Egp oceania. Oceania
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Date 05/16/2016Topic: Oceania. EGP specific. The role of New Zealand and island countries Pacific region. Political map. Features of the development of small island states.
Target:
Educational: to form an idea of the economic development of the territory of Oceania. To acquaint students with the features of the EGP and the main features of nature. Decide problematic task associated with the characteristics of the population. Identify the factors of rapid economic growth and the principles of coexistence in the region.
Developing: to expand the geographical knowledge and horizons of schoolchildren on the topic "EGP of Oceania", to show its attractiveness and originality, its beauty and grandeur. Build the ability to work with different sources geographic knowledge. Develop geographic thinking. To develop their cartographic literacy.
Educational: to promote the education of national feelings, interest in knowing the life of other peoples and countries. Cultivate responsibility, organization, independence, sociability.
Equipment: Oceania map, atlases, physical map peace, handout.
Lesson type: learning new knowledge.
During the classes
1. Organizational moment.
2. Reporting the topic, goals, objectives of the lesson and motivational activities.
The theme of our lesson is Oceania. Oceania is a cluster of a huge number of islands and archipelagos, concentrated mainly in the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean. These islands are divided by nature and population into three main groups: Micronesia (i.e., small islands), Melanesia (i.e., black islands) and Polynesia (i.e., many islands). The indigenous inhabitants of Oceania are the Papuans, Micronesians and Polynesians. The total population is about 3 million people.
3. Learning new material.
Oceania is a collection of islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. They are combined into such large groups:
Melanesia (New Guinea and nearby island groups)
Micronesia (a large number of small islands north of Melanesia)
Polynesia (all other small islands)
New Zealand.
In total, there are 13 states in Oceania.
Geographical position
The islands of Oceania are located between the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere and the subtropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Often in geography, Oceania is considered together with Australia.
There is even a geographical name - Australia and Oceania. The total area of Oceania is 1.24 million km 2. The population is 10.6 million people.
Oceania is divided into three geographical regions - Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Oceania is washed by numerous seas - the Coral, Solomon, New Guinea, Tasman Seas, the Koro and Fiji Seas, which belong to the Pacific Ocean, as well as the Arafura Sea (Indian Ocean).
Climate of Oceania
Most of Oceania has a tropical climate. Most of the islands in Oceania are characterized by heavy rainfall. On the islands that are closer to the tropical zone, the average annual temperature is 23 ° C, on the islands near the equator - 27 ° C.
The climate of Oceania is also influenced by currents such as La Niña and El Niño. Most of the islands of Oceania are exposed to the negative effects of active volcanoes, tsunamis and typhoons.
This region is characterized by a sharp change weather conditions Droughts are replaced by heavy rains.
Population of Oceania
The majority of the population of the islands of Oceania is represented by indigenous people, which include Micronesians, Polynesians, Papuans. Polynesians are mixed racial types - they show features of Caucasians and Mongoloids.
The largest peoples of the Polynesians are Hawaiians, Maori, Tongans, Tahitians. Every nation has own language, which is represented by an almost complete absence of consonants.
The racial type of the Melanesians is the Australoids. The linguistic fragmentation of the Melanesian tribes is very large - a frequent occurrence is that residents of neighboring villages cannot understand each other. The Papuans inhabit parts of Indonesia and New Guinea.
All Papuan languages are very similar to each other. They are based on English, so often, even residents of remote regions speak English perfectly.
Economy
The vast majority of the states of Oceania have a very weak economy. The reasons for this are such factors as the remoteness of the islands from the developed superpowers, the limited natural resources, and the shortage of personnel.
Many countries are in complete economic dependence on Australia and the United States. The basis of the economy is agriculture. Among the most common crops are coconut palms, breadfruit, bananas. Some states have a fishing fleet.
The industry is developed only in three regions - in New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is the most environmentally friendly clean country on the planet, the land of green hills and the miraculous kiwi bird. A country where the north is warmer than the south. Where the sun goes counterclockwise towards sunset. The country that Jules Verne described in the novel "Children of Captain Grant", and Peter Jackson showed in the movie "The Lord of the Rings".
New Zealand is located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean on large islands (North, otherwise White, and South), separated by the Cook Strait. It is completely surrounded on all sides by water expanses and has no land borders with other countries. In addition to the large islands, New Zealand also covers a huge number of small ones (about 700), most of which are uninhabited. The largest of them: Stewart, Auckland, the Antipodes Islands, Campbell, Bounty, Tree Kings, Kermadec Island and the Chatham Archipelago.
New Zealand's closest neighbor, Australia, is 1,700 kilometers away, across the Tasman Sea. On the north side, the island territories of New Caledonia, the Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of the Fiji Islands adjoin.
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is located in the south of the North Island. The largest cities, the territorial scale of which is inferior to the capital, are Hamilton, Auckland, Christchurch. In terms of the number of residents, Auckland is the largest, there are three times more people than in the capital.
The population of New Zealand mainly communicates in English, a small part of the population speaks the language of the native Maori, which are 15% in the country. The Maori language is incredible and seemingly impossible in its pronunciation. Nevertheless, every tourist will definitely pronounce words in the Maori language more than once, because the vast majority of New Zealand's place names sound exactly in it.
Nature and climate
Compared to other countries located within the Pacific seismic belt, the level of seismic activity in New Zealand is low. Although earthquakes and small shocks occur quite often in some areas, they only occasionally lead to destruction. Tremors of 7 on the Richter scale occur on average no more than once every 10 years.
The largest seismic activity observed in the North Island approximately east and south of the imaginary line between Whakatane and Havera, and in the South Island north of the line from Fowlwind Point to Banks Peninsula. The most destructive earthquake was recorded in the vicinity of Napier in 1931.
New Zealand is characterized by suddenly changeable weather, as they say, all four seasons in one day. Rain and sun several times a day replace each other. Thanks to this, there is always a feeling of freshness in the air, and light snow-white clouds always float in the sky.
The air temperature is relatively uniform throughout the year. It is neither very hot nor very cold here, with the exception of mountainous regions where the air temperature sometimes drops to -2 °C, and sometimes to -12 °C. Precipitation in the mountains is exclusively snowy. And the glaciers of the western slope descend almost to the Tasman Sea itself.
Summer in New Zealand lasts from January to February, these are the warmest months of the year, the air temperature at this time is +20…+30 °C. The further south you travel in the country, the lower the air temperature will be. The coldest month is July, when the air temperature drops to +8…+10 °C on the North Island, and to +3…+6 °C on the South Island.
Despite the fact that the temperature conditions are quite moderate, ultraviolet rays here you should be afraid, especially from September to April from 10 to 16 hours, even in the shade.
In the 100 years after 1850, New Zealand was transformed from a wooded country into a vast pasture. Now only 29% of its territory (7.9 million ha) is occupied by forests, of which 6.4 million ha are occupied by natural preserved forests and another 1.5 million ha are artificial plantations (mainly Pinus radiata pines). Of the more than a hundred species of trees growing here, only a few are of economic importance, including four species of conifers - cypress dacridium, totar's legs, paniculate and dacridium - and one broad-leaved species - notophagus (southern beech). The famous and once widespread forests of New Zealand agathis are now preserved only in reserves in the north of the North Island.
At the time of the development of the country by Europeans, vast areas in New Zealand, especially on the South Island, were occupied by tall grass turf grasslands. To date, they have survived only in the mountains, and on the plains they are replaced by pastures from introduced European cereals (chaff, hedgehogs, fescue) and clover. In the east of the North Island, communities of the local dantonia grass are still quite widespread.
In general, the soils of New Zealand are poor in humus and infertile. Everywhere, with the exception of periodically flooded and silt-covered areas, large amounts of fertilizer are required to maintain productive pastures.
The most common zonal types The soils in New Zealand are brown-gray, yellow-gray and yellow-brown. The first are typical for dry intermountain basins about. Southern with cereal vegetation, receiving less than 500 mm of precipitation. The areas occupied by them are used mainly as sheep pastures and only occasionally for agriculture. In more humid regions, transitional from cereal steppes to mixed forests, and in the lower part of the eastern slopes of the mountains, yellow-gray soils are common. They are more fertile and are used for intensive agriculture (for example, on the Canterbury Plain) and as pastures. For more humid regions with dissected hilly terrain and forest vegetation, strongly leached poor yellow-brown soils are characteristic. In places in such areas, gley-podzolic soils (“paquihi”) are developed on the clay weathering crust, as, for example, in Westland on the South Island, or subtropical clay soils, common under kauri pine forests in Northland. In the profile of such soils, at a shallow depth, there is a dense waterproof horizon, which makes drainage and plowing difficult.
About 6 million hectares are occupied by various azonal and intrazonal soils, the properties of which are determined by the parent rock. These are fertile soils developed on volcanic ash in the central part of the North Island, peaty soils of the Waikato Valley, alluvial soils river valleys, as well as the soils of drained areas of the sea coast.
Almost half of the country's area (13 million hectares) is occupied by mountain soils, usually thin and underdeveloped, often gravelly. About 1.6 million hectares of them are in the upper belt of mountains, which is practically devoid of vegetation. The soils on the slopes are subject to erosion, so the burning and cutting down of the forests and turf grasslands that covered them in many places led to deplorable results.
Attractions
Undoubtedly, the main attraction of the country is its unique nature. National parks on the North Island: Urevera, Wanganui, Egmont, Tongariro. National parks in the South Island: Fiordland (the country's largest park), Arthur's Pass, Abel Tasman, Paparoa, Nelson Lakes, Mount Cook, Mount Aspiring, Kaurangi, Westland. However, in New Zealand there is something else to see, besides the beauties of nature.
In Auckland, you can stroll through the unique ocean aquarium with huge predatory fish, spin on the 328-meter television tower, visit the exclusive tree restaurant.
In Wellington, see a huge block-sized wooden building or get lost among the many beautiful buildings on Cuba Street. You can ride over the city by tram on the cable car.
You can visit the city of Napier, the only city in the world built in the style of the 30s of the XX century. You can plunge into the neo-Gothic architecture of Dunedin buildings, walk in it along the steepest (35-40 degrees) street.
New Zealand has many museums, cathedrals and churches, beautiful botanical gardens. The Maori people with painted faces, rituals and dances of the ancient tribes will also not leave you without impressions.
Fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy can visit filming locations around Hamilton (Hobbiton), Taupo, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
4. Generalization and systematization of the studied material.
Exercise 1.
Think about what natural conditions contribute to the life of people on the islands of Oceania, and what complicate it?
Task 2.
What parts is Oceania divided into? Compare two oceanic regions with population and economic characteristics using thematic maps.
Explain why New Zealand became a highly developed country.
Task 3.
Map work.
Using maps and atlas maps, find Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, all independent states and dependent territories. Determine which of the developed countries own the latter.
