The Western Plateau Essay

Improved Essays
Australia is situated in the Southern Hemisphere as well as the Eastern Hemisphere sharing its location with Europe, Africa and Asia. It is the smallest and most isolated continent and due to this fact, it is referred to as the 'island continent. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world by land area. Australia is the flattest continent, with an average height of 330 metres above sea level, as well as an average annual precipitation of 450 millimetres, making it the driest inhabited continent there is. These characteristics are hidden beneath the range of exclusive topographic features and river systems that are found in Australia.

While Australia is part of a global community there are many features of the physical and human environment that make the country unique. Taken together, these features give our country an identity that is readily recognised around the world as Australian. Australia’s physical environments are what gives it its international
…show more content…
Indicative of this is the Nullarbor Plain, which is found in the southern part of the Western Plateau. The Western Plateau is also home to many deserts. Due to cold water currents off the coast of Western Australia, this region is very dry. The Western Plateau is not completely flat, however. These monoliths came into being when soft rocks surrounding them were eroded, leaving behind the stronger rock. The Hamersley, Musgrave and MacDonnell Ranges are mountain varieties in the Western Plateau.
AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR PATTERNS:
The Climate is the study of weather over time. Weather is the short-term study of temperature, precipitation rates, humidity, the sun and the wind. Some factors that affect the climate of an area include global air circulation and topography. These factors all work together to create the climate found in Australia, which is drier than all the other continents, with the exception of

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Australia is a country that has been described as diverse, multicultural and unique. Our geography, flora and fauna and cultural history is different from anywhere else, which has definitely captured the attention of the rest of the world. Australian society has evolved in a very short space of time from the earliest convict settlements established in the mid nineteenth century, to the cosmopolitan states that currently exist and draw immigrants from all continents across the globe. Australia’s history has reflected conflict, human rights violations and the hardship associated with establishing a refined society in a harsh and primitive landscape. Throughout the various stages of Australian history, Australians have attempted to grab onto an…

    • 1383 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Castle Is it the laid back nature of the typical Australian, the picture perfect landscape we live in, or the cultural diversity that makes Australia what it is today? Features such as these have been used as a way of describing Australia for decades. However, do they truly capture the Australian identity? (Change slide) Good afternoon Ladies and gentlemen.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Before the first fleet Australia was a place where indigenous people called home. They would hunt and gather with no care, that was until the first fleet arrived in Botany Bay. When the first fleet of convicts arrived they took over all the indigenous people's land to make farms and to build towns. Life was difficult for some people but for others they did very well. After the first fleet of convicts came, people chose to come because they wanted to, they were called free settlers, then followed the gold rush which brought people from all races, nationalities and countries to Australia, the place we now call home.…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Abandonment In Australia

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Modern Australia was built upon these factors…

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Stereotypes In Australia

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages

    10 Things in Australia that are Not Trying to Kill You It seems like there are countless news stories, documentaries, and lists every year about how everything in Australia is incredibly dangerous and probably trying to kill you. While these things may be true, it gives Australia a bad rap when it is really a wonderful place that is most certainly not trying to kill you. From government health initiatives, to high livability, to an emphasis on fitness (and even an adorable creature or two), there really are quite a few things in Australia that are not actively trying to kill you. Here are ten notable examples.…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While surveying the western half of the United States an individual can see a wide variety of biomes. The peaks Rocky Mountains, the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest, the arid desserts of the Southwest, but none compare to the Great Plains. The grasslands of North America have a tumultuous history that dates back look before the English setters arrived. Elliott West’s book The Contested Plains sets out to explain the history of the prairie, the rise and fall of the native plain people, and the rush to find fortune during the Colorado gold rush.…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    All countries create a national identify which may or may not endure some resemblance to reality. Australia’s National identity is constantly changing through the evolution of Australia from once being considered the sons of the British Empire to creating a unique national identity like no other. With Australia being a young and culturally diverse nation, which often struggles with how to define its national identity, the word “Australianness” can often been an umbrella term used to describe it’s national identity. Advertising campaigns are promoting Australians as people who value tolerance, equality, the peaceful solutions of disputes, and a spirit of cooperation. Our national identity plays a substantial role in how we perceive ourselves…

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The arrival of the English at Botany Bay had a considerable affect upon the Australian continent; it completely changed the national identity and had some devastating affects upon the original people of the land. The influence of the English changed more than the landscape as the English changed the continent as a whole, creating a British colony by changing the land, beliefs and culture of the country. From the very beginning of their arrival to today’s technological era, England has had a massive impact in the way that Australia has developed. Almost from the moment the English first set foot on Australia they began to cultivate the land, fashioning it to fit their European ideals. Australia had been described by explorers such…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Chrystal Nguyen November 19, 2014 The Grand Canyon: A Natural Phenomenon Although humans are considered the smartest animal in the world, we are definitely not the most powerful forces in the world. Human history can be told verbally or documented with written language, but Earth’s history must be deciphered through the written clues in our nature.…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Patrick Johnson Engr 597 Tectonics Dr. Gifford 10/14/2016 Formation of the Rocky Mountains Abstract • How did they form? • Sevier orogeny • Laramide orogeny • prevailing theory (flat slab subduction) 1. Very low angle subducting slab 2. rubbing against underside of North American plate 3.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Australia is known as a multi-cultural country in which there are many different cultures being represented in everyday life such as cuisine, language, knowledge of flora and fauna, careers, hobbies, transportation and consumer wants. Due to the amount of diverse cultures in the same country, there is many opportunities for cultures to impact each other. These impacts could be positive or negative. For example, in the past and still continuing today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been negatively impacted by overly using alcohol, drugs, and by smoking which leads to many health issues.…

    • 312 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Victorian Alps

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Winter or summer, the mountain ranges known as the Victorian Alps offer Aussies and visitors a unique opportunity to experience mountain life in all its splendor. The Australian Alps, being Australia's highest mountain range, borders eastern Vic, southeastern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as well. As part of the Great Dividing Range, the Victorian or Australian Alps are also sometimes known as the High Country with highest peaked Mount Bogon rising at an elevation of 1,986 metres. As such, you can readily see why the Victorian Alps have turned into a splendid opportunity for winters skiers who plan to return in the warmer months for a season of adrenaline pumping adventures.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Unladylike Over half of the Australian population is made up of women, yet when it comes to the media representations of the Australian identity as a whole; the voices, achievements and needs of women remain virtually unheard. The Australian identity is based primarily upon a love for sporting, bigoted politics, media stereotypes, trademark “delicacies”, indolent colloquialism and fatal wildlife. Although a great amount of Australians proudly symbolise and embrace these categories; many citizens – particularly women – find themselves misunderstood, misrepresented and patronised by these limiting factors. Australia is a country renowned for its sporting passion; attracting millions of spectators to national sporting matches each month.…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the 1930s, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands were used to establish Aboriginal communities in Southern Australia. Unfortunately, this area has a limited amount of available water with a majority of the communities' water coming from boreholes in deep fractured rocks. Additionally, these communities supplement these wells with collecting rainfall, but the APY lands receive infrequent rains with high rainfall events making it difficult to rely on rainfall alone [1]. To helps sustain these communities, GeoScientist Without Borders used geophysical tooling to locate groundwater resources.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies are a masive mountain range located in western North America. It is believed that to the south the American Rockies exsisted under sea level at some point millions of years ago. Looking similarly too florida and it's tropical tempertures. Proof of this is in the Colorado Rockies, sediment left behind, mostly large fossils of female ammonites or squid, crabs and other sea creature fossils.…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays