic of Capricorn to Papua New Guinea. A major tourist attraction, with over 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of fish it is now protected as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The island of Tasmania, to the southeast of the mainland, has spectacular mountain wilderness areas and more than 30% of the state is protected World Heritage areas, national parks and reserves.
Australian plant and animal life is distinctive. The most common trees are gums (Eucalyptus) and wattles (Acacia). Most native animals are marsupials, and include Kangaroos, Koalas, Wombats and Possums. Monotremes, the Platypus and the Echidna, which lay eggs and suckle their young, are unique to this country. There are also about 400 species of reptile and some 700 species of bird.
Though one third of Australia is still used for grazing, the nations economy is now much diversifies, with an important manufacturing sector. Rich in mineral resources, the leading export earners being iron ore from Western Australia and coking coal from Queensland and New South Wales, while bauxite is mined in the Northern Territory and Queensland. In recent years the country has produced more than one-third of the world’s diamonds, 14% of its lead and 11% of its uranium and zinc. Commodities account for 80% of exports. Tourism is the single largest foreign exchange earner at around 14%. |