5. The result of the lesson.
6. Homework.
Creative task: "Traditions and customs of New Zealand", "New Zealand service sector - the path to prosperity."
The video lesson is dedicated to the topic "General Economic and Geographical Overview of Australia". You will get acquainted with the features of the state of Australia, its administrative-territorial division, sectors of the economy and population. As additional material, the teacher considered three topics in the lesson: "Terra Australis incognita", "Administrative division" and "Sheep breeding".
Theme: Australia and Oceania
Lesson: Economic Geographic Overview of Australia
Australia is the world's smallest continent by area. The mainland and neighboring islands are occupied by the state of the same name. Australia (Australian Union) is one of the highly developed and rapidly developing countries in the world. It holds a strong position in the world market, is characterized by a rapid increase in the standard of living of the population. Australia is the only country in the world that occupies an entire continent. The capital is Canberra.
Rice. 1. Australia on the world map ()
Australia is one of the developed countries. With the second highest Human Development Index, Australia ranks high in many areas of life such as quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights. Australia is a member of the G20, OECD, WTO, APEC, UN, Commonwealth, ANZUS and the Pacific Islands Forum.
Since Australia is formally part of the Commonwealth, the head of state in the country remains the Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General and six state governors. The Governor-General is responsible for the armed forces of Australia, he is authorized to submit amendments to the Australian constitution to a referendum. Australia has a federal structure and includes 6 states - New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia- and 2 territories - Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory.
Rice. 2. Map of the administrative division of Australia ()
Population Australia is about 23 million people. Population density less than 3 people. per 1 sq. km. The majority of Australia's population are descendants of 19th and 20th century immigrants, with most of these immigrants coming from Britain and Ireland. The settlement of Australia by immigrants from the British Isles began in 1788, when the first batch of exiles was landed on the east coast of Australia and the first English settlement of Port Jackson (future Sydney) was founded. Australia's largest city is Sydney, the capital of the most populated state of New South Wales; in second place is Melbourne.
The indigenous people of Australia are the Aborigines.
The Australian Capital Territory is the most populous entity in the Commonwealth of Australia. The main population lives on the southeastern coast of the country. Official language- English; religion - Protestantism.
Australia has a high standard of living; migrants from other regions actively go to the country.
Australia has developed mining industry, due to the fact that the country is very rich in minerals, Australia is one of the great mining countries of the world.
Minerals, which are the most rich in Australia:
1. Iron ore.
2. Coal.
3. Bauxite.
5. Gold.
6. Zirconium.
The largest deposits of iron ore in Australia, which began to be developed since the 60s of our century, are located in the region of the Hamersley Range in the north-west of the country (the Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth, etc. deposits). Iron ore is also found on the islands of Kulan and Kokatu in King's Bay (in the northwest), in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron Knob, etc.) and in Tasmania.
Large deposits of polymetals (lead, zinc with an admixture of silver and copper) are located in the western desert part of the state of New South Wales - the Broken Hill deposit. An important center for the extraction of non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, zinc) has developed near the Mount Isa deposit (in the state of Queensland). There are also deposits of polymetals and copper in Tasmania (Reed Rosebery and Mount Lyell), copper in Tennant Creek (Northern Territory) and elsewhere.
The main gold reserves are concentrated in the ledges of the Precambrian basement and in the southwest of the mainland (Western Australia). Smaller deposits are found in almost all states.
Rice. 4. Gold mine in Australia ()
Bauxites occur on the Cape York Peninsula (Waype Field) and Arnhem Land (Gov Field), as well as in the southwest, in the Darling Range (Jarradale Field).
Uranium deposits are found in various parts mainland: in the north (Arnhemland Peninsula) - near the rivers South and East Alligator, in the state of South Australia.
The main deposits of coal are located in the eastern part of the mainland. Most large deposits both coking and non-coking coal are being mined near the cities of Newcastle and Lythgow (NSW) and the cities of Collinsville, Blair Atol, Bluff, Baralaba and Moura Kiang in Queensland.
Geological surveys have established that large deposits of oil and natural gas are located in the bowels of the Australian mainland and on the shelf off its coast. Oil is found and produced in the state of Queensland (the Mooney, Olton and Bennet fields), on Barrow Island off the northwestern coast of the mainland, as well as on continental shelf off the south coast of Victoria (Kingfish field). Deposits of gas (the largest Ranken field) and oil have also been discovered on the shelf off the northwestern shores of the mainland.
Australia has large deposits of chromium.
From non-metallic minerals, there are clays, sands, limestones, asbestos, and mica of various quality and industrial use.
Australia actively exports minerals to Japan, the USA and European countries.
The water resources of the continent itself are small (the most deep river- Murray). The rivers flowing from the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range are short, in their upper reaches they flow in narrow gorges. Here they may well be used, and partly already used for the construction of hydroelectric power stations. In the seas surrounding Australia, sea animals are mined and fish are caught. AT sea waters breed edible oysters. Sea trepang, crocodiles and pearl clams are fished in warm coastal waters in the north and northeast. Rainforests in the form of narrow galleries stretch for relatively short distances inland along the river valleys. In Australia, biological resources are especially valuable.
Agriculture plays an important role in the Australian economy. Australia ranks 2nd in the world in terms of the number of sheep (inland), 1st in the production and export of wool. Australia plays a significant role in the production and export of wheat, sugar, meat, fruit, and wine.
The main region of Australia is the South-East, here the main industries and population are concentrated, here are the largest cities of the country. Machine-building, food industry, etc. enterprises are concentrated in the same area.
Rice. 7. Canberra - the capital of Australia ()
unknown southern land was discovered by the Dutch in the 17th century and began to be mastered by the British in the 18th century. The new colony was used mainly as a place of hard labor and exile. Later, many resources were found in Australia, including gold, and more active development of the territory began. Later, the Commonwealth of Australia was formed, which recognizes the English monarch as its head.
Australia consists of 6 states, 3 territories and other possessions, i.e. Australia has a federal administrative-territorial structure. In addition, Australia owns some overseas territories.
Australia ranks second in the number of sheep, behind China. Sheep breeding is one of the specializations of the country.
There are three types of sheep-breeding districts:
1. Intense meat - wool direction
2. Grain - sheep specialization
3. Extensive pasture sheep farming
Homework
Topic 7, Item 5
1. What administrative-territorial units are distinguished in Australia?
2. Tell us about the population of Australia.
Bibliography
Main
1. Geography. A basic level of. 10-11 cells: Textbook for educational institutions/ A.P. Kuznetsov, E.V. Kim. - 3rd ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2012. - 367 p.
2. Economic and social geography of the world: Proc. for 10 cells. educational institutions / V.P. Maksakovskiy. - 13th ed. - M .: Education, JSC "Moscow textbooks", 2005. - 400 p.
3. Atlas with a set of contour maps for grade 10. Economic and social geography of the world. - Omsk: Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Omsk Cartographic Factory", 2012. - 76 p.
Additional
1. Economic and social geography of Russia: Textbook for universities / Ed. prof. A.T. Khrushchev. - M.: Bustard, 2001. - 672 p.: ill., cart.: tsv. incl.
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections
1. Geography: a guide for high school students and university applicants. - 2nd ed., corrected. and dorab. - M.: AST-PRESS SCHOOL, 2008. - 656 p.
2. Africa // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907. (AUSTRALIA?)
Literature for preparing for the GIA and the Unified State Examination
1. Thematic control by geography. Economic and social geography of the world. Grade 10 / E.M. Ambartsumova. - M.: Intellect-Centre, 2009. - 80 p.
2. The most complete edition of typical options for real USE assignments: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: Astrel, 2010. - 221 p.
3. The optimal bank of tasks for preparing students. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography: Textbook / Comp. EM. Ambartsumova, S.E. Dyukov. - M.: Intellect-Centre, 2012. - 256 p.
4. The most complete edition of typical options for real USE assignments: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2010. - 223 p.
5. Geography. Diagnostic work in the format of the Unified State Examination 2011. - M .: MTSNMO, 2011. - 72 p.
6. USE 2010. Geography. Collection of tasks / Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 272 p.
7. Tests in geography: Grade 10: to the textbook by V.P. Maksakovskiy “Economic and social geography of the world. Grade 10 / E.V. Baranchikov. - 2nd ed., stereotype. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2009. - 94 p.
8. Unified state exam 2009. Geography. Universal materials for the preparation of students / FIPI - M .: Intellect-Center, 2009. - 240 p.
9. Geography. Answers on questions. Oral exam, theory and practice / V.P. Bondarev. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2003. - 160 p.
10. USE 2010. Geography: thematic training tasks/ O.V. Chicherina, Yu.A. Solovyov. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 144 p.
11. USE 2012. Geography: Standard exam options: 31 options / Ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: national education, 2011. - 288 p.
12. USE 2011. Geography: Standard exam options: 31 options / Ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: National Education, 2010. - 280 p.
Materials on the Internet
1. Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements ( ).
2. Federal portal Russian Education ().
Australia is a highly developed industrial-agrarian country, ranks 13th among OECD members in terms of key statistical indicators, and is in the top ten in terms of living standards.
Australia over the past three decades has become one of the world's centers for the supply of minerals, like Canada, the USA, Brazil, South Africa and Russia. By the 1990s it has become the main mineral exporter in the Asia-Pacific region. The key role in the economy belongs to the mining and agricultural sectors of the economy, which are largely oriented towards foreign markets. The share of the manufacturing industry is small, in contrast to other highly developed countries, and is only 16%.
The leading place in highly developed agriculture belongs to animal husbandry, Australia is the world's largest supplier of high-quality wool and meat, as well as wheat.
In foreign economic activity, Australia pays special attention to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region that are members of APEC, and primarily to Japan.
Geographical and geopolitical position.
Australia is the only country in the world that is entirely located on one continent (including a number of adjacent islands, the largest of which is Tasmania). It is located in the Southern Hemisphere at the junction of two oceans - the Pacific and the Indian. Australia is the "loneliest" continent on Earth: it is separated from Europe by about 20 thousand km, from the USA by 11-15 thousand km. km, and from the countries of Southeast Asia - "only" 3.5 thousand km. km. One of the most favorable factors of the geopolitical position is its relative proximity to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, where, along with Japan and New Zealand. Australia is a highly developed country, and to the north of it is a group of dynamic new industrial countries.
Australia is remote from the main centers of military conflicts, which is why it was practically not touched by the wars of the 20th century.
Natural conditions and resources.
Of all the continents, Australia has the simplest coastline. This is the lowest of all the mainland - 95% of its territory has a height of less than 600 m, and the highest peak - Mount Kosciuszko rises to only 2230 m. Most occupy plains and plateaus. The most significant mountain system- Great Dividing Range. Australia is the record holder among the continents for the dryness of the climate: 2/3 of its territory is occupied by tropical deserts and semi-deserts, and only a third of the country receives more than 500 mm of precipitation per year. There are few rivers and lakes, most of them are filled with water only after heavy rains and disappear during the dry season, and half of the country's water resources are concentrated in Tasmania. The only navigable river throughout the year is the Murray, the longest being the Darling. The rivers in the interior, the so-called kriks, dry up completely during the dry season; the lakes are mostly salty, and there are significant reserves of artesian waters. The soils are moderately fertile, in the extreme east and southwest they are podzolic, in the steppe regions they are red-brown and brown, in the interior deserts and semi-deserts they are serozems and gray-brown. The climate on the continent is tropical and subtropical; in Tasmania it is temperate. The average temperature in July is +12...+20°С, in January - +20...+30°С, the most favorable climatic conditions are in the southeast, east and southwest. Tasmania is called the Australian Switzerland, but these territories are not immune from prolonged droughts. Along the northeast coast stretches a ridge of islands and atolls with a length of more than 2000 km, the Great Barrier Reef, which Australians consider a wonder of the world. It is home to 150 varieties of corals of all shapes and colors, more than 1,500 species of fish and crustaceans.
The flora and fauna of the country is unique and exceptionally rich, most of it is endemic. Nowhere else can you find such a variety of marsupial mammals, egg-laying platypus and echidna, lungfish ceratodes. The Australian eucalyptus is the highest tree on the globe, some of its specimens rise above 150 m. Tropical forests cover an area of 894 thousand hectares, and there are more than 500 national parks and more than 270 protected areas (more than 5% of the territory). Thanks to environmental protection measures, two thousand year old pine trees, amazingly clean rivers, untouched by economic activity, have been preserved.
Australia is one of the world's richest countries in mineral resources. In terms of coal reserves (116 billion tons), it is in 4th place in the world after the USA and Russia. The largest basins are Newcastle near Sydney and Bowen in the southeast of Queensland, as well as the lignite Gipsland in southern Victoria. At the same time, the coal of the New Castle Basin is one of the highest quality and cheapest in terms of production costs in the world.
Oil resources have been found on the shelf of the Bass Strait, but they are small (about 300 million tons), there is also natural gas (reserves 690 billion m 3). Australia ranks first in the world in terms of uranium reserves: the main deposits are located in the Alligator River basin on the Arnhemland peninsula, Ranger is being developed (reserves - 911 million tons).
The country has the richest resources for ferrous metallurgy: in terms of iron ore reserves (15.8 billion tons), it ranks third in the world after China and Brazil. The largest iron ore basin of high quality hematites and ferruginous quartzites is located within the Hamersley mountain range in the northwest, significant deposits of manganese ores are located on Groote Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. There is an extensive raw material base for non-ferrous metallurgy, where the most important place belongs to bauxites (second place after Guinea, reserves of about 6 billion tons), which were discovered near Perth in the south-west of the country and on the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula. The main region for the reserves of copper, lead-zinc, nickel and tantalum ores is Queensland. There are large reserves of rare earth metals, rutile and ilmenite sands (raw materials for the production of titanium), the world's leading place belongs to Australia in terms of gold reserves (Kalgoorlie in the southwest of the country) and diamonds (the world's largest Argyle mine operates in the northwest). Sapphires are mined, but especially Australia is famous for the noble opal, which is considered the national stone.
Historical and geographical features.
The first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil were the Dutch V. Janszon (1606) and A. Tasman (1642). However, the beginning of the European colonization of the mainland was laid by the voyage of D. Cook, who discovered its eastern coast in 1770. He declared it a British possession and called it New South Wales. On January 26, 1788 (this day is celebrated as the day of Australia), the English captain A. Phillip, who arrived in the Sydney Bay area at the head of 11 ships, founded the first settlement. Initially, Australia served as a place of exile for English convicts. In 1827, the British government officially announced the establishment of sovereignty over the entire continent. During this period, the colonists discovered rich pasture lands east of the Great Dividing Range, which gave rise to the development of sheep breeding. Australia becomes the UK's main supplier of wool, providing up to half of its imports. To mid-nineteenth in. there were already about 16 million sheep, while the population barely exceeded 0.5 million people. To provide labor for large sheep farms, measures began to be taken to increase free immigration from the UK. The development of sheep breeding required the expansion of grazing lands, and as a result, the indigenous population began to be pushed out of these lands, and often its extermination.
The "gold rush", which began in 1851, caused a new wave of immigration, and already from different continents, resulting in the population by the beginning of the 20th century. reached almost 4 million people. (an increase of 7.5 times compared with 1851). During this period, Australia already provided 40% of the world's gold production. In 1901, the colonies merged (by that time there were six of them, they arose as new lands were developed - New South Wales in 1788, Tasmania in 1825, Western Australia in 1830, South Australia in 1836. and Queensland in 185.9) into the Commonwealth of Australia, which received the status of a dominion of Great Britain. In 1931, under the Statute of Westminster, Australia received complete independence from the mother country and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. In the typology of the countries of the world, it is referred to the countries of resettlement capitalism.
Political system. Australia is a federal parliamentary state that is part of the Commonwealth. Officially, it is headed by the Queen of Great Britain, whose power is represented by the Governor General, appointed on the recommendation of the Australian government. The country has a constitution of 1900. The supreme legislative body is the federal parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The main role in the implementation of the legislative functions of Parliament is played by the House of Representatives, which consists of 148 deputies elected for a three-year term. The upper house of parliament, the Senate, consists of 76 senators elected for a six-year term. Executive power is exercised by the government, which is formed from representatives of the parliamentary majority party, headed by the prime minister. The leading role belongs to the Liberal and National parties that make up the coalition. The largest trade union association is the Australian Council of Trade Unions. The Australian peace movement is massive: there are more than 70 pacifist organizations in the country.
Administratively, Australia is divided into six states (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania) and two territories (Northern and Australian Capital), which have their own parliaments and governments and enjoy considerable independence. Australia is a member of the OECD, ANZUS, ANZUK, APEC, takes part in UN peacekeeping operations, in particular in neighboring East Timor, and was one of the initiators of the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty (Rarotonga Treaty).
Population.
The population of Australia is about 20 million people. About 77% of it are descendants of immigrants from the British Isles, who form the nation of Anglo-Australians; In total, the descendants of Europeans make up 92%, Australians of Asian origin - 7, the share of Aborigines - 1%. After the Second World War, the population increased mainly due to natural increase, which is 8 people. per 1000 inhabitants (birth rate - 15, death rate - 7), the role of immigration is declining, although it continues to play a significant role.
Average life expectancy is 81 years for women and 75 years for men. Infant mortality is one of the lowest in the world - 6 pers. per 1000 births. AT age structure Despite the relative youth of the nation, there is a decrease in childhood ages (their share is 22%), as well as an increase in the elderly population (12%). Employment is 50% (9.2 million people), while the share of people employed in industry is 22%, in agriculture - 5%, in the service sector - 69% (one of the highest rates in the world).
The population density (2.4 people per 1 km 2) is the lowest compared to other parts of the world (the world average is 44 people per 1 km 2). Settlement is characterized by extreme unevenness. More than 80% of the population lives on a quarter of the country's area (Southeast, Northeast and Southwest), and the population density here is several times higher than the average. The main part of the Aborigines, as the territory was developed, was forced out to the less favorable arid regions of the states of Western Australia, Queensland, and especially to the Northern Territory. Their plight is one of Australia's social problems: unemployment is high among Aborigines, life expectancy is much lower, and infant mortality is four times higher than that of whites.
Australia is one of the most urbanized countries world, the share of the urban population is 86%. This is by no means a phenomenon of post-war development; even at the beginning of this century, 50% of the population lived in cities, and by the end of World War II - 70%. The largest cities are Sydney (about 4 million people), Melbourne (3 million people), Brisbane (1.3 million people), Perth (1.2 million people), Adelaide (more than 1 million people). pers.), which concentrate almost 60% of the country's population. Canberra (320 thousand people) was immediately built as the capital, and its official opening took place in 1927 (before that, Melbourne was the capital). There is practically no industry here, many cultural and scientific institutions; it is one of the greenest cities in the world (during the construction, 12 million trees were planted from different countries). In general, the population density in Australian cities is extremely low compared to world standards, cities are stretched, mainly along highways, for tens of kilometers, and Australians are considered the most "suburban" nation in the world. Peripheral regions are extremely sparsely populated. Farms are often located at a distance of tens, and sometimes hundreds of kilometers from each other.
The official language is English, 76% of the population is Christian (including 26% Catholics, 26% Anglicans).
Features of development and general characteristics of the economy.
The hallmark of the Australian economy for many decades has been the critical role played by agriculture. Despite the fact that the Australians have long and firmly settled in the cities, until the middle of this century they "ride a sheep", i.e. the main part of the income was received from the export of agricultural products, which provided 90% of the value of all exports. The mining industry was mainly limited to the extraction of gold and coal, the manufacturing industry until the Second World War developed poorly.
The Second World War gave impetus to the development of the economy. For the needs of the allied troops on the Pacific front, the production of various types of weapons is rapidly being established, and a significant part of the food is being supplied to them. In addition, cut off from traditional sources of supply, the country was forced to organize the production of many goods previously imported. Australia emerged from the war as an industrial-agrarian state. The automotive industry, which began in 1948 and had a strong influence on the formation of the associated electrical, metalworking and chemical industry. But since the mid-1950s the country began to lag behind the leading countries in production technology, manufacturing products could not compete either in quality or price, R&D spending was less than 1% of GDP (in the United States at that time - almost 3%). The situation in industry forced the Australians to begin a more thorough study of the bowels of the earth.
In the 1960s begins the "third discovery" of the Australian continent. The results were immediate and were so significant that the country turned from a "farm" into a "quarry". The mining industry quickly overtook agriculture in terms of its share in GDP. Australia in post-war period opened wide access to foreign capital. Over time, British capital, which for a long time was the leader in the economy of the fifth continent, was pushed out by American, and then by Japanese. Almost 40% of all large companies operating in the country and their branches are controlled by foreigners. In some industries, the share of foreign capital is much higher: in the automotive industry it is almost 100%, in the chemical industry - about 80%, in the production of transport equipment - more than 50%. Its share is highest in mining and manufacturing, finance and trade.
In Australia, a paradoxical situation has developed: on the one hand, the country is one of the most developed in economic terms, on the other hand, has the characteristics of developing countries: raw materials are its main export item, manufactured products cannot compete with the corresponding goods of leading countries, and foreign capital dominates in the most important industries. The country's shares in 2000 in the world economy were: in GDP - 1.1%, in industry - about 1, in agriculture - about 1, in exports - 1.1%
Industry.
