How do you describe the country of Australia?

Australia, the full name is The Commonwealth of Australia. Its territory covers an area of ??7,686,850 square kilometers and is surrounded by sea. It is the only country in the world that covers the entire continent. Australia, which has many unique flora, fauna and natural landscapes, is a country of immigrants that pursues multiculturalism.

The word Australia (australia) means "the southern continent" and is derived from the Latin terraaustralis (southern land). When Europeans discovered this continent in the 17th century, they mistakenly thought it was a piece of land leading directly to Antarctica, so they named it "Australia".

Australia is a highly developed capitalist country. As the most economically developed country in the southern hemisphere, the 12th largest economy in the world, and the fourth largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, it is also the world's largest exporter of various minerals, so it is called "the country sitting on the mine car." At the same time, Australia is also the country with the largest number of sheep and wool exports in the world. It is also known as the "country riding on the sheep's back". Australia's population is highly urbanized, with nearly half of its citizens living in Sydney and Melbourne. Many cities across the country have been rated as one of the most livable places in the world. It is also a sports powerhouse, hosting many global sports events all year round. Today, Australia actively participates in international affairs and is a member of the United Nations, the Group of 20, the Commonwealth, the Pacific Security Treaty, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Pacific Islands Forum.

Location

Australia is located between the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, consisting of islands and overseas territories such as the Australian mainland and Tasmania

Australia map - latest erlinyou version

complete. It borders the Coral Sea and Tasman Sea of ??the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the Indian Ocean and its marginal seas to the west, north and south. It is the only country in the world that occupies a continent.

Australia faces New Zealand across the Tasman Sea in the east, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands across the Coral Sea in the northeast, and Indonesia and East Timor across the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea in the north. .

Terrain

Australia’s terrain is very distinctive. Eastern mountains, central plains, and western plateaus. Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in the country, is 2,228 meters above sea level. Near the sea, there is a narrow beach with a gentle slope, gently sloping to the west, gradually becoming a plain. There is the Great Barrier Reef off the northeastern coast.

The coastal area is full of wide sandy beaches and lush vegetation, and the terrain there is diverse: to the west of Sydney there are the overhangs of the Blue Mountains

Australia Topographic Map

There are steep cliffs, the tall, beautiful and eroded volcanic neck of the Glasshouse Mountains to the north of Brisbane, while the south coast to the west of Adelaide is a flat wilderness.

About 70% of Australia's land belongs to arid or semi-arid zones, and most of the central area is not suitable for human habitation. Australia has 11 large deserts, which cover about 20% of the entire continent. Australia is the flattest and driest continent in the world. Lake Eyre in the middle is Australia's lowest point, with the lake level 16 meters below sea level. There are only 260,000 square kilometers of land that can be used for livestock raising and farming, mainly distributed along the southeastern coast.

Climate

Australian Climate

Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere. Although the time difference between Australia and China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) is only 2-3 hours, the seasons are completely opposite. Summer is from December to February, autumn is from March to May, winter is from June to August, and spring is from September to November.

Australia spans two climate zones. The north is tropical. The rainy season is from November to April of the following year, and the dry season is from November to April of the following year. Due to its proximity to the equator, January to February It's typhoon period. Southern Australia belongs to the temperate zone. The central and western parts of Australia are desolate deserts with drought and little rainfall, high temperatures and large temperature differences; in the coastal areas, there is abundant rainfall and a humid climate.

Hydrology

The Murray River and the Darling River are the two longest rivers in Australia. These two river systems form the Murray-Darling Basin, which covers an area of ??more than 1 million square kilometers, equivalent to 14% of the total continental area. The longest river, the Murray River, is 2,589 kilometers long. Lake Eyre is a huge salt lake near the center of the continent, covering an area of ??more than 9000k㎡, but it has been dry for a long time.

Australia is the driest continent in the world. Its drinking water mainly comes from natural precipitation and relies on dam storage for water supply. The government strictly prohibits the use of groundwater because once underground water resources are exploited, it is difficult to recover. From 2006 to 2009, the influence of El Ni?o expanded, resulting in a significant decrease in rainfall. Major cities in Australia were generally short of water, and many cities in Australia issued a number of water restriction laws to save water and tide over the drought.

Natural Resources Editor

Minerals

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Australia is rich in mineral resources, oil and natural gas. Mineral resources are at least There are more than 70 species. Among them, bauxite reserves rank first in the world, accounting for 35% of the world's total reserves.

