THE AUSTRAL REALM(FOCUS ON AUSTRALIA)

(CHAPTER 11: 530-546)

MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES

• TERRITORIAL DIMENSION• RELATIVE LOCATION AND ISOLATION• PERIPHERAL DEVELOPMENT• HIGHLY CLUSTERED URBAN

POPULATIONS• CHANGING HUMAN GEOGRAPHY VIA

IMMIGRATION AND ACTIVISM• EXPORTERS OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS

AUSTRALIA’SPHYSIOGRAPHI

CREGIONS

CLIMATE

BIOGEOGRAPHY

• A SUB-FIELD OF GEOGRAPHY- THE SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF FLORA AND FAUNA

• EVOLVED FROM THE OVERLAP BETWEEN GEOGRAPHY AND BIOLOGY

• ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT (1769-1859) IS RECOGNIZED AS THE FOUNDER

• SUB-DIVIDED INTO 2 MAIN BRANCHES:– ZOOGRAPHY– PHYTOGEOGRAPHY

• THE AUSTRALIAN REALM SERVES AS A “LABORATORY”-WHY?

AUSTRALIA

• A FEDERAL STATE SINCE 1901– COMPRISED OF 6 STATES AND 2 TERRITORIES

• POPULATION OF 19.9 MILLION– ABORIGINAL POPULATION OF 300,000– ARITHMETIC DENSITY OF 7/SQ MI– PHYSIOLOGIC DENSITY OF 106/SQ MI– GNP OF $24,920

• 85% URBANIZED• MAJOR URBAN CENTERS

– SYDNEY (4.1 MILLION)– MELBOURNE (3.4 MILLION)– CANBERRA (342,000)- CAPITAL (A CLASSIC

GROWTH POLE)

POLITICALDIVISIONS

SYDNEY

THE OUTBACK

• EXTENSIVE GRASSLAND PASTURES• SUPPORT ONE OF THE WORLD’S

LARGEST SHEEP AND CATTLE INDUSTRIES

• A FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT• OWNERSHIP ISSUES

THE INTERIOR

IMPACT OF FIRE IN NEW SOUTH WALES

BEACH ALONG AUSTRALIA’S EAST COAST

E.J. PALKA

SUGARCANE FIELD

TEA PLANTATION

NORTHQUEENSLAND

E.J. PALKA

E.J. PALKA

AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMY

• PRINCIPAL PATTERNS:– EXPORTS RAW MATERIALS– BASED HEAVILY ON THE PRIMARY

SECTOR ACTIVITIES – DEPENDS ON WORLD MARKETS

• IMPORT-SUBSTITUTION INDUSTRIES• SMALL DOMESTIC MARKET• TENUOUS TRADE LINKS WITH ASIAN

TIGERS

AGRICULTURE&

MINERAL RESOURCES

ABORIGINAL ISSUES

• POPULATION DATES FROM 50,00-60,000 YEARS AGO

• 1980s CAMPAIGN AGAINST MINING AND EXPLORATION OF TRADITIONAL LANDS

• 1992: ABORIGINES CAN CLAIM TITLE TO TRADITIONAL LAND

• 1993: NATIVE TITLE BILL• 1996: LEGAL REVIEW OF PASTORAL

LEASES• CURRENT LAND ISSUES• INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND WRONGS

ABORIGINAL

CLAIMS

THE AUSTRAL REALM(FOCUS ON AUSTRALIA)

(CHAPTER 11: 530-546)