Endemic flora and fauna of Australia. Fauna of Australia - a list, characteristics and photos of representatives of the fauna of the mainland

Australia. The capital is Canberra. Area - 7682 thousand square meters. km. The share of the land area of ​​the globe is 5%. Population - 19.73 million people (2003). The population density is 2.5 people per 1 sq. km. km. The share of the world population is 0.3%. The highest point is Mount Kosciuszko (2228 m above sea level), the lowest is Lake. Air (16 m below sea level). The length of the coastline is 36,700 km (including Tasmania). The northernmost point is Cape York. The southernmost point is Cape Yugo-Vostochny. The easternmost point is Cape Byron. The westernmost point is Steep Point. Administrative division: 6 states and 2 territories. National holiday - Australia Day, 26 January. National Anthem: "Go Australia Beautiful!"

Mainland Australia is separated by Bass Strait 240 km wide from about. Tasmania in the southeast and the Torres Strait 145 km wide from about. New Guinea in the northeast. The shortest distance from Australia to Indonesia via the Timor Sea is 480 km, and to New Zealand via the Tasman Sea 1930 km.

Australia extends 3180 km from north to south and 4000 km from east to west, or from 10°41 to 43°39S. and from 113°9 to 153°39 E This is the smallest continent: its total area, including the island of Tasmania, is 7682.3 thousand square meters. km. The length of the coastline is 36,700 km. In the north, the Gulf of Carpentaria juts deep into the land, and in the south, the Great Australian Gulf.

Although the Australian mainland is one of the oldest in the world, it has been isolated from other land masses for a long time and therefore many unique animals have survived there, including various marsupials (for example, kangaroos and koalas) and egg-laying ones (platypus and echidna).

Probably, the first settlers of Australia migrated from the north 40-60 thousand years ago. Europeans discovered this continent only at the beginning of the 17th century. England declared it its colony in 1770. The first English settlement was founded in 1788.

The descendants of the indigenous people were moved during the colonial period to special areas - reservations, and their number is currently approx. 375 thousand people, or 2% of the total population of the country. Currently, Australia has almost 19 million people, of whom 72% are Anglo-Celts, 17% are other Europeans and 6% are Asians. About 21% of current Australians are not native to this country and another 21% are descendants of second-generation immigrants who have at least one parent who was not a native of this country.

Australia has a high level of development of agriculture and mining industry and is one of the main suppliers of coal, gold, wheat and iron ore to the world market. The manufacturing industry is also highly developed, but it is mainly focused on the domestic market. Australia imports a lot of cars, equipment (computers, communications equipment, and other products of the chemical industry).

Australia has a federal system of government. A national government was created in 1901 on the basis of an agreement to form a federation of six states. Among them are New South Wales (area 801.6 thousand sq. km; population 6.3 million people), Victoria (227.6 thousand sq. km and 4.6 million people), Queensland (1727.2 thousand sq. km and 3.4 million people), South Australia (984 thousand sq. km and 1.5 million people), Western Australia (2525.5 thousand sq. km and 1.8 million people ) and Tasmania (67.8 thousand sq. km and 0.5 million people). There are also two territories which, according to the constitution, are under the jurisdiction of the central government, but are acquiring ever greater rights of self-government, approaching the level of the states. These are the Northern Territory (1346.2 thousand sq. km and 0.2 million people) and the Australian Capital Territory (2.4 thousand sq. km and 0.3 million people), where the city of Canberra is located - the capital of the country and seat of government.

Australia owns the Cocos and Christmas Islands in the Indian Ocean, the Norfolk Islands, Lord Howe and the Coral Sea Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Heard and McDonald Islands in the Antarctic waters. Australia owned the southeastern part of New Guinea (Papua Territory) and administered the northeastern part of this island (UN Trust Territory New Guinea) until 1975, when both territories became the independent state of Papua New Guinea. Australia claims land in Antarctica with a total area of ​​6120 thousand square meters. km, which, however, is not recognized by the parties to the 1961 Antarctic Treaty.

Australia is an unusually compact landmass. Since the processes of mountain building during the last few geological periods were not as active there as on many other continents, the mountains that formed during the earlier periods were subjected to strong weathering and erosion. 75% of the territory of the mainland is located in the altitude range from 150 to 460 m above sea level. and only 7% are raised more than 600 m. The general range of heights ranges from 16 m below sea level. at Lake Eyre up to 2228 m a.s.l. on the town of Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains in the southeast of New South Wales.

Geological history.

Many facts convince us that for most of the geological history, Australia, along with South America, Africa, Antarctica and India, was part of the large "supercontinent" Gondwana. About 160 million years ago, Gondwana split into parts, and its fragments, which became the continents, "moved" to their current positions. Thus, during a long early period, the evolution of the continent proceeded in full accordance with the development of other land masses in the Southern Hemisphere.

The western part of the Australian mainland is made up of one of the six ancient stable shields of the Earth, formed at the end of the Precambrian (more than 570 million years). Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks are represented here, partly overlain by younger sandstones, shales and limestones. At the end of the Precambrian, a long trough, the Adelaide geosyncline, formed on the eastern margin of the shield, into which sediments were discharged during the Early Paleozoic. In the Precambrian, gold, uranium, manganese, iron and other ores were deposited.

At the beginning of the Paleozoic era (570-225 million years), a chain of mountains formed at the site of the Adelaide geosyncline - the core of the Flinders Range, and a much larger Tasmanian geosyncline formed at the site of the mountains of Eastern Australia. Thick strata of various sediments accumulated in this trough in the Paleozoic, although sedimentation was sometimes interrupted by local mountain building accompanied by volcanism. Some parts of the shield were sometimes also subjected to marine transgressions. The Permian period (280–225 Ma) was of particular importance, since then thick coal seams accumulated in the Bowen and Sydney basins and most of the ore deposits of Eastern Australia were formed, containing gold, tin, silver, lead and copper.

During the Mesozoic era (225-65 million years), the mountains of Eastern Australia rose on the site of the Paleozoic marine basins. Between this elevated land in the east and the shield in the west - where the Central Lowlands are now located - there was a wide sea strait in which thick layers of interbedded sandstones and shales were deposited. A slight uplift in the Jurassic (190-135 million years) led to the creation of a number of such isolated basins as Carpentaria, Great Artesian, Murray and Gipsland. In the Cretaceous (135–65 Ma), these lowlands and some parts of the shield were flooded by shallow marine basins. The Mesozoic era played an important role, since at that time sandstone strata accumulated, which became the aquifers of the Great Artesian Basin, and in other areas - reservoirs of oil and natural gas; at the same time, layers of bituminous coal were formed in the basins in the east of the mainland.

In Cenozoic time (the last 65 million years), the main contours of the mainland took shape, although the Central Lowlands remained partially flooded by the sea until the end of the Paleogene (about 25 million years). At this time there were eruptions of volcanoes, located in a chain from Bass Strait to northern Queensland, and as a result, huge masses of basaltic lava poured out over a large part of Eastern Australia. Due to a slight uplift at the end of the Paleogene, the development of marine transgressions on the mainland ceased, and the latter acquired a connection with New Guinea and Tasmania. Further changes in the earth's surface in the Neogene predetermined the current appearance of the mainland, in the state of Victoria and in the east of Queensland there were outpourings of basalts, some manifestations of volcanic activity continued in the Quaternary period, which began ca. 1.8 million years ago.

The most important events of this period are associated with fluctuations in the level of the World Ocean, due to changes in the volume of ice sheets in other parts of the world. The ocean level dropped so much that land bridges were established between Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. It reached its present position about 5000–6000 years ago. As the sea level rose, the valleys of many coastal rivers, and subsequently the best ports of Australia were established there. The Great Barrier Reef, the largest in the world, was also formed in the Quaternary period, stretching for 2000 km from north to south from Cape York along the east coast of Queensland. The lignite deposits of southeastern Victoria and the thick deposits of bauxite were formed in the Tertiary period.

natural areas.

The appearance of the landscapes of Australia is mainly determined by vast monotonous plains and plateaus, less common undulating hills and dissected table plateaus, as well as marshy river valleys, which often dry up completely. As a result of geological development, Australia was clearly divided into three unequal physiographic regions. More than half of the entire area of ​​​​the mainland is occupied by the Western Plateau with a leveled surface, worked out mainly in ancient granite and metamorphic rocks. The mountains of Eastern Australia, covering one sixth of the area of ​​the mainland, are distinguished by the most diverse and rugged relief. Between these two areas are the Central Lowlands, a wide open corridor of approx. 2.6 million sq. km, stretching from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Gulf of Spencer.

western plateau, sometimes called the Australian Shield, includes all of Western Australia, nearly all of the Northern Territory, and over half of South Australia. Most of the deserts and salt lakes, mysterious rocks and bizarre hills, as well as many mines are located here. This region is sparsely populated. Its most striking feature is the monotonous nature of the relief, the result of prolonged weathering and erosion. Most of the plateau is located at altitudes from 300 to 900 m above sea level, and many peaks are isolated remnants, remnants of denuded strata. Highest point- Mount Zil (1510 m) in the McDonnell mountains. The coastal plains are discontinuous and usually narrow. At least half of this vast area receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year, and only in the northern and southwestern fringes does the amount of precipitation exceed 635 mm. Due to the scarcity of precipitation and the general flattening of the relief in the inner parts of the region, there are very few rivers, and even those that exist do not reach the sea. Numerous lakes shown on maps are usually dry salt marshes or clayey crusts, centers of inland drainage basins. Most rivers, even confined to the outskirts of the mainland, dry up and are characterized by significant seasonal fluctuations in flow.

The inner part of the region is predominantly a flat or slightly undulating surface, occasionally interrupted by rocky ridges and remnants. There are four most deserted areas: the Great Sandy Desert, the Tanami Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Great Victoria Desert. There are thousands of parallel ridges of red sand from 9 to 15 m high and up to 160 km long. The most significant landforms in the interior of the area are the McDonnell Mountains in Alice Springs County and the Musgrave Mountains on the border of the Northern Territory and South Australia. The most famous peaks located to the west and northwest of the Musgrave Mountains are Olga, Ayers Rock and Conner. On most of the Western Plateau, the vegetation cover is sparse and consists mainly of grasses, tree-like acacias and desert shrubs; after a rain, herbaceous vegetation begins to grow for a short time.

The southern margin of the plateau is the Nullarbor Plain, composed of thick strata of almost horizontal marine limestone up to 245 m thick. Steep, often sheer limestone ledges with a relative height of up to 60 m begin near Cape Fowler in South Australia and extend to the west for more than 965 km. This plain extends inland for 240 km, gradually rising to almost 300 m. The flat surface of the Nullarbor Plain can be traced along the transcontinental railway, which is perfectly straightened for 480 km. The area receives only 200 mm of precipitation per year, which easily seeps into the limestone. There are no lakes and surface runoff, but thanks to underground runoff, bizarre labyrinths of caves and underground galleries have formed, furrowing limestone. Due to the lack of water and the scarcity of vegetation, the Nullarbor Plain is one of the most deserted corners of the mainland. Located within the Northern Territory, the Barkley Plateau with an area of ​​129.5 thousand square meters. km - another significant leveled surface, at least in some places underlain by limestone. In fact, it is a wide open gently undulating plain with an average height of 260 m. Approx. 380 mm of precipitation. This is enough for the existence of natural pastures - the basis of an extensive livestock farming.

The most dissected relief within the shield is the Kimberley region in the north of Western Australia, where high ridges, intensely crumpled into folds, receive more than 750 mm of precipitation per year. The peninsula of Arnhem Land (Northern Territory), which is an uplifted block broken by unusually long and straight fissures, is also heavily dissected, although most of it is located at altitudes below 300 m. The vegetation in both areas is eucalyptus forests interspersed with extensive savannahs.

There are two regions of great economic importance on the Western Plateau. The southwestern outskirts is the only part of the shield where the climate and soils are favorable for the development of agriculture. They raise sheep and grow wheat, fruits, grapes and vegetables. It supplies agricultural products to Perth, the only major city on the entire plateau. Pilbara, located at a distance from the coastal settlements of Dampier and Port Hedland, is an elevated, highly dissected part of the plateau with an average height of about 750 m. Huge reserves of high-quality iron ore are concentrated here.

Mountains of Eastern Australia.

Along the eastern coast of Australia from Cape York to central Victoria and further to Tasmania, inclusive, there is an elevated strip with a width of 80 to 445 km and an area of ​​1295 thousand square meters. km. The traditional name - the Great Dividing Range - does not correspond to reality, because there is no continuous ridge, only occasionally forms similar to ridges are found, and nowhere are there truly significant heights. Although in fact it is in this region that the main watershed of the mainland, which has a submeridional strike, is located, in many places it is poorly expressed in the relief. With the exception of the Cape York Peninsula, the bedrock of the area originated from sediments deposited in the Tasmanian geosyncline from the Early Paleozoic to the Cretaceous and overlain by thick volcanic sequences.

Within the mountains of Eastern Australia, the heights fluctuate greatly and reach their lowest values ​​​​on the coastal plain, which continuously frames the east and southeast coasts. The width of these plains everywhere, except for the estuarine sections of the rivers, does not exceed 16 km. Low hills often rise above the surface, and between the plain and the steep, seaward slopes that mark the edge of the mountains, there is often a pronounced zone of hills several kilometers wide. The outer mountain slopes are much steeper than the slopes facing inland, and in some places such side spurs rise very close to the Pacific coast, ending in steep headlands. In the north, the highest points are on the eastern edge of the Atherton Plateau, where the top of Bartle Freer reaches 1622 m. However, south of these places, up to Brisbane, there are very few heights above 600 m above sea level, and the average background of the elevations does not exceed 300 m. Then the heights increase again to about 1500 m in the New England range and are about 750 m in the Blue Mountains, and in the Snowy Mountains they reach 2228 m, the highest on the mainland.

The mountains of Eastern Australia have two distinct runoff systems. Most of the rivers flowing to the ocean coast have a constant flow. Many of them start to the west of the axial zone of the mountains, and their drainage basins have a complex configuration. Some rivers have carved deep gorges, and there are favorable opportunities for the construction of reservoirs and power plants. South of Toowoomba on the opposite side of the mountains, the westward flowing rivers form part of the mainland's largest drainage basin, the Murray and Darling. They begin less than 160 km from the eastern coast, and many of them have a constant current only in the upper reaches.

On the Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost part of the Eastern Australian Highlands, the watershed is located 25–30 km from the eastern coast at altitudes of 500–600 m. Vegetation is mainly dense eucalyptus forests interspersed with dense rainforests.

The northernmost leveled surface of the mountainous region, the Atherton plateau with an area of ​​​​31 thousand square meters. km, rises to the west of Cairns. The transition from the surface of the plateau with altitudes of 900–1200 m to the tropical coastal plain is characterized by steep slopes, and moisture-carrying winds blowing from the ocean bring quite a lot of precipitation to this area. On its dissected surface, fertile volcanic soils are developed, on which dense moist forests used to grow. Until now, there are preserved forest areas from valuable hardwood. However, most of them have been cut down, and the surface of the plateau has been cultivated.

South of the Atherton Plateau, the watershed deviates inland, but its average heights are only approx. 600 m up to the Hughenden area, where any resemblance to the highlands is lost. Then, for over 800 km, the watershed is the farthest from the eastern coast of Australia (more than 400 km). The Bowen Basin has a large concentration of coking coal. To the west of Toowoomba, fertile volcanic soils spread within the gently undulating Darling Downs favor crop production. This is the most developed agricultural area of ​​Queensland.

For 525 km between Toowoomba and the Hunter Valley, the band of mountains of Eastern Australia widens and their height rises. Here is the New England Plateau, the largest and most dissected of the plateau-like uplifts in the mountain strip. Its area is approx. 41.4 thousand sq. km. The flattened hilly surface in some places rises to 1600 m above sea level. Within the plateau, the watershed is 70–130 km from the eastern coast, and the distance from the highest points to the sea does not exceed 32 km. The descent to the narrow and often hilly coastal plain is steep, the slopes are covered with moderately humid forest. Most of the primary eucalyptus forests and meadows have been cleared for pasture.

The blue mountains with steep eastern slopes rise above the coastal plain of Cumberland, located to the west of Sydney. Under the influence of erosion of the Shoalhaven and Hawkesbury rivers, picturesque gorges and waterfalls were formed. This area, still largely covered by dense eucalyptus forests, is of great recreational importance. The main part of the mountains is 1200–1350 m above sea level. removed 160 km from the coast and concentrated around the city of Bathurst, which occupies a wide basin. Further south, the lower mountains are concentrated around the city of Goulburn. Canberra is located on the southern edge of a rolling plateau, most of which is used for sheep pasture.

The highest part of the mountains of Eastern Australia forms an arc of 290 km south and southwest of Canberra. Although this area is called the Australian Alps, even its highest peaks, rising above 1850 m, are simply the remnants of ancient structures that rise above the steps of a heavily dissected plateau. However, in some places the surface has a very rugged character. The Snowy Mountains are the only area on the mainland that receives significant snowfall every year. It is home to the Snowy Mountains waterworks system, which supplies water for power generation and irrigation of the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys. On the slopes of the mountains facing inland, the forests of the lower belt have been cut down, and the vacated land is widely used for sheep pastures, while in the upper belt of mountains and on the steep slopes facing the sea, dense eucalyptus forests still remain. The upper border of the forest here reaches 1850 m above sea level, alpine meadows spread higher. To the south of the main belt of mountains in the state of Victoria is the Gippsland region - a heavily dissected zone of foothills, once covered with dense temperate forest. Most of this territory is now used for arable land and pastures. Nevertheless, the sawmill industry is still developed here. In Victoria, a strip of mountains stretches from east to west almost to the border with the state of South Australia, with heights everywhere of about 900 m. This is a thriving area for livestock and wheat growing.

Tasmania, along with the large islands in Bass Strait, is a continuation of the East Australian mountain range. This is a hilly plateau with average heights from 900 to 1200 m, above which individual peaks rise another 150–395 m. There are several large shallow lakes and many small ones on the plateau, some lakes are used for hydroelectric purposes. The central plateau is surrounded by dissected areas cut by rivers that originate in the hinterland; individual southwestern areas are almost unexplored. Dense temperate forests grow in the west and south, but have been cleared along the north coast and in the low-lying corridor between Launceston and Hobart. Fruit is grown on the island, mainly apples, and sheep are raised.

Central lowlands.

Approximately one third of the entire area of ​​Australia is occupied by the Central Lowlands, which form a wide open corridor between the mountains of Eastern Australia and the Western Plateau. Structurally, this is a system of depressions filled with sedimentary strata that overlap deeply submerged crystalline basement rocks. Along the periphery of the lowlands, and in some places within the lowlands themselves, are the ridges of Mount Lofty, Flinders and the Great Dividing Range. These are the remains of ancient mountain structures, around which younger sediments were deposited. The flatness of the relief and the lack of precipitation are the most striking features of the lowlands. They very rarely rise above 300 m above sea level, and in many places do not reach even 150 m. The highest areas are where the lowlands approach the Flinders Range and the mountains of Eastern Australia. The area of ​​about 10.4 thousand square meters. km around Lake Eyre, including the lake itself, is located below sea level. The surface of the lowland is mostly monotonous and slightly undulating; only flat-topped and steeply sloping erosional remnants rise several tens of meters above it. Most of this region receives less than 380 mm of precipitation annually, and in the driest region of Australia - in the vicinity of Lake Eyre - the average annual precipitation does not exceed 125 mm. Low watersheds divide the lowlands into three main basins. In central Queensland, a vaguely defined watershed ridge stretches from the mountains of Eastern Australia to the Western Plateau, separating the plain off the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria from the basin of Lake Eyre. Further east, an equally low watershed separates the Murray and Darling Basins.

The flat and flat Carpentary Lowland has a clear boundary in the west with the rugged Cloncurry-Mount Isa region, composed of highly mineralized basement rocks, and in the east with the mountains of Eastern Australia. At a distance of about 480 km south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, the southern border of the plain is a low watershed ridge. The Gilbert, Flinders, Leikhardt rivers, having gentle longitudinal profiles, flow into the bay. During floods, large areas of the plain are flooded. The soils of the region are favorable for the growth of eucalyptus woodlands and meadows. This plain receives the most rainfall of any other part of the Central Lowlands. At the same time, on the watershed, the average annual precipitation is 380 mm, and on the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria - 970 mm. The coastal plain is mainly used for pasture for cattle.

South of the watershed, the lowlands cover southern Queensland and northeastern South Australia. Their greatest length from north to south is approximately 1130 km, and from west to east - 1200 km. All this vast territory is characterized by internal runoff and is divided into several drainage basins. The largest of them is the basin of Lake Eyre with an area of ​​1143.7 thousand square meters. km. It includes most of the Simpson Desert and is fed by numerous intermittent rivers. The slopes here are so small that the rivers literally spread out on the surface, and then reappear, sometimes under a different name. In this way, Thomson and Barco, starting in the mountains of Eastern Australia, give rise to Cooper Creek, Diamantina with the main tributaries Hamilton and Georgina turn into Warburton. Rarely, runoff from the Western Plateau can reach Lake Eyre via the Makamba and Niles rivers. Usually these streams are a labyrinth of dry channels, bordered by thickets of eucalyptus. Randomly occurring deep sections of channels form valuable permanent catchment funnels. Runoff in such channels is not every year. But when this happens, there is no doubt a connection with tropical rainfall, sometimes very intense, falling in the higher regions located to the north and east. The resulting floods are widely dispersed throughout the area, and it can take weeks before the water flows downstream. Such floods cause abundant growth of grasses on pastures, but this is only a temporary phenomenon that cannot be counted on. The lowlands, located at the junction of South Australia and Queensland, are used for pasture, and the area around Lake Eyre remains in a de facto natural state. A significant part of this area is part of the Great Artesian Basin, and there pastures are provided with water.

In the southeastern part of the Central Lowlands is the Murray and Darling Basin, which is the mainland's largest drainage system. It is a vast low-lying area, drained by rivers with very irregular flows. Despite the large area of ​​drained land (1072.8 thousand sq. km) and the large length of the main rivers, the volume of runoff in this system is small. The Murray and Darling Rivers, originating in the mountains of Eastern Australia, flow west and southwest through low-lying areas where precipitation is low and evaporation is high. These factors, combined with intensive meandering of the channels, lead to a decrease in discharges in most of the river flow.

The area drained by the Darling River is mainly used for sheep pasture, but in the eastern parts, sheep farming is combined with crop farming. The Riverine area, located between the Lachlan and Murray rivers, along with land along the lower Murray and its tributaries in Victoria, is Australia's most important livestock and grain farming area. The relief and soils there are favorable for large-scale irrigation. The largest areas of irrigated land are concentrated between the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers (the Murrumbidgee irrigation system), in the part of the Murray Basin located in New South Wales (the Riverine irrigation system) and in Victoria (the Goulburn-Campaspe-Loddon system). In addition, there are several small areas of irrigated land on the lower reaches of the Murray. In these areas, cattle are bred and fruits, grapes and vegetables are grown. With the introduction of the Snowy Mountains hydropower system, an additional transfer of runoff to the Murray and Murrumbidgee basin was carried out, and there it was possible to expand the area of ​​irrigated land. However, water is still not enough to irrigate all the lands.

Because much of the mainland receives little rainfall, and the main watershed is shifted closer to the east coast, Australia's drainage systems have an unusual configuration. This continent is distinguished by a very small river runoff. Most of the rivers in Australia dry up. Those that start in the mountains of Eastern Australia, as well as the rivers of Tasmania, have a constant flow all year round, but many rivers flowing to the west dry up during the dry season. Slightly more than half of the entire continent belongs to inland drainage basins, and the flow there is negligible, and the boundaries of the drainage basins are not clearly defined.

Rivers.

The main river artery of Australia, Murray, together with large tributaries Darling, Murrumbidgee and Goulburn, drains an area of ​​1072.8 thousand square meters. km in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. The headwaters of large tributaries are 200 km from the east coast and merge to form the main rivers, which flow in winding, often meandering channels to the sea. The Murray, originating in the Snowy Mountains, flows into Encounter Bay in South Australia. Its total length is 2575 km, including the lower 970 km accessible to small craft. Sandbanks blocking the mouth of the river serve as an obstacle to the entry of ships. Murrumbidgee (length 1690 km) begins in the Cooma region and flows into the Murray. The flow of the Murray and Murrumbidgee is regulated by the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric system. The tributaries of the Darling drain all of the western slopes of the mountains of Eastern Australia in northern New South Wales and parts of southeast Queensland. The main Darling River, 2740 km long, flows into the Murray at Wentworth. Dams built on this river and several of its major tributaries regulate the flow, except during the most severe droughts.

Slightly more than half of the mainland has a disconnected flow or belongs to the internal drainage basins. On the Western Plateau, the runoff is disjointed, and the streams existing there function rarely and for a short time, and end in temporary lakes or swamps confined to drainless basins. A large area in Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia with an area of ​​​​1143.7 thousand square meters. km belongs to the Lake Eyre basin, one of the world's largest inland flow basins. The large rivers of this basin, Georgina, Diamantina, and Cooper Creek, have very low slopes and are usually dry, intertwining labyrinths of channels, but after rains they can overflow for many kilometers in width. The waters of these rivers very rarely reach Lake Eyre: in 1950 its basin was filled for the first time since the colonization of the mainland by Europeans.

Since the flow of Australian rivers is extremely variable, their use is difficult. Sites suitable for the construction of dams are few, especially in the interior, and large reservoirs are needed to ensure a permanent water supply. Water losses due to evaporation are also significant, especially in the most arid areas. Only in Tasmania is the flow quite constant in all seasons.

Lakes.

Most of the lakes in Australia are waterless basins covered with salt-bearing clays. In those rare cases when they are filled with water, they are silty salty and shallow water bodies. There are many such lakes on the Western Plateau in Western Australia, but the largest of them are in South Australia: Lake Eyre, Torrens, Gairdner and Frome. Numerous lagoons with brackish or salt water are developed along the southeastern coast of Australia, separated from the sea by sandbars and ridges. The largest freshwater lakes are in Tasmania, where some of them, including Great Lake, are used for hydroelectric purposes.

The groundwater.

Groundwater supply is vital to many rural areas in Australia. The total area of ​​basins with groundwater reserves exceeds 3240 thousand square meters. km. These waters mostly contain dissolved solids that are harmful to plants, but in many cases the water is suitable for watering livestock.

The Great Artesian Basin, the largest in the world, in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory covers an area of ​​1,751.5 thousand square meters. km. Although the groundwater is often very warm and highly mineralized, the area's sheep breeding depends on it. Smaller artesian pools are found in Western Australia and southeast Victoria.

Atmospheric circulation.

As a compact land mass, Australia influences the wind regime, but the winds bring little rainfall. The mainland is mainly located in the subtropical high-pressure belt, the axis of which runs along about 30 ° S, and during most of the year dry winds blow from the center of the mainland; this situation is most clearly manifested in winter (from May to September). In summer, an area of ​​low pressure is developed over the Kimberley region in the northwest, where warm, moist winds called monsoons rush from the Timor and Arafura seas. At the same time, in the northern regions of Australia, winds blow almost all year round, and it is one of the driest coastal regions on Earth. In winter, cyclones pass over the southern outskirts of the mainland and Tasmania. The east coast north of Newcastle is in the path of the southeast trade winds, which bring in moist air; when this air rises on the slopes of the mountains of Eastern Australia, abundant precipitation often occurs. Occasionally, tropical cyclones (hurricanes) from the northeast penetrate here, causing considerable disaster on the east coast between Cooktown and Brisbane. These fast-moving cyclone systems also hit the northwest coast between Derby and Port Hedland, where they are known as 'willy-willies'. In 1974, around Christmas, during the passage of Cyclone Tracy, the city of Darwin was almost completely destroyed.

Precipitation.

Australia deservedly enjoys the reputation of an arid continent. Almost 40% of its area receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year and about 70% - less than 500 mm; the latter value usually denotes the limit below which crops cannot be grown without irrigation. The driest region is around Lake Eyre in South Australia, where less than 125 mm of precipitation falls annually over several thousand square kilometers. A much larger area in central Australia may not experience significant rainfall for several consecutive years.

Areas that receive a lot of precipitation are small in area and are confined to places where moist air rises above orographic barriers. A record high rainfall of 4500 mm per year falls in a small area near Tully in Queensland, where moist air rises over the eastern slope of the Atherton Plateau. Only coastal areas far north, the east and southeast of the mainland, its southwestern margin and Tasmania are provided with average annual precipitation of more than 500 mm. Snow falls regularly only in two areas: at altitudes above 1350 m in the Australian Alps in Victoria and New South Wales and at altitudes above 1050 m in the mountains of Tasmania. In some years, there are snowfalls on the New England Plateau. Snowfalls in the Australian Alps are of great economic importance, as they contribute to the accumulation of water, which then enters the Snowy Mountains hydropower system, and serve as the basis for the development of tourism. A long-term trend towards a decrease in the thickness and duration of snow cover in the Australian Alps is clearly expressed, which may be due to global climate change.

Much of Australia shows significant seasonal variation in rainfall patterns. Throughout the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, as well as along the entire east coast south to the border of Victoria, most of the precipitation falls in the summer (December - March). In the far north of the mainland, it happens that more than 85% of precipitation occurs in the first three months of the year. In the southern part of Australia and on the west coast north of Exmouth Bay, precipitation is clearly associated with the winter months. For example, in Perth, 85% of precipitation falls between the beginning of May and the end of September. During the dry months, there may indeed be no rain.

A large part of Australia is also characterized by a large variability in precipitation, i.e. in a given year, deviations from the average statistical indicator in both directions can be significant. Above-normal deviations can be associated with local floods, and below-normal deviations with natural disasters, especially where precipitation is generally low annually. Catastrophic situations arise when the amounts are below the norm for several years in a row. Droughts are widespread in the interior of Australia.

Temperatures.

Australia is usually considered a hot continent, but in fact it is cooler than in many areas of other continents located at the same latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. Seasonal temperature fluctuations are generally small. It is usually cooler on the coast and in the mountains, especially in the southeast, than in the interior. The north, and in particular the northwest coast, is the hottest area.

In summer, from December to March, average daily temperatures in Australia usually exceed 32 ° C and often reach 38 ° C. In the interior, they can sometimes stay above 41 ° C. Strong winds blowing from the interior can bring very warm air to the south and east coasts, and then there is hot weather for several days in a row. The average January temperature in Darwin is 29°C, Melbourne 20°C, Sydney 22°C, Alice Springs (in the center of the mainland) 28°C, Perth 23°C.

Although very low temperatures are not typical in Australia, few places are frost free in winter, and in the southeast frosts affect crops and forage grasses. The main frost free areas are the Northern Territory and Queensland north of the Tropic of Capricorn, and the entire coast north from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Brisbane on the east coast. Most of the mainland averages 300 or more frost-free days. In the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria, the Australian Alps and most of Tasmania, frost occurs at any time of the year. Average July temperatures in the southeast are 9°C in Melbourne and 12°C in Sydney. In the north, this figure is 12 ° C in Darwin, and in the center of the mainland 25 ° C in Alice Springs.

A significant part of the surface deposits of Australia was formed from rocks of the Tertiary age. These deposits are ancient, they lack many of the substances necessary for plant nutrition. The weathering products of these deposits provide the source material for younger soils, which also inherit the deficiency of many nutrients. Climate, along with age, plays an important role in the development of Australian soils. Here, their general concentric distribution from the wetter regions of the east coast to the arid central regions is evident. Much of Australia's soil is not particularly fertile due to intense leaching. There is often a lack of phosphorus and nitrogen, and in many areas, including those with regular rainfall, even the micronutrients needed for plant nutrition are insufficient. Only through the application of fertilizers and the planting of leguminous plants did a significant part of the previously unproductive land acquire fertile soils.

The soils of the humid zone occupy about 9% of the mainland area. They are widely represented in the mountains of Eastern Australia, including Tasmania, up to the border of Queensland in the north, in the coastal strip between Brisbane and Cairns and in most of the Cape York Peninsula. The most common are leached podzolic soils. Although they are often nutrient deficient, they are the most important class of Australian soils, as they form where there is high regular rainfall. They are widely used for high-quality pastures, and when applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers - for growing crops. There are very fertile krasnozems (red-colored soils). Despite their patchy distribution, they are widely used in sugarcane, fodder crops, peanuts, vegetables, corn and other grains. The largest range of red soils is located between Tully and Cooktown, where the main crop is sugarcane.

Soils formed under seasonally wet conditions occupy only 5% of the mainland area. They are developed within an arcuate zone ranging from 160 to 640 km from the east coast and extending from east central Victoria to south Queensland. These soils were formed under drier seasonal conditions than the soils of the humid zone. They are not as heavily leached and are usually fertile. The largest group of soils are the black soils of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, which are characterized by dry winters. They are widely used for growing wheat, sorghum and maize in wetter areas (such as the Darling Downs area) and for grazing in drier areas. Red-brown and brown soils are developed in areas with dry summers - in Victoria and southern New South Wales. These are the most suitable soils in Australia for growing crops, especially wheat, and for quality pasture.

Three groups of soils in the semiarid zone occupy 18% of the mainland area. Heavy gray and brown soils form the largest group and are common in the famous wheat region of Wimmer (western Victoria), in the Riverine region of New South Wales, where due to low infiltration rates the soils are ideal for rice cultivation, in the upper parts of the Darling (New South) watersheds. Wales) and Eyre Lakes (central Queensland), where the soils form the basis for the extensive development of sheep farming, and on the Barkley Plateau, an important area for cattle breeding. Brown soils are found in many large but unproductive wheat areas in southwestern New South Wales, Victoria, South and Western Australia. Brown soils of light composition are common in central New South Wales and the Norman River basin in Queensland, and also fragmentarily in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Shrubs usually grow there. Soils are mainly used for pastures.

The largest soil group in Australia is the soils of the arid zone, occupying 42% of the mainland area. They can only be used for pastures, mainly for cattle. The most productive are desert loamy areas overgrown with twigs and quinoa in South Australia and northwestern New South Wales and arid red soils, widespread in southern central Queensland, northern New South Wales and northern South Australia, where dense forests are associated with them. thickets of acacias with herbs in the ground layer. Of intermediate importance for grazing are the carbonate desert soils developed in a broad belt extending from Lake Frome across the Nullarbor Plain, and the red-brown soils with compacted cemented interbeds in the west-central part of Western Australia. Dense thickets of acacias, shrubs and ephemeral grasses grow on these soils. Such areas serve as pastures for sheep and cattle. Very little or little use is made of the vast areas of rocky deserts, sand flats and sand ridges that form the backbone of central Australia.

Some soil groups in Australia are weakly related or not related at all to modern climatic conditions. Among such soils, lateritic podzols are of the greatest economic importance, since they are common where precipitation occurs fairly regularly. Initially, in these soils there was a lack of phosphorus and nitrogen, therefore, when used for pastures, superphosphate and microelements were introduced, and clover was also sown. The largest of the soil groups considered (little related to climatic conditions) are skeletal soils (young and unweathered), most commonly found in the Pilbara, Kimberley and Arnhem Land regions.

Soil erosion is a major problem in many parts of Australia, mainly due to the rather delicate balance between vegetation cover and erosion. This is especially evident in arid and semi-arid regions, where the natural vegetation cover is very sparse and its restoration is slow. Under these conditions, overgrazing leads to powerful wind erosion and soil salinization. In the wetter southeastern regions, the cultivation of crops and the clearing of forests for grasslands have contributed to significant development of planar and linear erosion. Over the past decades, the federal and state governments have taken steps to prevent erosion, but the positive effect has not been achieved everywhere.

Vegetation and precipitation.

Obviously, the distribution of individual plant groups depends on the microclimate and soils, but the distribution of large Australian plant zones (at the level of formation types) reveals a close relationship with the average annual precipitation. A striking feature of the Australian climate is the presence of an arid center of the mainland, from which the amount of precipitation consistently increases towards the periphery. Accordingly, the vegetation also changes.

1. The average annual rainfall is less than 125 mm. Developed sandy deserts. Hard-leaved perennial grasses of the genera predominate. Triodia and Spinifex.

2. The average annual rainfall is 125–250 mm. These are semi-arid regions with two main types of vegetation. a) Shrub semi-desert - open areas dominated by representatives of genera Atriplex(swan) and Kochia(rod). Native plants are exceptionally drought tolerant. The area is used for sheep pastures. b) Arid scrub on sandy plains or bedrock outcrops on remnant hills. These are dense thickets of low-growing trees and shrubs with a predominance of various types of acacias. The most widespread mulga-scrub with veinless acacia ( Acacia aneura). Both types of vegetation are characterized by the exuberant development of annual plants after infrequent rainfall.

3. The average annual rainfall is 250–500 mm. There are two main types of vegetation here. In the south, where precipitation falls only in the winter months, malli scrub is common. These are dense thickets dominated by various shrubby eucalyptus trees, which form several trunks (coming from one underground root) and bunches of leaves at the ends of branches. In the north and east of Australia, where rain falls mainly in summer, grasslands are common with a predominance of representatives of the genera Astrebla and Iseilema.

4. The average annual rainfall is 500–750 mm. Savannahs are presented here - open park landscapes with eucalyptus trees and a grass-forb lower tier. These areas were intensively used for grazing and growing wheat. Cereal savannahs are sometimes found on more fertile soils and in the zone of sclerophyllous (hard-leaved) forests.

5. The average annual rainfall is 750–1250 mm. For this climate zone sclerophilic forests are typical. They are dominated by different types of eucalyptus, forming a dense forest stand, and a dense undergrowth of hard-leaved shrubs is developed, and the grass cover is sparse. On the more arid margin of this zone, forests give way to savanna woodlands, and on the more humid margin, to tropical rainforests. Relatively dry sclerophyllous forests are characterized by the highest concentration of typical Australian species. These forests are an important source of hardwood timber.

6. Average annual rainfall over 1250 mm. Tropical rainforests are confined to areas with high rainfall and soils usually developed on basaltic rocks. The species composition of trees is very diverse, without clearly defined dominants. Characterized by an abundance of vines and dense undergrowth. These forests are dominated by species of Indo-Melanesian origin. In the more southerly temperate forests, the role of the Antarctic flora element increases ( cm. below).

Floristic analysis.

In Australia, approx. 15 thousand species of flowering plants, and about 3/4 of them are indigenous local. More J. Hooker in An introduction to the flora of Tasmania(J.D. Hooker, Introductory Essay to the Flora of Tasmania, 1860) pointed out that three main elements played a decisive role in the development of the Australian flora: Antarctic, Indo-Melanesian and local Australian.

Antarctic element. This category includes groups of species common to the southeast of Australia, New Zealand, the subantarctic islands and the southern Andes of South America. Examples of genera with such ranges are − Nothofagus, Dreamys, lomatia, Araucaria, gunnera and Acaena. Their representatives were also found in fossil remains of the Paleogene age on the now ice-covered island of Simor and on Graham Land (Antarctic Peninsula). Such plants are not found anywhere else. It is believed that they or their ancestors originated at a time when Australia was part of Gondwana. When this supercontinent broke up into parts that moved to their current positions, the ranges of representatives of the Antarctic flora turned out to be very fragmented. However, it is obvious that these plants were widespread in Australia in the Paleogene, since in the Oligocene deposits of South Australia and Victoria, Nothofagus and lomatia along with such Australian families as Eucalyptus, Banksia and hakea. Currently, this element of flora is best represented in temperate forests. Sometimes the term "antarctic element" refers to larger groups of plants currently found only in the southern hemisphere and which are common to South Africa and Australia, such as the genera Caesia, bulbine, helichrysum and Restio. However, Australia's links with South Africa appear to be more distant than those with South America. There is an opinion that closely related plants found in the first two regions descended from common ancestors who migrated there from the south.

Indo-Melanesian element.

These are plants common to Australia, the Indo-Malay region and Melanesia. Floristic analysis reveals two distinct groups: one is of Indo-Malay origin, the other is of Melanesian origin. In Australia, this element includes the paleotropical representatives of many families, especially the tropical herbaceous, and is closely related to the flora of the Asian continent, especially India, the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

australian element includes genera and species that are found only in Australia or are most common there; there are few endemic families, and their role is insignificant. Typical Australian flora is concentrated in the southwest and southeast of the mainland. The southwest is rich in characteristic Australian families: about 6/7 of them are best represented in this area, and the rest in the southeast. Whether this element really formed in situ or whether it comes from older paleotropic or Antarctic migrants is difficult to ascertain. In any case, it is clear that some groups of modern plants are found exclusively in Australia.

The importance of native plant species to humans has only recently come to be recognized, although many of them have been eaten by indigenous Australians for thousands of years. For example, macadamia trifoliate ( Macadamia ternifolia) has been widely cultivated in Australia since the 1890s for its tasty nuts (it is cultivated to an even greater extent in the Hawaiian Islands and is known as the "Queensland nut"). Gradually, the cultivation of plants such as the local species of ficus ( Ficus platypoda), santalumas ( Santalum acuminatum, S. 1anceolatum), eremocitrus bluish, or desert lime ( Eremocitrus glauca), Australian capers ( Capparis sp.), various so-called. "desert tomatoes" from the genus Nightshade ( Solanum sp.), small-flowered basil ( Ocimum tenuiflorum), a local mint species ( Prostanthera rotundifolia) and many other cereals, root crops, fruit, berry and herbaceous plants.

Australia forms the main part of the Australasian zoogeographical region, which also includes Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea and the adjacent islands of Melanesia and the Malay Archipelago to the west of the Wallace Line. This imaginary line that limits the spread of a typical Australian fauna, goes north between the islands of Bali and Lombok, then along the Makassar Strait between the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, then turns to the northeast, passing between the Sarangani islands in the Philippine archipelago and about. Miangas. At the same time, it serves as the eastern border of the Indo-Malayan zoogeographic region.

Mammals.

There are 230 species of mammals known in Australia. Three of them are monotreme oviparous, about 120 are marsupials, bearing cubs in “pockets” on their belly, the rest are placental, in which embryonic development ends in the uterus.

The most primitive of the currently existing orders of mammals are monotremes ( Monotremata) that are not found in other parts of the world. platypus ( Ornithorhynchus), with a duck-like beak, is covered with fur, lays eggs and feeds the hatched cubs with milk. Thanks to the efforts of Australian conservationists, this species is relatively abundant. Its closest relative is the echidna ( Tachyglossus) is similar to a porcupine, but also lays eggs. The platypus is found only in Australia and Tasmania, while the echidna and the closely related prochidna ( Zaglossus) are also found in New Guinea.

The kangaroo, the well-known symbol of Australia, is far from being a typical marsupial. The animals of this order of mammals are characterized by the birth of immature cubs, which are placed in a special bag, where they carry on until they can take care of themselves.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is evidenced by the fossil remains of a giant wombat ( Diprotodon) and carnivorous marsupial "lion" ( Thylacoleo). In general, less adapted groups of mammals were slowly pushed back to the southern continents as more aggressive groups appeared. As soon as the monotremes and marsupials retreated to Australia, the connection of this region with the Asian continent was cut off, and both groups were spared competition from placentals better adapted to the struggle for survival.

