The Australian Union is the only state that occupies an entire continent. Has this affected Australia’s natural resources? We will talk in more detail about the country's wealth and its use later in the article.
Geography
The country is located on the mainland of the same name, which is fully located in the Southern Hemisphere. In addition to the mainland, Australia also includes some islands, including Tasmania. The shores of the state are washed by the Pacific and Indian oceans and their seas.
By area, the country ranks sixth in the world, but as the mainland, Australia is the smallest. Together with numerous archipelagos and islands in the south-west of the Pacific Ocean, it forms part of the world Australia and Oceania.
The state is located in the subequatorial, tropical and subtropical zones, part of the island of Tasmania is in the temperate zone. Due to the considerable distance from other continents, Australia's climate formation is very dependent on ocean currents. The territory of the continent is mostly flat, mountains are located only in the east. About 20% of the total space is occupied by deserts.
Australia: Natural Resources and Conditions
Geographical remoteness and harsh conditions contributed to the formation of a unique nature. The desert central regions of the mainland are represented by arid steppes, which are covered with low shrubs. Long droughts here alternate with prolonged rainfall.
Severe conditions contributed to the formation of special devices in local animals and plants in order to retain moisture and cope with high temperatures. Australia has many marsupials, and plants have powerful underground roots.
In the western and northern regions the conditions are milder. The moisture brought by the monsoons contributes to the formation of dense tropical forests and savannahs. The latter serve as excellent pastures for cattle and sheep.
The marine natural resources of Australia and Oceania are not far behind. In the Coral Sea is the famous Great Barrier Reef with an area of 345 thousand square kilometers. The reef is home to more than 1000 species of fish, sea turtles, crustaceans. This attracts sharks, dolphins, birds.
Water resources
The driest continent is Australia. Natural resources in the form of rivers and lakes are represented here in very small quantities. More than 60% of the continent is drained. The Murray River (length - 2375 kilometers) along with its tributaries Golburn, Darling and Marrambigi is considered the largest.
Most rivers have rain food, usually they are small and small in size. In dry periods, even Murray dries up, forming separate stagnant water bodies. Nevertheless, dams, dams and reservoirs were built on all its tributaries and branches.
Australian lakes are small basins with salt layers at the bottom. Like rivers, they are filled with rainwater, prone to dry out and have no runoff. Therefore, the level of lakes on the mainland is constantly fluctuating. The largest lakes are Air, Gregory, Gardner.
Mineral resources
Far from the last place in the world in terms of mineral reserves is Australia. Natural resources of this type are actively mined in the country. In the area of shelves and coastal islands, natural gas and oil are extracted, in the east - coal. The country is also rich in non-ferrous metal ores and non-metallic minerals (for example, sand, asbestos, mica, clay, limestone).
Australia, whose natural resources are mainly of a mineral nature, leads in the amount of mined zirconium and bauxite. It is one of the first in the world in terms of reserves of uranium, manganese and coal. Polymetallic, zinc, silver, lead and copper mines are located in the western part and on the island of Tasmania.
Gold deposits are scattered across almost the entire continent; the largest reserves are in the southwestern part. Australia is rich in precious stones, among them diamonds and opals. Here is about 90% of the global stock of opals. The largest stone was found in 1989; it weighed more than 20,000 carats.
Forest resources
Australia's animal and plant natural resources are unique. Most species are endemic, that is, they are present only on this continent. Among them are the most famous eucalyptus trees, of which there are approximately 500 species. However, this is not all Australia can boast of.
The country's natural resources are represented by subtropical forests. True, they occupy only 2% of the territory and are located in river valleys. Due to the arid climate, drought tolerant species prevail in the plant world: succulents, acacia, some cereals. Gigantic eucalyptus trees, palm trees, bamboos, mangrove trees, and ficuses grow in the wetter northwestern part.
Representatives of the animal kingdom in Australia, there are about two hundred thousand, 80% of which are endemic. Typical inhabitants are the kangaroo, ostrich emu, Tasmanian devil, giant monitor lizard, platypus, dingo dog, flying fox, echidna, gecko, koala, kuzu and others. There are many species of birds (lyrebirds, black swans, birds of paradise, cockatoo), reptiles and reptiles (narrow-toed crocodile, black, lamellar, tiger snake) on the continent and nearby islands.
Australia: natural resources and their use
Despite the harsh conditions, Australia has significant resources. Of the greatest economic value are minerals. The country ranks first in the world in uranium ore mining, third in bauxite mining and sixth in coal mining.
The country has great agroclimatic potential. In Australia, potatoes, carrots, pineapples, chestnuts, bananas, mangoes, apples, sugarcane, grains and legumes are grown. For medical purposes, opium and poppy are grown. Sheep husbandry is actively developing for the production of wool, cattle are bred for the export of milk and meat.