Would you like to know about Australian Landforms? Do you want to study the rare landforms of Australia for a school geography project? Read our guide for facts & information…
If you were to see the map of Australia, a very distinct Australian landform emerges; it is one of the flattest countries in the world with few topographical features such as mountains etc. As a matter of fact, the country is part large plateau dotted with large dessert areas in the west and central areas. The boundary of the country comprises of a low coastal plain that gives Australia its numerous popular beaches.
A very popular Australian landform is the Great Dividing Range that runs from Cape York Peninsula to Tasmania. The mountains of this range form a barrier that demarcates the arid areas of the country from the coastal plains. Some of the peaks in the range such as the Blue Mountains and the Australian Alps are more than 4000 ft tall. Some of the other popular mountainous Australian Landforms include the Hamersley Range, the Darling Range and the MacDonnel Ranges that are spread all over the country from the southwestern corner up to the Western end of the country.
The highest point in the country is Mount Koscuiszko which lies to the northeast of Melbourne and is a peak that scales the height of 72,312 ft.
Some of the water bodies in the country include Lake Eyre which is located in the most arid regions of Australia; however, is itself below sea level. The lake does not hold a lot of water and most of it evaporates by the time the height of summer is reached. The Lake Eyre Basin is the world’s largest internal drainage system, that covers a massive 1/6 th landmass of the country. Rivers only flow when it rains making them suitable for drainage purposes.
The Great Victorian Desert is another well known Australian landform with its red sand dunes and the indigenous flora and fauna found in the area. The dessert encompasses an area of 250,000 sq miles and is a barren area that only has dry salt lakes, red sand hills and sparse grassland. Some of the other deserts in the country include Tanami, Great Sandy, Simpson and Gibson.
One of the more popular dessert areas lies at the heart of the Nambung national Park and is famed for its 150,000 spectacular limestone pillars that have their roots in the yellow sand that covers the region. Some of these pillars are jagged while others are shaped like tomb stones. The Uluru also known as Ayers Rock is well known as the largest solitary rock on earth. The formation is a mammoth 348 meters tall.