Isolated from competitors, marsupials have split into many taxa, differing in animal size, habitat, and adaptation. This differentiation took place largely parallel to the evolution of placentals on the northern continents. Some of the Australian marsupials look like carnivores, others look like insectivores, rodents, herbivores, etc. With the exception of American opossums ( Didelphidae) and peculiar South American coenolests ( Caenolesidae), marsupials are found only in Australasia.

Predatory marsupials ( Dasyuridae) and bandicoot ( Peramelidae) with 2–3 low incisors on each side of the jaw belong to the multi-incisor group. The first family includes marsupial martens ( Dasyurus), marsupial devil ( Sarcophilus) and arboreal brush-tailed pouched rats ( Phascogale), eating insects, etc. The latter genus is widely distributed throughout Australasia. A close relative of predatory marsupials is the marsupial wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus), which was widespread in Tasmania at the beginning of the era of European settlement, but is found nowhere else, although there is evidence of its presence in prehistoric times in Australia and New Guinea. Despite problematic sightings in some areas, most experts consider this species to be extinct because it was extirpated by hunters, and the last individual died in captivity in 1936. Marsupial anteater ( Myrmecobius) and marsupial mole ( Notoryctes), living in northern and central Australia, descended from a group of predatory marsupials and a marsupial wolf. Bandicoot family ( Peramelidae), distributed throughout Australasia, occupies the same ecological niche as insectivores ( insectivora) on the northern continents.

Two-incisor marsupials, distinguished by the presence of only one pair of low incisors, are known more widely than multi-incisor ones. Their distribution is limited to Australasia. Among them are the families of climbing marsupials ( Phalangeridae), which includes the body, or brushtails ( Trichosurus); dwarf couscous ( Burramyidae), including the dwarf flying couscous ( Acrobates pygmaeus), which can slip between trees and climb up to 20 m, and marsupial flying squirrels ( petauridae) of several species. Everyone's favorite koala Phascolarctos cinereus), which looks like a funny miniature bear cub and was chosen as the emblem of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, belongs to the family of the same name. wombat family ( Vombatidae) includes two genera - long-haired and short-haired wombats. These are rather large animals that look like beavers and are found only in Australia. Kangaroos and wallabies belonging to the kangaroo family ( Macropodidae) are distributed throughout Australasia. Large gray, or forest, kangaroo ( Macropus giganteus), the most numerous representative of this family, lives in light forests, while the red gigantic kangaroo ( M. rufus) is common in the plains of the interior of Australia. Open habitats are characteristic of rock kangaroos ( Petrogale sp.) and dwarf rocky kangaroos ( Peradorcas sp.). Interesting tree kangaroos ( Dendrolagus), whose limbs are adapted for both climbing trees and jumping.

The fact that marsupials have long lived in Australia is confirmed by the finds here of the fossil remains of a giant wombat ( Diprotodon) and the predatory "marsupial lion" ( Thylacoleo).

Before the advent of Europeans, placental mammals were represented in Australia by bats and small rodents, which probably entered there from the north. The former include numerous genera like fruit bats ( Megachiroptera) and bats (Microchiroptera); flying foxes are especially notable ( Pteropus). Rodents, including anisolis ( Anisomys), rabbit rats ( Conilurus), earless rats ( crossomys) and Australian water rats ( Hydromys) were probably ferried across the sea on a fin. Man and dingo ( canis dingo) were the only large placentals, with dingoes most likely brought to Australia by humans about 40,000 years ago.

Australia's ecological balance was greatly disturbed by the introduction of exotic placental mammals after the arrival of Europeans. Rabbits, accidentally introduced in the 1850s, and livestock began to destroy native vegetation in much of Australia, which - albeit on a smaller scale - were also contributed by wild boars, goats, buffaloes, horses and donkeys. Foxes, cats and dogs competed with local animals and often hunted them, which led to their extermination in various parts of the mainland.

Birds.

Australia's avifauna includes many very valuable and interesting species. Of the flightless birds, emus are found here ( Dromiceius novaehollandiae) and the helmeted, or common, cassowary ( casuarius casuarius), confined to northern Queensland. The Australian mainland abounds different types ducks ( Casarca, Biziura and etc.). There are birds of prey: wedge-tailed eagle ( Uroaetus audax), Australian kite ( Haliastur sphenurus), peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus) and the Australian hawk ( Astur fasciatus). Very peculiar weed chickens ( Leipoa), constructing mounds - "incubators"; shrub bigfoot ( Alectura); pavilions ( Ailuroedus, Prionodura) and birds of paradise (Paradisaeidae), honeysuckers ( Meliphagidae), lyrebirds ( Menura). The variety of parrots, pigeons and ducks is great, but vultures and woodpeckers are completely absent.

Reptiles.

Australia is home to many reptiles including snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles. Only snakes here are almost 170 species. The largest of the poisonous snakes is the taipan ( Oxyuranus scutellatus), and the Queensland python ( Python amethystinus) reaches a length of about 6 m. Crocodiles are represented by two species - combed ( Crocodilus porosus), which attacks and kills humans, and the Australian narrow-nosed ( C. johnsoni); both of them live in northern Australia and New Guinea. Turtles about 10 species - from the genera Chelodina and Emydura. Among more than 520 species of Australian lizards, legless lizards (Pygopodidae), found in Australia and New Guinea, and large monitor lizards (Varanidae), reaching a length of 2.1 m, deserve attention.

Amphibians.

The fauna of Australia is characterized by the complete absence of tailed amphibians (Urodela) and the diversity of frogs and toads. Among the Australian toads of the subfamily Criniinae, morphologically the most primitive of true toads, the genera Crinia, Mixophyes and Helioporus, and there are 16 of them in the region.

Fish.

In Australia ca. 230 species of local freshwater fish, but no carps, carps, salmon and few catfish. Most representatives of the freshwater ichthyofauna descended from marine ancestors - cod-like ( Oligorus), perch-like ( Percalates, Plectoplites, Macquaria), terapone ( Therapon), herring ( Potamalosa), semi-finned ( Hemirhamphus) and gobies ( Gobiomogrhus, carassiops). There are, however, two notable exceptions - the lungfish horntooth ( neoceratodus) and bone tongue Scleropages. Australia and New Zealand are home to a number of galax species ( Galaxias), as well as gadops ( Gadopsis).

Invertebrates.

The invertebrate fauna of Australia includes at least 65,000 species of insects, some of which are very peculiar.

When thinking of Australia, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses, Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef come to mind. For others, Australia is associated only with kangaroos and aborigines. And only a few know that Australia today is a highly developed state that is among the top ten countries in terms of key development indicators, including living standards. Not surprisingly, Australia is quickly coming to the fore of those thinking about immigration.

The smallest continent on planet Earth is Australia. With a territory of 7,659,861 km2 (with islands 7,692,024 km2), it occupies only 5% of the entire land mass of the planet. At the same time, the size of the mainland, if viewed from north to south, will be 3.7 thousand kilometers, and from west to east, approximately 4,000 kilometers. In this case, the length of all coasts of the continent will be approximately 35,877 kilometers.

The continent is located in the southern hemisphere of the planet. From the north, south and west, mainland Australia is washed by the Indian Ocean, and from the east it is washed by the Tasman and Coral Seas. Australia is also famous for the largest coral reef in the world (more than 2000 km), which is located on the northeast coast of the continent.

The entire territory of the mainland belongs to one state, which is called Australia. Officially, this state is called the Commonwealth of Australia.

Extreme points of mainland Australia

There are four extreme points that are located on mainland Australia:

1) The most extreme point in the north is Cape York, which is washed by the Coral and Arafura Seas.

2) The westernmost point of the mainland is Cape Steep Point, which is washed by the Indian Ocean.

3) The southern extreme point of Australia is South Point, which washes the Tasman Sea.

4) And, finally, the easternmost point of the mainland is Cape Byron.

Relief of Australia

The mainland of Australia is dominated by plains. More than 90% of the entire land mass of the continent does not exceed 600 meters above sea level. There are also mountain ranges in Australia, which usually do not exceed a height of 1500 kilometers. The highest mountains in Australia are the Australian Alps, whose highest mountain Kosciuszko reaches a height of 2230 meters above sea level. Also in Australia there are the Musgrave Mountains, the West Australian Plateau, the Kimberley Plateau, the Darling Range and Mount Lofty.

The entire territory of the continent of Australia is located on the Australian platform, which includes the mainland of Australia and part of the ocean adjacent to it.

Australian inland waters

According to inland waters, this mainland is characterized as the poorest mainland in terms of rivers. The most long river on the mainland, Murray originates from the region of Australia's highest mountain, Kosciuszko, and reaches a length of 2375 km.

Rivers are fed mainly by rain or melt water. The most full-flowing rivers are at the beginning of summer, and then they begin to shallow, and in some places turn into stagnant reservoirs.

Just like rivers, lakes on the mainland are also fed by rainwater. Such lakes do not have a constant level and runoff. In summer, they can dry out completely and turn into depressions, the bottom of which is covered with salt. The thickness of salt at the bottom of dried lakes can reach up to 1.5 meters. Quite large lakes in Australia can be swamps for most of the year. There is a hypothesis that the south of the mainland continues to rise from the ocean.

Climate of mainland Australia

Mainland Australia is located in three climatic zones at once - this is the subtropical zone, the tropical zone and the subequatorial zone.

The subtropical belt of the continent of Australia includes three climates - subtropical continental, subtropical humid and Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry and hot summers, but warm and humid winters. There are slight fluctuations between the periods of the year (in summer the temperature rises to 27 degrees Celsius, and in winter the air temperature drops to 12 degrees Celsius) and there is quite a lot of precipitation. This climate is typical for the southwestern part of Australia.

The subtropical humid climate is characterized by large temperature fluctuations in different periods year (in summer the temperature rises to +24 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops to -10 degrees Celsius below zero) and significant precipitation. Such a climate is inherent in the entire state of Victoria, part of the state of New South Wales, which is located in the southwest.

The subtropical continental climate is characterized by low rainfall and large temperature differences and is inherent in southern Australia.

The tropical belt is formed from tropical dry and tropical humid climates.

The tropical humid climate is located in the east of the mainland and is characterized by a small amount of precipitation. Such a climate is formed due to the action of southeast winds, which are saturated with moisture from the Pacific Ocean.

Tropical dry climate is typical for the central and western parts of the mainland. The hottest climate is in the northwest of the mainland - in summer the temperature rises to 35 degrees Celsius, and in winter it drops very slightly to 20 degrees Celsius. It is worth noting the city of Alice Springs, which is located in the central part of the continent, where the temperature during the day can rise to 45 degrees, and at night fall to -6 degrees Celsius below zero. At the same time, precipitation may not fall in some places for years, and then in a matter of hours, the annual rate of precipitation may fall. In this case, moisture is very quickly absorbed by the earth or evaporates.

The subequatorial climate on the Australian mainland is characterized by stable temperatures throughout the year (23 degrees Celsius) and high rainfall.

Flora and fauna of Australia

Due to the fact that the mainland is isolated from other continents, the flora of this mainland is very diverse. At the same time, there are plants and animals that live only on this mainland and are absent anywhere else. And due to the peculiarities of the dry climate on the continent, dry-loving plants predominate among plants. For example, eucalyptus, acacia and others. In the north of the mainland you can find tropical forests.

The area of ​​the mainland covered with forests is only 5%. Over time, many trees and plants were brought in from other continents, which took root well in Australia, such as cereals, vines, some types of fruits and vegetables.

But the variety of animals on the mainland is not so diverse. In total, there are just over 230 species of mammals living on the mainland, more than 700 species of birds and more than 120 species of amphibians. But most of these animals exist only on the mainland and will not survive anywhere else, as they feed on plants that also exist only on the mainland of Australia. This is such a peculiar world that is worth seeing with your own eyes.

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Animal world Australia is exceptionally unique. The fauna of Australia is the brightest component of its nature, although it is not rich in species. The fauna of the islands is especially poor. The reason for this is that the mainland and the islands have long been separated from other land areas, and their fauna developed in isolation. At the same time, there are elements in the fauna of Australia that are common or related to some representatives of the fauna of South America, Antarctica and South Asia.

The fauna of Australia and the mainland islands of Oceania, especially New Zealand, is characterized by poverty, antiquity and endemism and has a pronounced relict character.

So, in the animal world of Australia, there are only 235 species of mammals, 720 - birds, 420 - reptiles, 120 - amphibians. At the same time, 90% of vertebrate species on the mainland are endemic. In New Zealand, there are no mammals in the wild fauna at all, and 93% of bird species are not found anywhere except in this area.

The most characteristic feature of the Australian fauna is the wide distribution of low-organized mammals: monotremes and marsupials. Monotremes, a cloacal order, are represented by two families: platypus and echidna, they are preserved only on the mainland and some islands. In the Australian region, there are over 150 species of marsupials. Modern families: predatory marsupials, marsupial anteaters, marsupial moles, couscous, wombats, kangaroos, etc.

Obviously unable to withstand competition with more viable placental mammals, the lower mammals, almost extinct on other continents, found refuge in Australia, where the higher representatives of the class of mammals could not penetrate due to the increased Neogene period mainland isolation.

In areas with large reserves of food for herbivores, such characteristic representatives of marsupials as kangaroos (several genera and many species) live. Kangaroos usually live in herds; in case of danger, they move in large jumps. The jump of the largest large gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) reaches 10 m in length and 2-3 m in height. The length of its body, including the tail, can reach 3 m.

The fauna of the island of Tasmania is distinguished by some features. For example, two representatives of the marsupials, not found on the mainland, survived for a long time - the marsupial devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) and the marsupial wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus). And if the marsupial devil is now quite common on the island, then the marsupial wolf is considered completely exterminated.

The fauna of New Zealand is very unique. In connection with the long-standing insular position, it is poor in species, but some ancient animals have been preserved there, which are rightfully called living fossils. The fauna of New Zealand is the oldest of modern faunas; it retained in its composition animals of the end of the Mesozoic era and the beginning of the Paleogene period.

The humid tropical and subtropical forests of the north and east of Australia, as well as New Guinea and some other islands, are characterized by a variety of climbing animals. Particularly noteworthy marsupial bear, or koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), also called marsupial sloth.

In areas with grass and shrub cover, marsupial rodents and insectivores also live: the wombat and the anteater.

In Australia, there are no representatives of the order of carnivores (except for dingoes), monkeys, ungulates and other animals that are widespread in other parts of the world.

Due to the fact that in the Australian zoogeographic region there were no higher mammals, marsupials, without encountering competition and enemies, gave an extraordinary variety of species corresponding to the biological types of higher mammals.

At the same time, these egg-laying mammals - the platypus and the echidna - in some features of their structure are very reminiscent of the most ancient mammals. They can truly be called "living fossils".

In the bushes there is a local endemic echidna (Echidna aculeata) - a mammal, its body is covered with needles. Like the platypus, the echidna lays eggs, which it carries in its pouch, feeding mainly on ants, picking them up with a long, sticky tongue. She is nocturnal, very shy and burrows into the ground when danger approaches. Echidnas are hunted for their tasty meat.

Remarkable in Australia and birds. Suffice it to recall emu ostriches, and an endemic representative of the Australian fauna, the helmeted or common cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

On treeless spaces with thickets of bushes, there are Australian large flightless birds belonging to the order of cassowaries - emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae), grass parrots that cause great damage to crops, various waterfowl and water-dwelling birds, many of which arrive from the northern hemisphere.

A feature of the island fauna is the absence of mammals and a very large variety of birds, among which many lead a terrestrial lifestyle, as if taking on the functions of mammals.

Birds of tropical forests are very diverse and richly represented: lyrebirds (Menula superba) with magnificent plumage, variegated and brightly colored birds of paradise, unusually brightly colored pigeons, including a magnificent crowned pigeon. In eucalyptus trees, insects, pollen and nectar are harvested by numerous honey-eating birds with their tassel tongues. Birds of paradise - the closest relatives of our crows and jackdaws - are distinguished by bizarre and bright plumage, but have the same croaking voices.

Among the reptiles of Australia, there are also extremely interesting species. For example, the already mentioned frilled lizard with a huge fold of skin in the form of a cape, able to run fast on its hind legs alone (it resembles a small dinosaur in this); the Moloch lizard covered with huge spikes; numerous venomous asp snakes and many others.

Various snakes and lizards. Among the snakes, venomous ones predominate. Moloch lizard (Moloch horridus) has special styloid growths on its body that absorb moisture from the air - this is how this species has adapted to dry climatic conditions.

Flying foxes (Pteropus scapulatus) or flying dogs are a genus of bats in the fruit bat family. They feed on the juice and pulp of fruits and flowers. They live in New Guinea, Oceania, Australia.

Fruit bats, like bats, spend daytime on tree branches, under roof eaves, in caves or, more rarely, in large hollows, singly or in clusters of up to several thousand individuals in one place. Usually the fruit bat hangs upside down, clinging with sharp claws to a branch or bump on the ceiling of the cave. Sometimes he hangs on one leg, and hides the other under the membrane; wraps his body in wide leathery membranes, as in a blanket. In hot weather, fruit bats from time to time open their wings and fan them with smooth movements, like a fan. Why are fruit bats called flying foxes.

9/10 animal species are endemic to Australia, i.e. they are not found anywhere else in the world.

People are increasingly appreciating the unique landscapes and animals of this continent. Modern Australians and the indigenous inhabitants of these places are bound together. Despite the changing landscape, the land is rich in strange, hardy animals. Wildlife continues to exist even in the center of large cities.

Modern Australia remains the most unbridled and unique place on the planet.

The grand discovery made by scientists from James Cook University in October this year in Cape Melville National Park, located in the northwest of Australia, is amazing and stunning.

Scientists have discovered a "lost world" in the north of Australia, which is home to several species of vertebrates that have not been studied so far.

Conrad Hoskin, a scientist at James Cook University and a National Geographic team in a jungle-covered area where no man has set foot, have discovered new species of lizards from the family of geckos and skinks and frogs that have not been seen before.

In the near future, scientists plan to return to the cape to begin new research. Biologists will look for new species of spiders, snails and even small mammals.

Australia is home to nearly 10% of the Earth's biodiversity, making it one of only 17 countries in the world with exceptionally rich flora and fauna. About 80% of the animal species found in Australia are endemic and found nowhere else in the world.

The marine life of the continent is as diverse as the terrestrial one - near the northeastern coast of Australia there is the largest coral reef on the planet (more than 344 thousand square kilometers), as well as a huge variety of mangrove and seaweed species. These habitats are home to a variety of fish and iconic marine life such as dugongs and sea turtles.

However, climate change, habitat fragmentation for agricultural development, and invasive species are also putting the animal at risk. Local conservation organizations, together with the community and indigenous peoples, direct all their efforts to develop and implement strategies for the conservation of the unique fauna of the continent.

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This article provides a grouped list of some of Australia's amazing animals.

mammals

Australian echidna

The Australian echidna is one of four living echidna species and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus. Her body is covered with fur and thorns. The echidna has a long snout and a specialized tongue that it uses to catch insects at high speed. Like other modern single-pass, Australian echidna lays eggs; monotremes are the only group of mammals that are born in this way.

The Australian echidna has extremely strong forelimbs and claws that allow it to quickly burrow underground. Their spines do not serve as a weapon, but predators can be scared away. Echidna, if necessary, is able to swim.

Asian buffalo

The Asian buffalo appeared in Australia in the 19th century and spread throughout the northern part of the mainland. These are large animals that prefer to live near water bodies where the water is stagnant or with slow flow. These are herbivores, aquatic plants make up to 70% of their diet. The horns of males are larger than those of females and have a length of up to 2 m. Buffaloes can reach about 2 meters at the withers, 3 meters in length and weigh 1200 kg. These introduced animals have adapted so well to the Australian habitat that they cause significant damage to the local ecosystem. The life span of an Asian buffalo is about 25 years.

Camel

Camels were introduced to Australia in the 19th century and have adapted well to its climatic conditions. On the this moment, the population of camels is more than 50 thousand individuals.

The average life expectancy of a camel ranges from 40 to 50 years. Adult individuals at the withers reach a height of 1.85 meters, and on the hump - 2.15 meters. Camels can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h. Their humps are filled with adipose tissue, which is distributed throughout the body and helps the animal survive in a hot climate. These animals have a number of physiological adaptations, thanks to which they can do without water for a long time.

Of the two species of camels, one-humped camels or dromedaries live in Australia.

Dingo

The dingo is an Australian wild dog. It is the largest carnivore in Australia. It is called a wild dog, but it is a semi-domesticated animal from South Asia, subspecies gray wolf. There is some controversy as to whether the dingo is native to the continent or not. The reason can be considered the fact that, unlike other Australian animals that have existed on the continent for millions of years, the dingo arrived in Australia about 4000 years ago.

Although they have been domesticated by the Australian Aborigines from time to time, dingoes have remained wild animals. The height at the withers is about 60 cm, and the weight is up to 25 kg. They have a stronger skull with larger teeth than domesticated dogs. The color of the coat depends on the habitat and varies from red to white. The dingo usually lives on its own or in a small family group. It eats just about anything it can find, from kangaroos and wallabies to rats, mice, frogs, lizards, and even fruit. The dingo does not bark, it squeals and howls like a wolf, especially at night to communicate and protect territory. The dingo can be found anywhere in Australia, as long as there is access to drinking water.

