This continent got its name fromLatin language. In it, the word "southern" is consonant with the name of Australia. And it is no coincidence, because it is completely located in the southern part of the globe. In terms of the total area it occupies (and this is about 7.6 million square kilometers), Australia is rightly considered the smallest continent on our planet. For this reason, some scholars tend to rank it among the mainland islands. Most of the shores are washed by the salt waters of the Indian Ocean and only from one, east side - by the Pacific Ocean.
The mainland is at a great distance from othersregions of the world, so most of the trade routes runs away from him. The shores are not rich in deep bays, the most convenient of which are located in the south-east. There is the main port area of the Australian continent. The waters washing Australia are warm even in the winter season - not lower than +20 degrees Celsius. This creates a favorable environment for the existence of corals, of which a great many grows off the coast of the continent. For this reason, along the coast of Australia stretches the famous Big Reef, reaching a length of more than two thousand kilometers.
Due to its geographical location, Australia is a separate continent. This greatly influenced its development both in terms of culture and the species diversity of animals and plants.
Australia Relief and Minerals
In the past, the continent was not separated from the generalmainland as it is now, Australia was part of Gondwana. But by the end of the Mesozoic era, it separated and began to gradually move away until it reached the present position. Now the basis of the Australian continent is the pre-brie platform, the base of which has a crystalline structure. In some areas of the mainland, it comes to the surface, forming shields, especially in the northern, western and central regions. But most of the platform is hidden under a layer of sedimentary rocks, equally of marine and continental origin.
The brightest elements of the relief of the Australianmainland can be called the following: Central lowland, whose height does not exceed a hundred meters above sea level; The East Australian Mountains are based on the Great Dividing Range (up to a thousand kilometers in height) and the West Australian Plateau. It is also the only continent of the globe where there are no icy mountain peaks, and active volcanoes are completely absent. Although in the past there was a stormy tectonic activity. This is indicated by the vast depressions and cones from the once erupting volcanoes of antiquity.
Australia's minerals are richvariety. Geological discoveries made in just the last ten years have been able to push it to the first places in the production of iron ore, bauxite and lead-zinc ores. Ore minerals of Australia are displayed on the map in the Hamersli region. Deposits at this ridge have been developed for more than half a century and do not threaten to exhaust themselves in the foreseeable future. Iron ore is also mined on the largest island of the continent - Tasmania, and on smaller islands in the north-western region.
Polymetallic minerals of Australia,which include, above all, zinc and lead with impurities of copper and silver, are located in the desert areas of the state of South Wales. Queensland and the already-called island of Tasmania are another important center for mining of complex metals. Small deposits are scattered throughout the mainland, but such active mining is not carried out everywhere, as in these key points. In addition, in Australia there are considerable reserves of gold. The largest ones are located in areas of the basement protrusion, while smaller ones can be found in almost any state of the country.
The state of South Wales is also famous for itsextensive deposits of coal. Although this mineral is everywhere in the eastern part of the continent, the main developments are in the cities of Wales. In addition to the above, not so long ago were discovered considerable deposits of gas and oil, located deep in the depths of the Australian continent. Some of them have been successfully developed recently. The country is also actively engaged in the extraction of chromium, clay, sand and limestone.