Australia is the world's largest producer of bauxite, alumina, diamonds, lead, and tantalum, and its output of gold, iron ore, coal, lithium, manganese ore, nickel, silver, uranium, zinc, etc. also ranks among the top in the world. At the same time, Australia is also the world's largest exporter of bituminous coal, bauxite, lead, diamonds, zinc and concentrates, the second largest exporter of alumina, iron ore and uranium ore, and the third largest exporter of aluminum and gold. Proven mineral reserves with economic mining value: about 3.1 billion tons of bauxite, 15.3 billion tons of iron ore, 511 billion tons of bituminous coal, 411 billion tons of lignite, 17.2 million tons of lead, 9 million tons of nickel, and 406 million tons of silver. tons, 18,000 tons of tantalum, 34 million tons of zinc, 610,000 tons of uranium, and 4,404 tons of gold. Australia’s crude oil reserves are 240 billion liters, natural gas reserves are 1.36 trillion cubic meters, and liquefied petroleum gas reserves are 174 billion liters. The forest coverage area accounts for 20% of the country's land. The natural forest area is about 155 million hectares (2\3 is eucalyptus), and the timber forest area is 1.22 million hectares. Known as "the country sitting on the mine cart"

Biology

Australia is known as the "World's Living Fossil Museum". According to statistics, Australia has 12,000 species of plants, 9,000 of which are not found in other countries; there are 650 species of birds, 450 of which are unique to Australia. Most of the world's marsupials, except South America, are found in Australia. Due to its stable environment, Australia has unique ancient biological species that have been preserved during the evolution of the earth. Although they appear primitive, they have become living fossils for humans to study the history of the evolution of the earth. In recent decades, alien species have entered Australia through different channels, causing varying degrees of impact on the local ecological environment.

Emu

The emu is one of the animals that appears on the Australian national emblem. It is a large bird whose flight function has been degraded. It is the largest bird in Australia, the emu. It is one of the largest land birds in the world and one of the oldest bird species in the world. It is the only remaining species in the family Emu, order Crassus.

Koala

Also known as koala or koala, it is one of Australia’s unique animals. It is not only Australia’s national treasure, but also Australia’s unique and precious primitive arboreal animal.

The cute koala (8 photos)

It belongs to the marsupial family of mammals, the Koala family, and is distributed in the eucalyptus forest area in southeastern Australia. There is a koala sanctuary in Melbourne, and there is also a koala sanctuary one kilometer away from Brisbane. Only the koala sanctuary in Brisbane can hug koalas. It is impossible to find koalas in the eucalyptus forests in the Blue Mountains with your bare eyes, so it is recommended to bring a telescope. In fact, it’s pretty good that you can see the koala moving. The koala is hugging the tree like this. It is simply a cute creature. Remember: you must not disturb them!

Platypus

An Australian monotreme mammal, the platypus is the animal that appears on the Australian 20-cent coin. They are distributed between Cape York in eastern Australia and South Australia. , also found in Tasmania.

Wood moth larvae

This white, high-protein snack is actually the larvae of a moth. It is an important insect dish in the Australian desert and was once a staple food for local Aboriginal people. staple food.

Kangaroo

Native to mainland Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea. Some species are unique to Australia. All Australian kangaroos,

Australian kangaroos (10 photos)

except those in zoos and wildlife parks, live in the wild. Different species of kangaroos live in a variety of natural environments across Australia, from cool-climate rainforests and desert plains to tropical areas.

No matter how big they are, all kangaroos have one thing in common: their hind legs are strong and powerful, and they have a pouch on their abdomen. Kangaroo jumps instead of running. It can jump up to 4 meters and as far as 13 meters. It can be said to be the highest and farthest jumping mammal.

Hare

There were no rabbits in Australia. In 1788, with the British fleet that first settled Australia, dozens of rabbits were transported to Australia, initially as cultured food meat. After the introduction, some wealthy people released rabbits into nature for hunting, allowing the rabbits to escape to the grasslands and breed rapidly. In 1950, the number of rabbits in Australia was estimated to be 600 million. They destroyed vegetation, caused soil erosion, and faced long-term damage to grasslands and livestock industries. Australia has used various methods to reduce the number of rabbits. In 1991, the number of rabbits in Australia dropped to approximately 300 million.

Overview

Australia is a highly developed capitalist country. In 2013, the gross domestic product (GDP) ranked 12th in the world, with per capita GDP reaching US$67,742, ranking 5th in the world, and ranking first among countries with a population of more than 20 million, much higher than other major English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. . Australia has developed agriculture and animal husbandry and rich natural resources. It is known as "the country riding on the back of a sheep", "the country sitting on the mine cart" and "the country holding wheat ears".

Australia has long earned a large amount of income from exporting agricultural products and mineral resources. It is rich in sheep, cattle, wheat and cane sugar. It is also an important producer and exporter of mineral resources in the world.

Australia's resources are extremely enviable by many countries. There is even a phrase in English that specifically describes Australia as "Theluckycountry", which means that Australia is relatively lucky in terms of climate, history, and lifestyle. The people do not need to work too hard, as long as they let their cattle and sheep You can live a high-level life by eating grass and mining on the ground without being disturbed by the flames of the two world wars. Agriculture, animal husbandry, and mining are traditional industries in Australia. Australia's high-tech industry has developed rapidly in recent years, and its competitiveness in the international market has improved.