Coal plays the leading role in the fuel and energy complex. Coal production in 1997 amounted to 227 million tons (6th place in the world) and is constantly increasing, but in terms of coal production per capita, the country occupies the 1st place - about 13 tons. More than half of it is exported, at the beginning 1990s Australia bypassed the United States on this indicator, became a world leader. The main flows of coal are directed to Japan (55%), the countries of Southeast Asia and Europe. In recent years, intensive development of oil and gas fields has been going on: in 1997, oil production amounted to 36.5 million tons and gas - 28 billion m 3. Australia generates about 270 billion kWh of electricity (15 thousand kW per 1 person), while thermal power plants produce 90.4% (coal is the main fuel), and the rest is hydroelectric power plants. Nuclear power plants are not being built in the country. But in terms of uranium mining (5.5 thousand tons), Australia ranks second after Canada (all uranium is exported). The development of thermal power engineering has led to the emergence of environmental problems: Australia is in 3rd place in the world (after the USA and Kazakhstan) in terms of CO 2 emissions - 4.19 tons per 1 person, and in terms of total emissions - at the end of the second ten.
The metallurgical industry is dominated by the stages of extraction and enrichment of metal ores and the production of concentrates, a significant part of which is exported. Over the past 30 years, the extraction of ores and minerals has quadrupled (from 179 million tons to 720 million tons), while there has been a shift in production to new sparsely populated areas in the west and north of the country. In terms of iron ore mining, Australia is in 3rd place in the world after China and Brazil, manganese ores - in 2nd place after South Africa; in the extraction of bauxite, titanium raw materials, diamonds, it is in 1st place, gold - in 3rd place. Table data. 1 allow us to judge the scale of exports of mineral raw materials.
Extraction and export of metal ore raw materials, 1994
| Type of raw material | Mining | Export H |
| Iron ores, million tons | 128 | 116 |
| Manganese, million tons | 1,9 | 1,3 |
| Nickel, thousand tons | 79,0 | 79,0 |
| Ilmenite, million tons | 1,8 | 1,7 |
| Zinc, thousand tons | 955 | 835 |
| Copper, kt | 512 | 400 |
| Silver, thousand tons | 1,0 | 0,9 |
| Gold, t | 1,0 | 0,9 |
| Bauxites, million tons | 41,7 | 5,3 |
| Diamonds, million carats | 43,7 | 43,7 |
The main part of ferrous metallurgy enterprises (steel production - more than 8 million tons) is located on the southeast coast near the Newcastle coal basin (Wollongong, Port Kembla, Newcastle) and in the south (Wyalla, Adelaide, Melbourne). The ferrous metallurgy is dominated by the Australian TNC Broken Hill Proprietary.
Australia concentrates about a quarter of the world's alumina production capacity, the largest plants operate in Gladstone in the northeast of Queensland, as well as in the west of the country (Quinana and others). It is the fifth aluminum producer in the world. The first plant was built in Bill Bay in Tasmania, and now large production areas have formed in the Newcastle coal basin and in southern Victoria (the country's main aluminum plant operates in Portland near Melbourne). The main area for the production of copper, zinc, lead, nickel and polymetals is Queensland (Mount Isa, Townsville and Gladstone), lead and zinc are smelted in Broken Hill. Non-ferrous metallurgy is dominated by TNCs from Japan, the USA and Western Europe. Since the late 1970s in fact, there was a transfer of aluminum production from Japan (it currently practically does not produce it), where energy is much more expensive.
Products of the chemical industry make up an insignificant share in the structure of production. Mineral fertilizers for the needs of agriculture, pesticides are produced. In the post-war period, with the beginning of the development of our own oil resources and the introduction of new technologies, the role of the chemistry of organic synthesis is increasing. Basically, enterprises gravitate towards coal mining areas, centers of the metallurgical industry and oil refining. The leading centers are Port Pirie, Newcastle, Port Kembla, and others. English and American capital predominate in this industry.
Mechanical engineering specializes in the production of equipment for mining industry, vehicles, agricultural machinery. Instrument making, the production of industrial robots, etc. are developing at an accelerated pace. One of the oldest industries is agricultural engineering, enterprises are located mainly in the southeast of the country, but the country's needs are not fully met: part of the equipment is imported from developed countries. Australian shipbuilding specializes in the production of small tonnage vessels for the transport of raw materials, as well as passenger and fishing vessels. The main shipyards are located in major ports - Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane and Devonport. About 400 thousand cars are produced in the country at the enterprises of American TNCs (General Motors, Ford Motor), which are located in large industrial centers. The largest enterprise of the Ford Motor Company is located in Geelong, and the Japanese automobile industry is also growing. In general, in the development of mechanical engineering, one can note an orientation towards the production of more complex equipment, a decrease in equipment imports and an increase in exports, mainly to the Asia-Pacific countries.
Among other industries, the food industry has received particularly great development. This is due to the development of agricultural production, which largely works for export - the export quota in some industries is up to 60%. Australia provides a tenth of the world's exports of meat, cheese and sugar, the main importers are Japan and the countries of Southeast Asia.
Agriculture in Australia is carried out in very difficult natural conditions. More than 500 million hectares (65% of the total area of the continent) are involved in agricultural turnover, but over 90% of them are characterized by the predominance of poor soils and lack of water (periodically recurring droughts can last up to three or more years). This limits the development of agricultural production and affects the sectoral structure. Only 40 million hectares (8% of land) are used for crop production and intensive animal husbandry, the rest - for extensive grazing. In the post-war period, employment in agriculture has decreased by 30% and is about 5%, while production has increased significantly. Unfavorable natural conditions are compensated by the presence of huge areas, which were gradually brought into circulation, which is why agriculture was of an extensive nature. But over the past 30 years, it has become highly mechanized - the capital-labor ratio has doubled. In general, Australia has one of the largest and most developed agricultural industries in the world and is one of the leading exporters of agricultural products.
Historically, the leading role in agriculture was played by sheep breeding, focused mainly on the production of wool, most of which was exported. To date, the share of this industry has declined markedly, although Australia continues to rank first in the world in the production and export of wool. In recent years, attention has been paid to the breeding of beef cattle, the scale of production of grain and industrial crops, fruits and vegetables has increased. As a result, by the 1980s livestock breeding has become the leading branch of agriculture, wheat production is in 2nd place, and wool production is only in 3rd place - the sectoral structure has become more diversified. The number of cattle is about 25 million heads, sheep - 130 million heads (in 1990 this figure was 170), the predominance of merino is characteristic. Extensive sheep pastures are located in the east and west of the country, cattle breeding is concentrated in the southwest and along the slopes of the Great Dividing Range, as well as around large industrial centers.
Wheat production in 1996 amounted to 23.5 million tons (7th place in the world), exports amounted to 7.8 million tons (4th place); This crop is grown mainly in the southeast and southwest of the country. Rice is grown from other cereals (production - 950 thousand tons, export - 500 thousand tons) and barley. Cotton and sugar cane are cultivated in the west and east, vegetable growing and horticulture are of great importance.
The uneven distribution of the economy and the population, significant distances between the economic centers of the country affected the features transport system Australia. The most dense (it is in the main areas of development - in the southwest and southeast. Inland water transport is practically absent. Railroads and roads have been laid from deposits and sources of raw materials to ports of export since colonial times. The leading role in the transportation of goods (carried mainly mining products and agricultural raw materials) belongs to railway transport, the length of railways exceeds 40 thousand km Automobile transport plays the main role in the development of the northern and western regions, where in recent years intensive road construction has been carried out, basically they repeat the configuration of railways Australia has a relatively small fleet, the main purpose of which is to serve transportation between the ports of the country. A significant part of foreign traffic is carried out by foreign ships. Major ports are Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle export of coal), Port Kembla, Gladstone, etc.
Air transport is of paramount importance for both internal and external relations, especially in the transport of passengers.
Foreign economic relations are of the utmost importance for Australia, whose economy is largely focused on the export and import of many types of products, while taking into account the large role of foreign capital. The share of foreign trade turnover in the country's GDP exceeds 25%, a negative balance is typical. Imports are dominated by machinery and equipment, exports account for about 40% of raw materials and fuel, a third - for agricultural products. The main trading partners are Japan, USA, EU countries, ASEAN, New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea.
Plan:
1. Introduction.
2. Geographic location of Australia and Oceania.
3. Natural resources and conditions.
4. Population of the country. Demographic situation.
5. Household:
Ø Industry.
ü Ferrous metallurgy
ü Non-ferrous metallurgy
ü Fuel and energy industry
ü Chemical and oil refining industry
ü building materials industry
ü Light industry
ü food industry
ü mechanical engineering
Ø Agriculture.
6. Geography of transport.
7. Foreign economic relations.
Ø Import
Ø Export
8. Conclusion.
9. List of literary sources.
Introduction:
Realizing that in the 11th grade it is necessary to take a lot of subjects and there is such an opportunity to reduce the number of subjects, I decided on this, I decided that it would be nice to start doing it, but I found out that I was not the only one taking the same subject, I decided to compete. And find out whose project will be better.
Why Australia? I just would like to get there, get to the whole continent, go there, admire the business part of Sydney, look at people to show themselves. The abstract is a good excuse to get to know this country better. Get to know everyone better. Find out what Australia is. Find out why there is little fresh water. As I described in the abstract.
The structure of this essay is not something unusual and extraordinary
What I mean to say is that history influences natural conditions, the many changes in Australia's frontiers have affected geographic location and consequently natural conditions), which in turn affect the distribution of population, and all this already affects the geography of industry and foreign economic relations.
Geographical position.
Australia is the only state in the world that occupies the territory of an entire continent, therefore Australia has only maritime borders. Australia's neighboring countries are New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and other island states of Oceania. Australia is remote from the developed countries of America and Europe, large markets for raw materials and sales of products, but many sea routes connect Australia with them, and Australia also plays an important role in the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia has a federal structure and includes 6 states:
The capital of Australia is Canberra.
A state located on the mainland of Australia and a number of nearby islands, the largest of which is the island of Tasmania. Total area - 7,682,300 km 2 (land area - 7,617,930 km 2). The length of the coastline is 25,760 km. The Great Barrier Reef stretches along the northeastern coast in the Karal Sea, the length of which is 2,500 km. Along the eastern coast, leaving a narrow coastal strip, from Cape York in the north to Bass Strait in the south and continuing on the island of Tasmania, stretches the Great Dividing Range, 3,300 km long. Average Height its 300-400, the highest part is the southern-Australian Alps (Mount Kostyusha 2,228 m). In the center of the mainland there is a vast zone of lowlands, most of which are the basins of the Murray (Mary) River and Lake Eyre, as well as the Nullarbor Plain. In the west of the country is the Great Western Plateau with four deserts: the Great Victoria Desert, the Great Sandy Desert, the Gibson Desert and the Simson Desert. Australia is very poor in fresh water. The main part of the rivers is located in the north: the Murray (Murray), Darling and others. The rivers located in the center and in the west are strange, they dry up in the summer season. Most of the country's lakes are salty. The largest Lake Eyre is no exception, with a water level below sea level by 12m. Australia has minerals: coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, lead, zinc, diamonds, there is also natural gas and oil. Meadows and pastures occupy most of the country's territory (58%), 6% is allocated for arable land.
Oceania
Oceania is the world's largest cluster of islands in archipelagos in the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean. The islands and archipelagos of Oceania are located in the vast Pacific Ocean between 29 0 N. latitude. and 53 0 s. sh. and 130 0 east. and 109 0 w.d. All Oceania, except for two relatively large arrays land - New Guinea (829 thousand sq. km.) And New Zealand (265 thousand sq. km.), consists of almost 7 thousand islands. The total area of Oceania is only about 1.3 million square meters. km.
Melanesia, located in the western part of Oceania, includes New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the D Antcasto Islands, the Louisiade Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, the Santa Cruz Islands, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, the Fiji Islands and a number of others. The total area of Melanesia (Black Island) is 969 thousand square meters. km, of which almost 6/7 falls on New Guinea - this microcontinent of Melanesia.
Polynesia (multi-island), stretching from the extreme southwest to the eastern limits of Oceania, includes the islands: New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Wallis, Horn, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Cook, Tubuai, Societies, Tuamotu, Marquesas, Hawaiian Islands, Easter Island and others. The area of Polynesia without New Zealand is only 26 thousand square meters. km, and 17 thousand of them are in the Hawaiian Islands.
Micronesia (small island), occupying the northwestern part of Oceania, is a collection of small, tiny islands and archipelagos, predominantly of coral, but also of volcanic origin. The most important island groups of Micronesia are the Caroline, Mariana, Marshall and Gilbert Islands. The total area of the islands of Micronesia is only about 2.6 thousand square meters. km, but these islands are scattered over a vast expanse of water with an area of 14 million square meters. km.
On most of the islands of Oceania, natural conditions are basically favorable for human life. It is not surprising that man has populated almost all of Oceania, mastered even the most remote and small patches of land, having had a considerable impact on the natural world of the islands over the past millennia.
The total population of Oceania is currently about 10 million people. Of these, 5 million live in Melanesia, 4.5 million in Polynesia and over 0.3 million in Micronesia.
The modern population of Oceania consists of three main components. The first component is the indigenous people, whose ancestors mastered the archipelagos of Oceania a millennium ago. The second is the newcomer population. These descendants come from Europe, Asia and America, whose migration continues to this day. And the third one is the most various groups mixed origin.
The basis of the modern political map of Oceania was formed as a result of the long and stubborn struggle of the colonial powers for the division of the oceanic archipelagos and individual islands among themselves. Until the beginning of the 60s of our century, there was only one independent state in Oceania - New Zealand, created by colonists from England, Scotland and Ireland. AT last decade in the conditions of the general crisis of capitalism and the collapse of the world colonial system in Oceania, they were intensified by the national liberation movement.
Oceania is an ethnographic concept rather than a geographical one. Many of the oceanic islands differ significantly from one another in their size, vegetation, soils, and natural resources. These differences are connected, first of all, with their origin. Islands in the ocean are a special natural-territorial complexes, including various rocks, fresh ground or surface water, soil, ground vegetation and the animal world. These are peculiar micromeres scattered on the surface of ocean waters and representing ecological systems.
By origin, the islands of Oceania belong to four types: volcanic, biogenic, geosynclinal and continental. Volcanic islands range in size from a few square kilometers to several thousand kilometers. Biogenic islands are formed by animal organisms. it Coral reefs, including . Geosynclinal islands are found in the western part of the ocean, in the continuation of the earth's crust of the transitional continent. The mainland islands are entire mountainous countries.
Islands in Oceania are washed by the waters of warm seas. Almost all of it lies in the tropical zone, and only New Zealand and its neighboring islands are in the subtropics. At the same time, the water environment is diverse in its properties, and these differences are clearly manifested in the landscapes of the islands and affect the life of the peoples inhabiting them. Water currents not only carry heat or cold, but also contribute to the settlement of organisms. The main direction of movement of the surface water masses in Oceania, from east to west. The waters of the seas and oceans washing the islands of Oceania are rich in biological resources. The mineral resources of the seabed are significant.
Climate. Warm, even, mild - such a climate can be described in Oceania. The position of the islands in the equatorial and tropical latitudes causes high air temperatures. At the same time, the winds from the ocean significantly soften the heat, so the climate of the tropical islands is one of the most comfortable on the globe. It is no coincidence that the Pacific Islands attract a huge number of tourists. There are two climatic regions in Oceania: trade winds and monsoons. The first occupies the eastern and central parts of this territory of the Pacific Ocean, the second - its western part, including the island of New Guinea.
However, different islands have different climates. Within the vast expanse of Oceania, there are great differences in the temperature conditions of winter and summer, in the amount of atmospheric precipitation and its constancy, in the susceptibility of the islands to tropical hurricanes.
Natural resources and conditions.
Australia is rich in a variety of minerals. New discoveries of mineral ores made on the continent over the past 10-15 years have pushed the country to one of the first places in the world in terms of reserves and extraction of such minerals as iron ore, bauxite, lead-zinc ores.
The largest deposits of iron ore in Australia, which began to be developed since the 60s of our century, are located in the region of the Hamersley Range in the north-west of the country (the Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth, etc. deposits). Iron ore is also found on the Kulan and Kokatu Islands in King's Bay (in the northwest), in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron-Knob, etc.) and in Tasmania - the Savage River deposit (in the Savage river valley).
Large deposits of semi-metals (lead, zinc with an admixture of silver and copper) are located in the western desert part of the state of New South Wales - the Broken Hill deposit. An important center for the extraction of non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, zinc) has developed near the Mount Isa deposit (in the state of Queensland). Deposits of semimetals and copper are also found in Tasmania (Reed Rosebury and Mount Lyell), copper - in Tennant Creek (Northern Territory) and in other places.
The main gold reserves are concentrated in the ledges of the Precambrian basement and in the southwest of the mainland (Western Australia), in the area of the cities of Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, Northman and Wiluna, as well as in Queensland. Smaller deposits are found in almost all states.
Bauxites occur on the Cape York Peninsula (Waype Field) and Arnhem Land (Gov Field), as well as in the southwest, in the Darling Range (Jarradale Field).
Uranium deposits have been found in various parts of the mainland: in the north (Arnhemland Peninsula) - near the South and East Alligator rivers, in the state of South Australia - near Lake. Frome, in the state of Queensland - the Mary-Katlin field and in the western part of the country - the Yillirri field.
The main deposits of coal are located in the eastern part of the mainland. The largest deposits of both coking and non-coking coal are developed near the cities of Newcastle and Lythgow (New South Wales) and the cities of Collinsville, Blair Atol, Bluff, Baralaba and Moura Kiang in Queensland.
Geological surveys have established that large deposits of oil and natural gas are located in the bowels of the Australian mainland and on the shelf off its coast. Oil has been found and produced in Queensland (the Mooney, Alton and Bennet fields), on Barrow Island off the northwestern coast of the mainland, and also on the continental shelf off the south coast of Victoria (the Kingfish field). Deposits of gas (the largest Ranken field) and oil have also been discovered on the shelf off the northwestern shores of the mainland.
Australia has large deposits of chromium (Queensland), Gingin, Dongara, Mandarra (Western Australia), Marlin (Victoria).
From non-metallic minerals, there are clays, sands, limestones, asbestos, and mica of various quality and industrial use.
The water resources of the continent itself are small, but the most developed river network is on the island of Tasmania. The rivers there have a mixed rain and snow supply and are full-flowing throughout the year. They flow down from the mountains and therefore are stormy, rapids and have large reserves of hydropower. The latter is widely used for the construction of hydroelectric power plants. The availability of cheap electricity contributes to the development of energy-intensive industries in Tasmania, such as the smelting of pure electrolyte metals, the manufacture of cellulose, etc.
The rivers flowing from the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range are short, in their upper reaches they flow in narrow gorges. Here they may well be used, and partly already used for the construction of hydroelectric power stations. When entering the coastal plain, the rivers slow down their flow, their depth increases. Many of them in the estuarine parts are even accessible to large ocean-going vessels. The Clarence River is navigable for 100 km from its mouth, and Hawkesbury for 300 km. The volume of runoff and the regime of these rivers are different and depend on the amount of precipitation and the time of their occurrence.
On the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, rivers originate, making their way along the interior plains. In the region of Mount Kosciuszko, the most abundant river in Australia, the Murray, begins. Its largest tributaries, the Darling, Murrumbidgee, Goulbury and some others, also originate in the mountains.
Food r. The Murray and its channels are mostly rainy and to a lesser extent snowy. These rivers are at their fullest in early summer, when the snow melts in the mountains. In the dry season, they become very shallow, and some of the Murray's tributaries break up into separate stagnant reservoirs. Only Murray and Murrumbidgee retain a constant current (except for exceptionally dry years). Even the Darling, the longest river in Australia (2450 km), during summer droughts, getting lost in the sands, does not always reach the Murray.
Dams and dams have been built on almost all the rivers of the Murray system, near which reservoirs have been created, where flood waters are collected and used to irrigate fields, gardens and pastures.
The rivers of the northern and western coasts of Australia are shallow and relatively small. The longest of them - Flinders flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria. These rivers are fed by rain, and their water content varies greatly at different times of the year.
Rivers whose flow is directed to the interior of the mainland, such as Coopers Creek (Barkoo), Diamant-ina, and others, are deprived not only of a constant flow, but also of a permanent, distinctly expressed channel. In Australia, such temporary rivers are called screams. They fill with water only during short showers. Soon after the rain, the riverbed again turns into a dry sandy hollow, often not even having a definite shape.
Most lakes in Australia, like rivers, are fed by rainwater. They have neither a constant level nor a runoff. In summer, the lakes dry up and are shallow saline depressions. The layer of salt at the bottom sometimes reaches 1.5 m.
In the seas surrounding Australia, sea animals are mined and fish are caught. Edible oysters are bred in sea waters. Sea trepang, crocodiles and pearl clams are fished in warm coastal waters in the north and northeast. The main center of artificial breeding of the latter is located in the region of the Koberg peninsula (Arnhemland). It was here, in the warm waters of the Arafura Sea and Van Diemen Bay, that the first experiments were carried out to create special sediments. These experiments were carried out by one of the Australian companies with the participation of Japanese specialists. It has been found that pearl clams grown in warm waters off the northern coast of Australia produce larger pearls than those off the coast of Japan, and in a much shorter period of time. At present, the cultivation of pearl mollusks has spread widely along the northern and partly northeastern coasts.
Since the Australian mainland for a long time, starting from the middle of the Cretaceous period, was in conditions of isolation from other parts of the globe, its vegetable world very idiosyncratic. Of the 12 thousand species of higher plants, more than 9 thousand are endemic, i.e. grow only on the Australian continent. Among the endemics are many species of eucalyptus and acacia, the most typical plant families in Australia. At the same time, there are also plants that are inherent in South America(for example, southern beech), South Africa (representatives of the Proteaceae family) and the islands of the Malay Archipelago (ficus, pandanus, etc.). This indicates that many millions of years ago there were land connections between the continents.
Since the climate of most of Australia is characterized by severe aridity, dry-loving plants dominate in its flora: special cereals, eucalyptus trees, umbrella acacias, succulent trees (bottle tree, etc.). The trees belonging to these communities have a powerful root system, which goes 10-20, and sometimes 30 m into the ground, due to which they, like a pump, suck out moisture from great depths. The narrow and dry leaves of these trees are painted mostly in a dull gray-greenish color. In some of them, the leaves are turned to the sun with an edge, which helps to reduce the evaporation of water from their surface.
On the far north and the northwest of the country, where the hot and warm northwest monsoons bring moisture, tropical rainforests grow. Giant eucalyptus trees, ficuses, palm trees, pandanuses with narrow long leaves, etc. predominate in their woody composition. The dense foliage of the trees forms an almost continuous cover, shading the ground. In some places along the coast there are thickets of bamboo. Where the shores are flat and muddy, mangrove vegetation develops.
Rainforests in the form of narrow galleries stretch for relatively short distances inland along the river valleys.
The central deserts of parts of the mainland, where it is very hot and dry, are characterized by dense, almost impenetrable thickets of thorny low-growing shrubs, consisting mainly of eucalyptus and acacia. In Australia, these thickets are called scrub. In some places it is scraped, interspersed with vast, devoid of vegetation, sandy, rocky or clayey areas of deserts, and in some places - thickets of tall soddy grasses (spinifex).
The eastern and southeastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, where there is a lot of rainfall, are covered with dense tropical and subtropical evergreen forests. Most of all in these forests, as elsewhere in Australia, eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees are industrially valuable. These trees have no equal in height among hardwood species; some of their species reach 150 m in height and 10 m in diameter. The growth of wood in eucalyptus forests is large, and therefore they are very productive. There are also many tree-like horsetails and ferns in the forests, reaching 10-20 m in height. At their top, tree-like ferns carry a crown of large (up to 2 m long) pinnate leaves. With their bright and fresh greenery, they somewhat enliven the faded bluish-green landscape of eucalyptus forests. Higher in the mountains, an admixture of damarr pines and beeches is noticeable.
Shrub and grass covers in these forests are varied and dense. In less humid variants of these forests, grass trees form the second layer.
On the island of Tasmania, in addition to eucalyptus trees, there are many evergreen beeches related to South American species.
In the southwest of the mainland, forests cover the western slopes of the Darling Range, facing the sea. These forests consist almost entirely of eucalyptus trees, reaching considerable heights. The number of endemic species is especially high here. In addition to eucalyptus, bottle trees are widespread. They have an original bottle-shaped trunk, thick at the base and tapering sharply upwards. In the rainy season, large reserves of moisture accumulate in the tree trunk, which are consumed during the dry season. In the undergrowth of these forests there are many shrubs and herbs, full of bright colors.
Generally forest resources Australia are small. The total area of forests, including special plantations, consisting mainly of species with soft wood (mainly radiata pine), at the end of the 70s was only 5.6% of the country's territory.
The first colonists did not find plant species characteristic of Europe on the mainland. Subsequently, European and other species of trees, shrubs and herbs were brought to Australia. Grapevine, cotton, cereals (wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn, etc.), vegetables, many fruit trees, etc. are well established here.
In Australia, all soil types characteristic of tropical, subequatorial and subtropical natural zones are presented in a regular sequence.
In the area of tropical rainforests in the north, red soils are common, changing towards the south with red-brown and brown soils in wet savannahs and gray-brown soils in dry savannahs. Red-brown and brown soils containing humus, a little phosphorus and potassium, are valuable for agricultural use.
Within the zone of red-brown soils, the main wheat crops of Australia are located.
In the marginal regions of the Central Plains (for example, in the Murray basin), where artificial irrigation is developed and a lot of fertilizers are used, grapes, fruit trees, and fodder grasses are grown on gray earth soils.
Gray-brown steppe soils are widespread in the desert inland territories surrounding the semi-desert and especially steppe regions, where there is grass, and in some places shrub-tree cover. Their power is insignificant. They contain little humus and phosphorus, therefore, when using them even as pastures for sheep and cattle, the application of phosphorus fertilizers is required.
The Australian continent is located within three warm major climate zones. southern hemisphere: subequatorial (in the north), tropical (in the central part), subtropical (in the south). Only a small part of Tasmania lies within the temperate zone.
The subequatorial climate, characteristic of the northern and northeastern parts of the continent, is characterized by a smooth temperature range (during the year, the average air temperature is 23 - 24 degrees) and a large amount of precipitation (from 1000 to 1500 mm, and in some places more than 2000 mm.). Precipitation is brought here by the humid northwest monsoon, and it falls mainly in the summer. In winter, during the dry season, rain falls only occasionally. At this time, dry, hot winds blow from the interior of the mainland, which sometimes cause droughts.
In the tropical zone on the Australian continent, two main types of climate are formed: tropical wet and tropical dry.
A humid tropical climate is characteristic of the extreme eastern part of Australia, which is included in the zone of action of the southeast trade winds. These winds bring moisture-saturated air masses from the Pacific Ocean to the mainland. Therefore, the whole region coastal plains and the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range is well moistened (on average, precipitation is from 1000 to 1500 mm) and has a mild warm climate (the temperature of the warm month in Sydney - 22 - 25 degrees, and the coldest - 11.5 - 13 degrees).
Air masses that bring moisture from the Pacific Ocean also penetrate beyond the Great Dividing Range, losing a significant amount of moisture along the way, so precipitation falls only on the western slopes of the ridge and in the foothills.
Located mainly in tropical and subtropical latitudes, where solar radiation is high, the Australian mainland is getting very hot. Due to the weak indentation of the coastline and the uplift of the marginal parts, the influence of the seas surrounding the mainland is weakly felt in the inner parts.
Australia is the driest continent on Earth and one of the most characteristic features its nature is the wide distribution of deserts, which occupy vast spaces and stretch for almost 2.5 thousand km from the coast indian ocean to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.
The central and western parts of the mainland are characterized by a desert tropical climate. In summer (December-February), the average temperatures here rise to 30 degrees, and sometimes even higher, and in winter (June-August) they drop to an average of 10-15 degrees. The hottest region of Australia is the northwestern one, where in the Great Sandy Desert the temperature stays at around 35 degrees and even higher almost all summer. In winter, it decreases slightly (up to about 25-20 degrees). In the center of the mainland, near the city of Alice Springs, in the summer, the temperature during the day rises to 45 degrees, at night it drops to zero and below (-4-6 degrees).
Central and western parts of Australia, i.e. about half of its territory receives an average of 250-300 mm of precipitation per year, and the vicinity of the lake. Air - less than 200 mm; but even these insignificant precipitations fall unevenly. Sometimes for several years in a row there is no rain at all, and sometimes in two or three days, or even in a few hours, the entire annual amount of precipitation falls. Part of the water seeps quickly and deeply through the permeable soil and becomes inaccessible to plants, and part evaporates under the hot rays of the sun, and the surface layers of the soil remain almost dry.
Within the subtropical belt, three types of climate are distinguished: Mediterranean, subtropical continental and subtropical humid.
The Mediterranean climate is characteristic of the southwestern part of Australia. As the name suggests, the climate of this part of the country is similar to the climate of the European Mediterranean countries - Spain and Southern France. Summers are hot and generally dry, while winters are warm and humid. Relatively small fluctuations in temperature by season (January - 23-27 degrees, June - 12 - 14 degrees), a sufficient amount of precipitation (from 600 to 1000 mm).
The continental subtropical climate zone covers the southern part of the mainland adjacent to the Great Australian Gulf, includes the vicinity of the city of Adelaide and extends somewhat further east, to the western regions of the state of New South Wales. The main features of this climate are low rainfall and relatively large annual temperature fluctuations.
The humid subtropical climate zone includes the entire state of Victoria and the southwestern foothills of the state of New South Wales. In general, this entire zone is characterized by a mild climate and a significant amount of precipitation (from 500 to 600 mm), mainly in the coastal parts (the penetration of precipitation into the interior of the continent decreases). In summer, temperatures rise to an average of 20-24 degrees, but in winter they drop quite a lot - up to 8-10 degrees. The climate of this part of the country is favorable for the cultivation of fruit trees, various vegetables and forage grasses. True, artificial irrigation is used to obtain high yields, since in the summer the moisture in the soil is not enough. Dairy cattle (grazing on fodder grasses) and sheep are bred in these areas.
The temperate climate zone includes only the central and southern parts of the island of Tasmania. This island is largely influenced by the surrounding waters and has a climate of moderately warm winters and cool summers. The average January temperature here is 14-17 degrees, June - 8 degrees. The prevailing wind direction is west. The average annual rainfall in the western part of the island is 2500 mm, and the number of rainy days is 259. In the eastern part, the climate is somewhat less humid.
In winter, snow sometimes falls, but it does not last long. Abundant rainfall favors the development of vegetation, and especially herbs that vegetate all year round. Herds of cattle and sheep graze all year round on evergreen succulent natural and improved by oversowing fodder grasses meadows.
The hot climate and insignificant and uneven precipitation over most of the mainland lead to the fact that almost 60% of its territory is deprived of runoff to the ocean and has only a rare network of temporary watercourses. Perhaps, on no other continent is there such a poorly developed network of inland waters as in Australia. The annual flow of all the rivers of the continent is only 350 cubic km.
Population. Demographic situation
In 1996 Australia's population was 18,322,231 people, so Australia's place in terms of population in the world is in the fortieth. In 2000, the population was 19.2 million people.
The country is mainly inhabited by Europeans 77% of the population of Australia - the descendants of immigrants from the British Isles - the British, Irish, Scots, who formed the Anglo-Australian nation, the rest are mainly immigrants from other European countries, Aborigines and mestizos - 250 thousand. people (1991). Most of the country's population are immigrants. Every fourth inhabitant of Australia was born outside of it. After. During the Second World War, an immigration program began to be implemented, during which the country's population was increased from 7.6 million. people in 1947 up to 15.5 million people in 1984 About 60% of this growth came from immigrants and their children born in Australia. The core population of Australia is made up of Anglo-Australians.
Australia belongs to the countries with the I type of reproduction.
Out of 18,322,231 people Men aged 1 to 14 years - 2,032,238, from 15 to 64 - 6,181,887, from 65 and older - 934,374, women aged 1 to 14 years - 1,929,366, from 15 to 64 - 6,017,362, from 65 and older - 1,227,004 people.
The average population density is about 2 people per km2. But the population density varies across the country. This is due to the fact that about half of the territory of Australia is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts that are not suitable for habitation. Therefore, the population density in desert regions is less than a person by square kilometer, and on the east coast the climate is much more favorable, so there are large cities of Australia - Sydney (3.6 million people), Melbourne (3 million people), Brisbane (1.2 million people), and the population density here is from 1 to 10 people . per sq. km., also on the west coast in the area of Perth (1.2 million people), the population density is up to 10 people per sq. km. km.
In the capital of Australia, 311 thousand people live in 1999. Australians are mostly city dwellers. At the beginning of the twentieth century. 50% of the country's population lived in cities, after. World War II - 70%, in the 60s. the rural population was 16%, in the 80s. - fourteen%. The process of urbanization continued all the time, and its pace has steadily increased, so according to forecasts at the end of the twentieth century. the rural population will be 8%.
More than 70% of Australians live in 12 major cities of the country: in the federal capital, state capitals and the Northern Territory and cities with a population of more than 100 thousand. people About 40% of the country's population lives in Melbourne and Sydney.
Birth rate - 14 newborns per 1,000 people. (1995) Mortality - 7 deaths per 1,000 people (infant mortality rate - 7.1 deaths per 1,000 births). The average life expectancy for men is 74 years, for women, 81 years (1995). The working capacity of the population is 8,630,000 people, of whom are employed in financial sector and the service sector 34%, in the public and communal sectors of the economy-22%, in trade-20%, in industry-16%, in agriculture-6% (1991).
Household:
Australia in a relatively short period of time - only about 80 years have passed hard way economic development of the agrarian and raw material appendage of the metropolis, which the country was at the beginning of the 20th century, it turned into an economically highly developed state. This was facilitated by a number of historical and economic conditions. Thereafter economic development Australia immediately took the capitalist path.
Of great importance for the development of the economy was also the fact that in the entire history of its existence, Australia did not experience military destruction, did not pay war debts and reparations. The military conjuncture not only did not weaken the country's economy, but, on the contrary, contributed to the general economic, and mainly industrial, development, since it was necessary to produce with our own means what had previously been brought from the metropolis.
Satisfying this demand and thereby increasing labor productivity in agriculture and increasing its productivity was especially important for the country.
Australian industry.
One of the oldest branches of the Australian economy is the mining industry. The Australian mainland is rich in a wide variety of minerals. From 50% to 90 and even 99% of mining products are exported to other countries.
The mining industry in Australia plays an important role in the country's economy. Mining raw materials have been, and still are, one of the main items of Australian exports.
According to scientific research per year, on average, 50 tons of iron ore, 55 tons of limestone, 4 tons of zinc, 200 tons of coal, 175 cubic meters are mined per inhabitant of Australia. crude oil. Australia is one of the world's major exporters of minerals, although it develops only 0.02% of the entire territory of Australia, because. in some regions there are difficulties in access or remoteness of deposits, or unprofitable development.
During the 1980s a large influx of investment in the mining and manufacturing industries has led to an increase in the pace of production. Australian workers are the most skilled. Working conditions today are very different from working conditions 10 or more years ago. The need to use new technologies is constantly increasing, and therefore today the industry includes new branches of science and technology, business administration and marketing, condition control environment etc.
The development of the mining industry from its very inception was determined by the extensive investment of British capital.
Ferrous metallurgy of Australia.
In 1994, the extraction of iron ore amounted to 123.9 million tons (by weight). The smelting of some metals increased and amounted to 7.2 million tons (pig iron), and steel 7.6 million tons.
In Australia, all stages of the production of ferrous metals are developed - blast furnace, steelmaking, rolling, as well as the manufacture of special steels and alloys and various types of metalworking. The smelting of non-ferrous metals (copper, tin, zinc, etc.) has received great development. Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy meet the increased needs of mechanical engineering and other industries.
The main deposits of iron ore: Pilbara (Western Australia), Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth, on the islands of Kulan and Kokatu in King's Bay (in the northwest), in the state of South Australia in the Middleback Range (Iron Knob, etc.) and in Tasmania - the Savage River field (in the valley of the Savage River).
Ferrous metals are also smelted in the area of the Mount Isa copper deposit and some others.
The main centers of ferrous metallurgy in Australia are located on the east coast (the cities of Port Kembla, Newcastle, Melbourne).
Non-ferrous metallurgy of Australia.
For 1994 Mining of copper, thousand. tons 381. Production of refined copper from ores and secondary raw materials, thousand tons 331. Mining of zinc, thousand tons 985.1. Production of zinc ingot, thousand tons 315. Mining of lead, thousand tons 519. Production of refined lead from primary and secondary raw materials, thousand tons 211. Mining of tin, thousand tons8. Production of primary tin, thousand tons 0.2. Aluminum mining, thousand tons 1382. Production of primary aluminum, thousand tons 1382. Bauxite, thousand tons 41733.
The main centers of non-ferrous metallurgy are Sydney, Bell Bay, Risdon, Port Kembla, Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Fuel and energy industry
australia.
For 1992 Oil, million tons 26.9. Gas, billion cubic meters m 23.2. Coal, million tons 175.1. Brown coal, million tons 50.7. Electricity generation, billion kW/h 162.
The main fuel and energy base of Australia is hard and brown coal, large deposits of which are directly located in the southeastern parts of the country. Coal-fired thermal power plants provide a significant portion of all electricity supplied to consumers. These thermal power plants are located where there are coal deposits. In the early 1970s, several thermal power plants operating on natural gas were built. Australia is not rich in hydroelectric resources, the bulk of hydra energy resources are concentrated in the southern highlands of the East Australian Mountains and on the island of Tasmania. The rivers of the coastal part of the states of New South Wales and Queensland have insignificant reserves of energy.
The hydropower system in the Snowy Mountains, completed in 1975, is the largest (3740 MW).
Australian chemical and petroleum industry.
The chemical industry began to develop especially rapidly in the postwar years. In many large port cities powerful oil refineries were built, working on oil produced in the country and on imported oil. The processing of crude oil contributed to the development of petrochemistry.
Since agriculture, one of the most important sectors of the economy, is in great need of mineral fertilizers, superphosphate is produced in large quantities in Australia based on imported raw materials. Plants for the production of fertilizers are located in those areas where there are deposits of coal, coke is produced, cast iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, etc. are smelted. Since phosphorites are brought by sea, an important factor in the location of enterprises for the production of phosphate fertilizers is their proximity to port cities.
The main centers of the chemical and oil refining industry Sydney, Clyde, Melbourne, Gladstone, Perth.
Forestry, woodworking industry
and building industry
Australian materials.
The timber industry is one of the most interesting to study due to its complexity, versatility, worldwide distribution and the need for its products for the economy of any country.
The extraction of building materials and minerals that do not contain metals is carried out by small developments. Concentrates and pellets are produced at special enterprises.
The main centers of light and food industry are Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart.
Light industry
australia.
The Australian light industry is mainly provided with locally produced raw materials and its own goods (shoes, knitwear, fabrics, etc.), to a large extent satisfies the needs of the population, but high-quality products and some semi-finished products and raw materials are imported. Light industry enterprises are concentrated mainly in large industrial cities in the southeast of the country. Small factories are found in many medium and small towns.
The main part of the enterprises of all manufacturing industries is located in the southeastern, most economically developed part of Australia - in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and, to some extent, South Australia. After the end of the Second World War, new industrial enterprises began to be created in cities or even small towns in the interior, remote areas of the states from the coast. Many immigrants arriving in Australia are sent here in an organized manner. Most new enterprises are built, as a rule, in already developed and settled areas, mainly in an area with sufficient rainfall. The creation of industrial enterprises in the desert or semi-desert zones is expensive. It is carried out only in some cases: during the construction of military facilities or enterprises, which, even at high costs, guarantee a quick profit and products that are in demand in the domestic or foreign markets.
food industry
Australia.
The food industry, one of the oldest industries, has gained great importance. It is represented by butter-making, cheese-making, the dairy-canning industry, brewing, meat-packing, meat-packing, flour-grinding, bacon production, tobacco leaf processing, etc. Numerous enterprises for the preservation of vegetables and fruits.
For the food industry, both before and today, export orientation is typical. A significant part of fully or partially processed agricultural products is sent to other countries. For example, the export of meat of all kinds is up to 45% of its production, butter - up to 50%, cheese - 45%, wheat and flour - up to 80%, sugar - 60-65%.
Since a significant part of food products is exported, the largest and most well-equipped food plants and factories are located in the port cities of the country. Some small and medium-sized enterprises are located in areas that produce one or another agricultural product. Butter factories and cheese dairies are located where dairy cattle are bred and there are railway stations, which makes it possible to quickly ship butter and cheese to consumption centers or ports. Bakery, confectionery, breweries and some other enterprises are found everywhere where the population is concentrated.
Most of the enterprises of the meat industry are large factories where cattle are slaughtered and carcasses are cut, canned meat, sausages and sausages are produced. Many of them also have special workshops where they process bones, bristles, horns, hooves, produce food for poultry, glue, various fats and other products.
Since beef cattle breeding is developed mainly in the northern, northeastern and eastern parts of the mainland, the largest meat processing plants are located mainly in the port cities of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. A number of factories are also concentrated in the interior regions, where animal husbandry is combined with grain farming.
Vegetable and fruit canning enterprises are located where vegetable growing and horticulture are developed. Many of them, even very large ones, are located in rural areas, where the necessary raw materials are produced, some in big cities on the coast. Vegetables and fruits are delivered to them chilled by railway or in special vans.
Engineering Australia.
Since the development of industry since 1967. In Australia, 25 cities with a population of over 40,000 were built. people , 12 ports and 1900 km. Railway tracks.
Nowadays, in Australia, such new branches of engineering are developing especially rapidly, such as the production of aircraft and automobile engines, locomotives, tractors, trucks and cars, electrical equipment, electronic equipment and various devices. Mechanical engineering products to a large extent meet the needs of the country.
Agriculture in Australia.
Australia's agriculture is highly marketable and has a pronounced capitalist character. It makes extensive use of machinery and hired labor. Australia is a country of historically established large land ownership.
In the 20s of the 19th century. Australian wool has gained a strong position in the textile industry of the metropolis. So the Australian landowning companies were transferred to the land in the river valley. Gloucester in the colony of New South Wales; The Van Diemen Green Company settled in the northern part of the island of Tasmania. Soon she added other most convenient lands to her possessions.
In the 70s of our century, the share of farms with plots larger than 4 thousand hectares and accounting for only 3.6% total number farms accounted for 82.3% of the land fund, including the largest, 40 thousand hectares in size (0.6% of farms), - 62.7% of the land. Farms with plots of land from 0.4% to 200 hectares own only 1.8% of all land used in agriculture.
Farms with large tracts of land are found mainly in the arid interior and north, where extensive farming means large areas are used.
Intensive farms are mainly concentrated in the southeast and southwest coastal areas, as well as in the Murray-Murrabidgee interfluve, where there are tracts of irrigated land. Farms with a suburban type of economy are located near large industrial cities.
Australia later than other developed capitalist countries, embarked on the path of a technical revolution in agriculture. This project was uneven. To a large extent, it covered such industries as dairy and fattening, the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, grapes, cotton, rice and other food and industrial crops. Grain farming and grazing remain largely extensive.
In conditions of an extremely arid climate and uneven rainfall, artificial irrigation is of great importance for agriculture, not only in the interior of the continent, but also in coastal areas already inhabited and developed, where it helps to increase productivity and intensify the economy. For example, the average yield of wheat on non-irrigated lands is from 11 to 15 centners per hectare, while the use of irrigation increases the yield by 5-6 times.
The leading place in agriculture belongs to the oldest industry - pasture animal husbandry. In the 1970s, it accounted for 68% of the total value of agricultural products, and for agriculture - a little more than 32%. In animal husbandry, sheep breeding occupies the first place. The main group of the total number of sheep are merinos, whose wool is the most High Quality and the most expensive. The second group is sheep of semi-fine-fleece meat-wool breeds. They get good wool and meat.
In addition to wool, Australian sheep breeding also provides a significant amount of meat. Among the capitalist countries, Australia ranks first in the production of mutton and lamb meat and second in their export. In Australia, beef and dairy cattle are also bred. Its livestock began to grow rapidly in the last quarter of the 19th century. The rearing of cattle for meat is concentrated in the hands of individual cattle breeders or cattle breeding companies. They own herds and pastures, large slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants in port cities, and partly the transportation of meat products to the world market. Beef cattle breeding is developed mainly in tropical and subtropical parts in the north of the country. Here, livestock is grazing mainly on natural pastures (extensive farming method).
Dairy farming is particularly intensive. The warm climate of the country makes it possible to keep dairy cattle throughout the year on pastures. In areas where there are strong winds To protect the animals from them, trees and dense shrubs are planted along the borders of the paddocks. Many farms also use locally manufactured concentrated feed and imported feed supplemented with vitamins and growth simulants. The most common breeds of dairy cattle are Jersey, Guernsey, Holstein and the Illovar shortgon bred in Australia. Dairy farms are located mainly in coastal areas where there is relatively high rainfall. Pig breeding is associated with dairy farming.
Developed in Australia and poultry farming. Poultry farms are small and highly specialized: some breed chickens, others fatten broiler chickens, others supply eggs and partly chicken carcasses. Live chickens, chilled carcasses and eggs are exported. Other types of animal husbandry include breeding horses, mainly racehorses, and camels.
Wheat, like other grain crops (oats, barley, corn), except for rice, is mainly grown on rainfed lands without the use of artificial irrigation, but phosphate fertilizers are applied. Grain farming is mainly extensive. In addition to wheat, the cultivation of fodder crops, such as clover, lupine and other legumes, ryegrass and other grasses, is of great importance in crop production. On the coastal plains in the tropical part of Queensland, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, and papayas are grown. Cotton, tobacco and other industrial crops are grown in Australia.
In Australia, both crop production (horticulture, grain farming) and animal husbandry (cattle and sheep breeding) have been developed.
The Australian agricultural map shows that there is a decrease in the intensity of land use with distance from the coast.
On the east coast of Australia, the climate is warm and mild, so sheep are raised for slaughter on pastures, dairy cows are discharged, and gardening and grain farming are practiced.
On the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, where a sufficient amount of precipitation falls, a strip of forest reddish-brown soils is stretched, rich in humus, and when fertilizers are applied, suitable for growing wheat and other crops. It is here that the “wheat belt” of Australia stretches.
The southwestern part of Australia is characterized by a Mediterranean climate, conducive to the development of intensive agriculture.
The state of Victoria and the southwestern foothills of New South Wales have a subtropical climate conducive to the cultivation of fruit trees, various vegetables and forage grasses.
Abundant rainfall and slight temperature fluctuations on about. Tasmania allow cattle and sheep to be raised.
The steppe and semi-desert regions of Australia are the world's largest areas of sheep breeding. Sheep, being on private farms, are kept on natural pasture all year round.
Wool is Australia's top export product, bringing in billions of dollars annually to manufacturers and creating jobs across the country. Therefore, the Australian Wool Corporation maintains a broad based research program in the field of robotics applications in the wool industry. This research has been ongoing since 1973. to this day.
Robotics is also used in gardening. The robotics system increases the productivity of orchards by several times, as the robot selects the fruit, “calibrated” each time, thus avoiding further sorting.
Productivity is the key, and without further development of agricultural robotics, and if products are produced at uncompetitive prices, Australia could be squeezed out of the world's product markets.
Geography of transport.
For Australia, external and internal relations are of great importance. The state power pays much attention to the construction of internal communications, the restructuring of ports and the creation of an extensive network of radio and telecommunications. Rail transport is almost entirely the responsibility of the federal and state governments. The most dense railway network is in the coastal industrialized regions, especially in the southeastern, eastern and partly southwestern outskirts of the mainland; the north, northwest, and hinterland are almost completely devoid of railroads.
The seas and oceans that wash the coast of Australia are important for economic life countries. Australia's main trade links with other states and continents are carried out by waterways. Huge ocean liners export Australian goods - wheat, meat, butter, cheese, valuable minerals (iron ore, non-ferrous metals and their alloys, coal, bauxite, etc.), as well as industrial products. From across the ocean, finished products, semi-finished products and raw materials come to Australia, which are needed by industry, agriculture, transport and other sectors of the Australian economy.
Air transport is also important for Australia. A network of regular airlines exists in many major cities in Australia, and small aircraft have also become widespread. Millions of passengers pass through Australia's airports every year.
The most developed highway and rail transport networks are located on the east coast of the mainland. Transport routes depart from the major ports of the East and West of Australia (Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne) inland. In Australia, pipeline transport has also been used. From oil and gas production sites (Mumba, Jackson, Roma, Muni) pipelines go to ports in the East.
The length and density of transport
paths of Australia.
Length of transport routes, thousand km:
Railways 35.8
Highways 810.3
Density of the network of transport routes (km. of transport routes per 1000 sq. km of territory)
Railways 4.7
Highways 105.4
Australia offers tourists everything that their weary soul craves so much: white sandy beaches, modern cities, bizarre deserts, lush jungles and unique wildlife.
In Australia you can:
Try to mine gold. In places that survived the gold rush in the last century, gold is still found today;
Learn to skydive. It is a popular sport here, with many international skydiving competitions taking place in Australia;
Go kayaking down the mountain rivers. Also a popular pastime;
Fly on balloons. They hang in the sky of Australia continuously.
Learn to scuba dive. They will help and even issue a certificate, however, without the right to be an instructor in this dangerous form of leisure;
To drive a rented car across the whole of Australia - ten days is enough, but memories!
To fish from the heart, both in the sea and in the rivers;
Take up rock climbing. Fanatics of this cause flock here from all over the world;
Go sledding... off the sand dunes!
Foreign economic relations.
The role of foreign trade in the Australian economy is very large. Export is one of the main sources of foreign exchange. Domestically, firms that can increase their exports enjoy a tax rebate. For exporters, the conditions for financial payments have been facilitated, and a special export insurance corporation has been created. In the late 1970s, more than 47% of the total value of Australian exports came from various agricultural commodities, 27% from mining and over 23% from manufacturing. Of the exported mining raw materials, iron ore and concentrates occupy the first place, and the second is coal.
Imports are represented by various machines used in agriculture, construction and manufacturing (more than 40%), capital equipment (more than 22%), consumer and food products, lubricating oils and other goods. The import of mineral raw materials and semi-finished products is extremely small (from 6 to 7%). Oil and oil products, phosphorites, as well as chromium ores and, in a small amount, ores or concentrates of other metals are imported.
Australia imports goods mainly from the US, UK, Japan and Germany. Australia's trade with its neighbor New Zealand began to expand after August 1965. Australia exports food products to the countries of East and Southeast Asia, as well as coal, some types of machinery, textiles, shoes, etc. Imports from these countries are mainly natural rubber, oil, tea, coffee, vegetable oil and fibers, packaging materials. The volume of Australia's trade with the territories of Oceania is small. However, Australia has gained a fairly strong position in trade with them, pushing the UK and other countries.
Australia is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the ANZUS pact, and is part of the Commonwealth led by the UK.
Australia is one of the largest exporters in the world.
Indicators
Foreign trade turnover
Export
Import
Foreign trade balance
Main indicators of foreign trade
(at current prices in billions of dollars)
Australia.
77% of the population of Australia are immigrants from different parts of the Earth and Australians speak not only English, state, but also Portuguese, German, Greek, Russian, etc. Modern Australia is a country of mass immigration, annually accepting 100-150 thousand people, therefore Australia has direct cultural connections with many countries of the world.
Conclusion:
Working on this essay took me enough time, on average, this work took me 1 hour every day, but be that as it may, I don’t think that this time was wasted, during my work I learned a lot of interesting things about Australia. I never knew anything about the history of this country and I would hardly have known if it weren’t for this essay, I didn’t know that Australia is so dependent on the external market, etc. In my opinion, Australia has pretty good development prospects, if only because of the high level of tourism, which brings the country quite a lot of income, and currently brings even more profit as well as all other industries.
I already said in the introduction that I want to go there and because of this I had a double impression of this country: from the point of view of a tourist - Australia made a very strong impression on me because of the beauty of Sydney (where Olympic Games), nature, but, from the point of view of the person preparing the essay on this country, it made a much smaller impression than China, Great Britain, with which I am very familiar from a geographical point of view.
In the last lines of the work, I would like to briefly summarize everything that has been said above. The geographic, economic and intellectual potential of Australia is enormous, and despite all the current difficulties, I am convinced that time will pass and it will take its rightful place not only in culture, not only in science, but also in technology and economics.
"Everything will be right. The world is built on this." One cannot but agree with Bulgakov here.
Bibliography:
1. Lucian Volyanovsky “The Continent that has ceased to be a legend”, 1991
2. Encyclopedic reference book "Countries of the World" Smolensk "Rusich" 2000.
3. "Australia and Oceania. Antarctica "Countries and peoples Moscow" thought "1981.
4. "Economic geography" I. A. Rodionov and T. M. Bunaskova Moscow "lyceum" 1999.
5. Countries and peoples "Universal Encyclopedia for Youth" Moscow Pedagogika-Press Publishing House.
6. Textbook Grade 10 "Economic and social geography of the world" Yu.N.
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