Kangaroo

The largest representative of the kangaroo family can reach a mass of about 90 kg and a body length of 1.3 meters. They have a short coat that varies from orange-brown to gray or dark brown. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, males are larger than females. Being marsupials, females have a pouch on abdominal cavity in which they carry their young. Most hallmark Kangaroos are characterized by their upright body posture, thanks to two disproportionately large hind limbs, small forelimbs, and a large thick tail. Kangaroo can live from 6 to 27 years. Surprisingly, these marsupials spend most of their lives in dry arid regions, but they are also good swimmers. Kangaroos live and move in small social groups.

The quokka is one of the smallest members of the kangaroo family. They have: thick and hard grey-brown fur; short, rounded and fluffy ears; long tail (24-31 cm); shorter hind limbs than other kangaroos. The body weight is 2.7-4.2 kg, and the body length is 40-54 cm. They are herbivores and feed on grass, leaves, bark and various plants.

Koala

A plush, stocky, herbivore that lives in the canopy of eucalyptus trees. Koalas have gray fur, a large black nose and large fluffy ears. With the help of sharp claws, she clings to branches. This animal spends almost all its life in trees and descends to the ground to move from one tree to another.

The diet consists mainly of eucalyptus leaves. These leaves are highly poisonous, difficult to digest, and very low in nutrients for most other animals. The koala gets all the moisture it needs from the leaves and rarely drinks water.

flying foxes

Flying foxes have very thin skin on their wings, thanks to which they are able to fly. They hunt insects at night and use their ears as a radar to find their prey. When resting, these mammals lie upside down and wrap their body around their wings. Any place where it is warm and humid is suitable for recreation.

The flying fox is one of two placental mammals found in Australia. They migrated to the continent from neighboring islands.

Nambat

Nambat or marsupial anteater is a small marsupial mammal. These are territorial and solitary animals that are active only during daylight hours.

The marsupial anteater weighs from 400 to 700 grams and has a body length of 20-27 cm. It has a reddish-brown head, shoulders and upper body, which gradually turns black with white stripes on the back. The tail is silver gray and fluffy, about 17 cm long. The muzzle is pointed, with an elongated sticky tongue. Unlike other anteaters that feed on termites, the marsupial anteater does not have powerful claws.

red fox

Foxes are omnivorous placental mammals from the canine family, which also includes wolves, coyotes, and domestic dogs. They are native to Europe, North America and Asia.

To Australia red foxes were introduced in 1855 by European settlers.

marsupial mice

Marsupial mice are very similar to ordinary mice, but with a long, pointed nose. Most active at night. The body length is up to 120 mm, and the weight is up to 170 g. The hair on the head is gray, and the sides, stomach and legs are orange. Marsupials feed on insects, flowers, and nectar, but may also eat small birds and mice. They are found mainly along the east coast of Australia.

Insects

Danaida monarch

Butterfly danaid monarch is quite common in the cities of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria (rarely), South Australia. There is no information about these butterflies on the mainland before 1871.

The color of the wings includes dark stripes (veins) on an orange background and white spots along the edges. The wingspan is from 8.9 to 10.2 cm. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, females are smaller than males and have a darker color.

Red fire ant

This ant is native to South America. This insect accidentally appeared in Australia in 2001.

The red fire ant is a dangerous insect species that has a strong sting and toxic venom that can kill an allergic person. The body size of red fire ants varies from 2 to 4 mm. Males are black in color and females are reddish brown. They can live in various environments.

Fleas

Fleas are blood-sucking insects that are often carriers of various diseases for humans and animals. The body length varies between 1-5 mm and depends on the species. Their body is flattened on the sides, thanks to which they can move freely in the wool and feathers of their owners, and the bristles and forceps do not allow them to fall.

In Australia, there are fleas from various families, namely: Lycopsyllidae, Macropsyllidae, Pulicidae, Pygiopsyllidae, Stephanocircidae, Stivaliidae.

reptiles

giant lizards

Giant lizards come in a variety of sizes and colors, but they all have distinctive blue tongues that serve as a defense mechanism. When threatened, the lizard sticks out its tongue and hisses loudly to scare away predators. Usually this is enough for the predator to think that it is dangerous. In fact, it is completely harmless.

crocodiles

There are two types of crocodiles in Australia: the Australian narrow-nosed crocodile (freshwater) and the combed crocodile (marine).

The combed crocodile is the largest modern member of the reptile class and is found in the northern regions of Australia and throughout Asia. It can swim long distances, but prefers warm climates. Despite the fact that it is adapted to life in sea water, the combed crocodile lives in coastal areas and rivers. Salted crocodile can grow up to 7 meters in length and weigh more than 1 ton. It has a large head and many sharp teeth. Crocodiles eat fish, turtles, birds and other animals. They are not afraid of people and will gladly eat you for dinner if you are stupid enough to approach them. In fact, in the last 20 years, only 12 people have been eaten by these crocodiles.

The Australian narrow-nosed crocodile is a relatively small species of crocodiles, with a body length of 2.3-3 m, and a weight of 40-70 kg. These reptiles are quite shy, and also have a narrower snout and smaller teeth than the combed crocodile. Their diet consists of fish, mammals, amphibians and fish. The Australian narrow-nosed crocodile is considered safe for humans, but if it feels threatened, it can cause serious damage.

frilled lizard

Frilled lizard lives in northern Australia. She has a prominent skin fold around her neck, resembling a collar. When frightened, it stands on its hind limbs and opens its mouth wide, while its collar looks like an open umbrella. If such a defense does not frighten the attacker, the lizard turns its tail and runs away at high speed. Although it is harmless, it can bite if there is a reason for it.

The body length is about a meter in length, and the weight is 0.5 kg. Males and females look the same, but the males are slightly larger. The frilled lizard uses a collar to regulate its body temperature. The life span of this species is about 20 years.

black snake

The black snake is a medium-sized venomous snake from eastern Australia, but its venom does not pose a threat to human life. It got its name from the black color of the upper body. On the sides, the color is bright red or crimson, and the lower part of the body is noticeably lighter. The total body length is 1.5-2 m. The black snake prefers a nocturnal lifestyle. Its diet consists of frogs, lizards, snakes, insects and other invertebrates.

Amphibians

Toad-yeah

The aga toad was introduced to Australia in 1935 to protect sugar cane in Queensland from pests. However, these amphibians turned out to be ineffective against pests and spread almost throughout the entire continent, and also became a serious threat to the biological diversity of the mainland.

The toad-aga is poisonous and is considered one of the largest toads, reaching a weight of more than a kilogram and a body length of 24 cm, while males are slightly smaller than females.

Birds

gouldian finches

Gouldian finches have a body length of about 13 cm. The color of the back is green, the neck is colored, the feathers on the chest are purple, and the belly is yellow. While there is only one species of this bird, there are three color variations of their heads: black (75% of the population), red (25%), and yellow - extremely rare. Males are more brightly colored than females. Gould's finches live for about 5 years in the wild.

helmeted cassowary

The helmeted cassowary is the second largest bird in the world, after the ostrich. It is also the most dangerous bird on the planet. If he feels threatened, he will attack with powerful legs equipped with sharp claws. The helmeted cassowary is a solitary animal that lives in the rainforests of northern Queensland. Only 1200 individuals remain in the wild and the species is endangered.

The cassowary can grow up to almost 2 meters and weigh up to 60 kilograms. Females and males are very similar in appearance. They have long blue and purple plumage. The cassowary has dangling wattles around its neck and growths on its head. The color of the head and neck may change depending on the mood of the bird. The exact nature of these colorations and their meaning has not yet been studied.

Cassowaries are quite flexible and fast, capable of accelerating up to 50 km / h even in dense forests, jumping to a height of up to 2 meters and even swimming. Life span in wildlife about 40 years, and in captivity up to 60 years.

Cockatoo

The cockatoo is a very large parrot that is widely distributed in Australia. It can grow up to 38 cm in length. The cockatoo is mostly white, but there are some species with pink or black plumage. They have long feathers on their heads. Their beaks are very strong, large and curved, and are used for crushing nuts and seeds. They also eat roots and larvae. Life expectancy is up to 50 years. Some individuals are able to speak, but this is not connected speech, but only a few memorized words.

kookaburra

There are two types of kookaburra in Australia: the blue-winged kookaburra and the laughing kookaburra. Kookaburra is a stocky and carnivorous bird, with a large head and a long beak, up to 45 cm in length and weighing up to 0.5 kg. Their diet consists of: small reptiles, insects, small rodents and birds, and freshwater crustaceans.

Black Swan

The black swan is Australia's largest aquatic bird. As the name implies, this swan has black plumage. It was once thought that all swans were white and the Western world was shocked when these birds were first discovered. Its beak is red, with a white spot at the tip. Body length varies between 110-142 cm, and weight - 3.7-9 kg. The wingspan is 1.6 to 2 m. Males and females are similar in appearance, however males are slightly larger and their beaks are longer and more even. Life expectancy is up to 40 years.

Emu

Emus are large flightless birds with strong, powerful legs and three toes on each foot. They have small wings and a body covered with greyish-brown feathers. Emus have bluish skin on their heads and necks. The weight is 30-45 kg, and the length is from 1.6 to 1.9 m. They can reach a speed of 48 km / h.

Emus live in small groups, but can form flocks of thousands when migrating. They are omnivorous and eat leaves, fruits, flowers as well as insects.

Fish

Australian bull shark

It lives in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, off the coast of Australia, at a depth of no more than 275 m. It can grow to a body length of 1.67 m. The head of this shark is large and blunt, with a convex forehead. There are brown stripes on the body. It is a migratory species, traveling south in summer and returning north in winter to breed.

drop fish

The blobfish, which lives at depths of more than 1,000 meters off the ocean coast of Australia, has been voted the ugliest animal in the world. Due to the great depths it inhabits, no human has ever observed this fish in its natural habitat. All knowledge about her is based solely on a few dead fish caught in fishing nets and one rare underwater photo.

Drop fish survive in icy water, without sunlight and with water pressure that is 100 times greater than on land. This pressure is so great that it can crush even the most powerful modern submarine. Under such pressure, a person will instantly turn into mush.

Australia is a highly developed and wealthy country that is part of British Commonwealth. This state is the only one in the world that occupies the territory of a whole continent. The abundance of natural resources has allowed the country to take one of the leading positions in the world in various areas of economic activity.

Geographical position

The entire continent is located south of the equator and in the Eastern Hemisphere. It occupies an intermediate position between the Pacific and Indian oceans. In addition to the mainland, it includes numerous small islands and the larger southern island of Tasmania. The total area is more than 7.6 million km 2, which is almost 2.5% of the planet's land area.

The northern boundary is located at Cape York (10°41`21 S and 142°31`50 E). The extreme point in the south is Site Point Cape (39°08`20 S and 146°22`26 E). The eastern margin (Cape Byron) has coordinates 28°38`15 S. latitude and 153°38`14 in. e. The western edge is Cape Steep Point (26°09`05 S and 113°09`18 E).

The length of the mainland from the northern borders to the southern borders is 3200 kilometers, and from west to east - almost 4 thousand km. Coastline is 35.877 thousand km.

The surface of the continent is mostly flat. Plains occupy 95% of the mainland. The average height is 350 m. In the west, the Western Australian Plateau is located, where the height of some sections reaches 600 m. In the eastern part, there are the McDonnell Range (1511 m) and the Musgrave Mountains (1440 m). The southeast of the continent is occupied by the mountains of Mount Lofty. The low Kimberley plateau lies in the north, and the western territories are occupied by the flat-topped Hamersley mountain range (1251 m). The highest point of the continent (2230 m) is located in the Australian Alps on Mount Kosciuszko. The lowest area of ​​Australia reaches 16 meters below sea level and is located in the Eyre North Lake area.

Natural belts and climate

The formation of the climate and the formation of natural zones determined the geographical position of the mainland.

Australia is located within the warm belts of the southern part of the Earth. There are several types of climate on the mainland.

subequatorial

Under its influence are the northern and northeastern areas. It is characterized by weak temperature fluctuations (+23-25°C) and high seasonal humidity. Monsoon air currents coming from the northwest bring a large amount of precipitation (from 1500 to 2000 mm). Most of them fall in the summer. In winter, it rarely rains. During this period, hot continental winds dominate here, causing drought.

Tropical

The belt occupies almost 40% of the entire surface of the mainland and is divided into two types:

1. Wet tropics. They occupy the extreme eastern lands, dominated by humid Pacific trade winds. The annual rainfall reaches 1500 mm. There is no sharp division into seasons. Almost all year round the temperature is from +22 to +25°С. Only in the coldest months does it drop to +13 - +15°С.
2. Dry tropics. characteristic of central and western territories. The temperature during the summer months rises to +30°С (and higher). In winter it drops to +10 - +15°С. In the dry tropics are the largest Australian deserts. There is a sharp fluctuation of temperatures during the day (from +35 in the daytime to -4°C). Precipitation is about 300 mm, but they are distributed very unevenly.

Subtropical

The climatic conditions of the belt are not the same. The southeastern region is under the influence mediterranean climate. The summer months are dry and hot. It gets humid in winter. The temperature difference depending on the season is insignificant: from +23 to +25°C in summer and +12 to +15°C in winter. Precipitation is moderate - 500-1000 mm per year.

The subtropical continental climate dominates the coast of the Great Australian Gulf, spreading to the east. It is characterized by low rainfall and a large temperature difference throughout the year.

The zone of humid subtropics includes the state of Victoria and foothill areas in the south-west of the state of New South Wales. Mild weather prevails. Precipitation is 500-600 mm. The main part of the moisture falls on coastal lands. They shrink as they move inland.

Moderate

The climate is present only on the island of Tasmania (in the central and southern parts). The ocean has a special influence here. In the temperate zone, there is abundant rainfall and the change of seasons is clearly visible. In summer the air warms up to +10°С, in winter - up to +15 - +17°С.

natural belts

The formation of natural zones is due to climatic conditions, topography and soil features.

There are several belts on the mainland:

1. Savannah and woodland zone. It is located in the conditions of subequatorial and tropical climate. Arcuately pass through the flat lands of Carpentaria and the Central Lowland.
2. Deserts and semi-deserts. They occupy large areas of the tropics and subtropics. Covers part of the Western Australian Plateau, the southern Nullarbor Plain and lands in the lowlands of Murray-Darling.
3. Forest areas cover a number of climatic zones(tropics and subtropics, subequatorial and temperate) and are divided into several types. Variably humid are common in the highlands of the Great Dividing Range. Tropical evergreens ran through the southern terrain and the eastern coastal zone of the Cape York Peninsula. In the extreme southwestern lands there are dry hard-leaved shrubs and forests.

Soils

The Australian continent is a territory of relic and contrasting soils. There are both highly moistened and arid soils. Arid zones and arid sandstones occupy almost 1/3 of the entire area of ​​Australia.

On the mainland, almost all types of soils are common, which are characteristic of various natural zones of the continent.

natural area	Soils
Deserts and semi-deserts	Alkaline serozems, acidic red-brown, desert-steppe soils predominate. Sandy, rocky lands are characteristic of the low-lying areas of the Central Australian Trench.
Moist and Variable Moist Forests	Almost all types of soils are present in this zone: red, yellow, brown, brown.
Savannahs and woodlands	Large areas of shrouds are dominated by red-brown and black soils. Grey-brown and chestnut are characteristic of the drier parts of the savannas.
Dry hardwood forests and forest shrubs	The main soils of the zone are red-brown.

The value of soil resources is quite large. Their composition and fertility influence the formation of huge natural complexes. The level of moisture and humus content determines their suitability for various areas of economic activity.

So, on fertile red, brown and brown soils with a high content of organic matter and mineral elements, large fields wheat. Serozems grow fruit crops and forage grasses are grown. Gray-brown soils of the tree-shrub zone are less fertile. Areas with this type of soil serve as pastures for livestock.

Plants of Australia

Australian nature is unusually beautiful. This is a colorful world of amazing plants and rare animals. More than 12 thousand species of flora and fauna have settled on its lands. Of these, about nine thousand - endemic species. The climate and soil features determined the spread of a certain type of vegetation.

Eucalyptus

The eucalyptus tree is a characteristic representative of the flora. More than five hundred varieties (from tropical to alpine) grow here. Among them there are giants up to 80 m high, as well as undersized shrubs. Distribution is influenced by the degree of moisture, temperature and soil type.

Eucalyptus trees dominate the southern and eastern forests. Smaller shrub varieties are common in dry areas of the savannah. You can not find eucalyptus on the tops of mountains, in inland deserts, tropical rainforests.

The brightest representatives of eucalyptus - curry and jarrah trees - are found in the southwestern forests of Western Australia. The most widespread is the Camaldul eucalyptus. It grows along the banks of rivers and various reservoirs.

acacia

The southern lands abound with acacias. These exquisite and hardy plants occupy large mainland areas. A sprawling, brightly flowering tree has found application in landscaping in various zones. The most common is the golden acacia, which has become national symbol states. Bright inflorescences, having a golden yellow color, give the tree sophistication and exoticism.

The woods

Forest zones occupy 16.2% of the total area of ​​the continent. Most of it is located on the east coast. Small areas are located in the northern part.

Woodlands are divided into several main types, common in different zones of Australia:

1. Moist evergreen tropical forests. The largest territories (1.1 million hectares) belong to them. Settled in areas of the Great Dividing Range and some parts of Queensland. Tropics of Steel natural environment habitats for a variety of vines, nettles and stinging trees.
2. Variably humid deciduous tropical forests occupy the northern lands and small areas in the northeast. They include palm trees, ficuses, bamboo, cypress, camphor tree.
3. Mangroves. They occupy the north of the mainland. Today, these forests are on the verge of extinction due to changing climatic conditions;
4. Subantarctic broad-leaved and coniferous. Most common on the island of Tasmania. Represented by globular eucalyptus, southern beech, oblong callitris.
5. Dry forests and woodlands. Formed in conditions of low humidity. Dry forests and shrubs occupy zones of tropical deserts, shrouds and subtropics.

meadows

Meadowlands come to replace the forest when moving inland. They serve as an excellent food base for wild and domestic animals. Astrebla grows almost everywhere, thorny spinifex grows in arid areas, and kangaroo grass is found in southern meadows.

Other representatives of the flora

Among the general diversity of the flora of Australia, there are unique plants that grow only in this area: boab tree, macrosamia, macadamia nut.

Quite interesting species are also known:

• caustis - herbaceous plant, which have winding stems instead of leaves;
• kingia - a thick-stemmed tree with a top resembling porcupine thorns;
• evergreen beech;
• sundew;
• ferns.

Rare and extinct species

Human activity and other factors have led to the extinction of more than eighty species of plants on the mainland. The threat of extinction threatens more than two hundred species. Australian Aborigines used plant components in medicine and used in food. Nuts, berries, tubers and even flower nectar often served as food for the locals.

The destructive impact of natural factors and humans has made many plants rare. Among them are araucaria, bidvilla biblis, pink-flowered (rainbow) eucalyptus, richea paniculata, sac cephalotus. Eupomatia Bennett is an endangered species.

Animal world

The Australian animal community consists of 200 thousand species (including mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects, amphibians).

The peculiarity of the Australian fauna is that there are practically no large predators, an abundance of ruminants, monkeys, but only unique endemic animals live. Each Australian region is inhabited by unique representatives of the fauna. The most common are marsupials, bats and rodents.

Kangaroo

An animal that has become a symbol of Australia. More than fifty species of kangaroo are found on the mainland. Among them are kangaroo rats, rock and tree kangaroos. The smallest representatives have a height of 20-23 cm, and large ones can reach 160 cm. It is interesting that the large representatives of the genus are called kangaroos, and the small ones are called wallabies.

Koala

No less bright representative of the animal world, living in the eucalyptus forests of the continent.

Wombat

A medium-sized animal that looks like a mixture of a large hamster and a bear. Burrow dweller building underground labyrinths. The tunnels can be up to 30 meters long.

Platypus

An egg-laying mammal, has an interesting appearance. They are excellent swimmers, but they are used to living on land more often.

The lands of Australia have become home to many amazing animals. Often you can meet the Australian echidna, flying foxes, nambat (marsupial anteater), marsupial mice.

The rarest representatives of the local animal community are the spotted-tailed marsupial marten, wild dog dingo, wallabies, tree kangaroos, and rabbit bandicoot. All of them are listed in the Red Book, in sections for species that are threatened (or may be threatened) with extinction.

Environmental problems

The problems of the ecology of the Australian continent are quite specific. The most tangible among them are the depletion of land reserves and soil erosion. The main reason is the mining industry. By extracting valuable metals, coal and other minerals, people destroy the structure of the earth, making it unusable.

An equally significant problem is the lack of fresh water. Since the time of colonization, the number of water sources has decreased by 60%. The growing population aggravates the ecological state of the country. The areas of the mainland are 65% populated, but the main part of the continent is occupied by deserts. Because of this, Australia's population density is very high. Economic activity human leads to pollution environment, the destruction of forest lands and, as a result, the disappearance of many species of flora and fauna. Every Australian must protect nature, thereby saving it from pollution.

The presented video tells about the nature of Australia.

Some interesting facts about Australia:

1. An Australian landmark is the southern pasture of Anna Creek. The largest pasture in the world, larger than Belgium.
2. There are more sheep in Australia than people. Sheep herds in the aggregate include more than one hundred million heads, and the number of people is just over 24 million.
3. In the mountainous areas of Australia, there is more snow cover than in the Swiss Alps, and mountain tourism is very well developed.

Video

Learn more about Australia in this video.