Since the 1970s, the Australian economy has experienced major structural adjustments. The tourism and service industries have developed rapidly, and their proportion of GDP has gradually increased, currently reaching about 70%. The gold industry is developed and it has become one of the few major gold-producing countries in the world. Australia Post is one of the few postal systems in the world that makes money without needing government subsidies.

Australian Estates

The main economic data in 2012 are as follows:

Gross domestic product: approximately US$1.6 trillion.

Economic growth rate: 3.1%.

Per capita GDP: approximately US$68,000.

Currency name: Australian dollar.

Unemployment rate: 5.5% (May 2013). [1]

Currency exchange rate

1 Australian dollar = 0.72 US dollars (September 2015)

1 Australian dollar = 4.57 RMB (September 2015)< /p>

Industry

Mainly manufacturing, construction and mining. In 2009/2010, the manufacturing output value was 110.8 billion Australian dollars, accounting for 8.7% of GDP. The output value of the construction and mining industries was 90 billion Australian dollars and 121 billion Australian dollars respectively, accounting for 7.2% and 9.5% of the GDP respectively. Sydney is its industrial center.

Agriculture and animal husbandry

Australia has developed agriculture and animal husbandry, and is known as "a country riding on the back of a sheep". The production and export of agricultural and animal husbandry products occupies an important position in the national economy, and it is the world's largest exporter of wool and beef. The land used for agriculture and animal husbandry is 440 million hectares, accounting for 57% of the country’s land area. The main crops are wheat, barley, oilseeds, cotton, cane sugar and fruits. [3]

The production and export of Australian agricultural and animal husbandry products occupies an important position in the national economy and is the world's largest exporter of wool and beef. In 2009/2010, the output value of agriculture and animal husbandry was 27.4 billion Australian dollars, accounting for 2.1% of the GDP. The main crops are wheat, barley, rapeseed, cotton, cane sugar and fruits. In the 2009-2010 financial year, the output value of wheat was AU$4.8 billion, barley was AU$1.4 billion, and wool was AU$1.9 billion, which is the modern mixed agriculture-rice and sheep industry.

Fisheries

Australia is rich in fishery resources. The fishing area is 16% larger than the land area. It is the third largest fishing area in the world, with more than 3,000 species of seawater and freshwater. Fish and more than 3,000 species of crustacean and mollusk aquatic products, of which about 600 species have been commercially fished. Australia's most important aquatic products include shrimp, lobster, abalone, tuna, scallops, oysters, oysters, etc.

Services

The service industry is the most important and fastest-growing sector of the Australian economy. After 30 years of economic structural adjustment, it has become a pillar industry of the national economy, accounting for more than 80% of the GDP. The industries with the highest output value are real estate and business services, finance and insurance. [3] In 2009/2010, the output value of the service industry reached 845.2 billion Australian dollars, accounting for 65.8% of the GDP. Growth was most prominent in the real estate, business and financial sectors.

Foreign Trade

Australia relies heavily on international trade. Australia has trade relations with more than 130 countries and regions. Australia's main trading partners are China, Japan, the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, Germany and Malaysia. [3] In 2009/2010, Australia’s total foreign trade volume was A$590.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%, with a trade surplus of A$8.9 billion. Australia has trade relations with more than 130 countries and regions. Currently, Australia's main trading partners are China, Japan, the United States, South Korea, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Thailand, Germany, etc.

Transportation

Australia has a developed international sea and air transportation industry. Sydney is a major transportation hub in the South Pacific. The transportation situation is as follows:

Railway: Since the 1990s, the railway industry has undergone corporatization and privatization reforms. The total length of railways in the country is approximately 44,000 kilometers. In 2009/2010, there were about 15 million long-distance rail passengers at Melbourne Airport and about 603 million urban rail transit passengers, which was basically the same as the previous year. In 2006/2007, railways transported 665 million tons of cargo, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%.

Highways: The total length of roads nationwide is more than 800,000 kilometers. In 2012, there were 16.7 million registered motor vehicles, including 12.71 million passenger cars, 2.61 million light trucks, and 90,000 public vehicles.

Water transport: 97 ports, Melbourne is the largest port in the country. In 2011/2012, it had approximately 80 international shipping vessels, with an international waterborne cargo volume of 899 million tons, and 30,541 shipping vessels arriving at the port.

Air transportation: As of June 2013, there were 15,060 registered aircraft, about 2,000 airports and runways of various types, and about 250 frequent flyer airports, including 12 international airports. In 2012, there were 157,800 international flights and 29.62 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 5%. The cargo volume was 870,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%; there were 631,200 domestic flights and 56.55 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%. Qantas' aviation business is mainly dominated by Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar airlines. The top ten airports by passenger traffic are: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Cairns, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin.