Research Stations in Antarctica Antarctica may be uninhabited by permanent human populations, but it is home to one of the world’s most international scientific communities. 🧊 Key Facts: 📌 Major International Research Stations: Station Country Key Features McMurdo Station United States Largest Antarctic station; logistics hub for South Pole Amundsen–Scott South Pole United States Located…
In this section, we move beyond basic facts and dive deep into the major landforms, seas, ice shelves, and oceanic boundaries that define the geography of Antarctica. These features are frequently asked in mapping questions and also hold climatological and geopolitical significance. Antarctic Peninsula 🗺️ Geopolitical Significance: 🌊 Bransfield Strait separates this peninsula from the…
Let’s understand Antarctica, not just as a continent but as an extreme geographic entity — the coldest, driest, windiest, and highest continent on Earth. Though it seems silent and frozen, it is a crucial piece in the global geographic and climatic puzzle. Area and General Description Location and Extent Sovereignty and Governance These claims often…
Most of us think there are seven continents. But what if we told you there’s an eighth—almost the size of Australia—hiding beneath the ocean? Welcome to Zealandia: a submerged microcontinent that’s largely underwater but geologically distinct and continental in nature. 🌍 What is Zealandia? 🧠 Think of it as a huge landmass that just dipped…
Imagine you’re standing on the eastern edge of Australia, looking out into the vast Pacific Ocean. What lies ahead isn’t just water—it’s an entire world scattered across it. This vast expanse of islands, grouped politically, culturally, and geologically, is called Oceania. 🔹 Four Traditional Divisions of Oceania: Region Key Components Australasia Australia and New Zealand…
🌊 Great Artesian Basin (GAB) Feature Details 🔹 Type Underground hydrogeological system 🔹 Area ~1.7 million km² (~20% of Australia) 🔹 States Covered Queensland, NSW, South Australia, NT 🔹 Geological Units Eromanga, Surat & Carpentaria Basins 🔹 Importance Supports agriculture, livestock, mining & town water supply 🔹 Discharge Water seeps out through rock fractures, creating…
Australia is often called the “driest inhabited continent on Earth.”🌍 Around 70% of the continent is arid or semi-arid, mostly concentrated in the Western and Central regions. Keyword to remember: “Arid Core” of Australia 🔶 Great Victoria Desert — Australia’s Largest Desert 🔹 Location Western & Southern Australia 🔹 Key Features Largest desert in Australia…
Australia is a dry continent, and its rivers are not like perennial Himalayan rivers. Many are intermittent, rain-fed, and seasonal, but they are economically vital—supporting agriculture, irrigation, and inland navigation. 🌊 Murray River 📌 Key Details: 🔁 Mnemonic Tip: “Murray makes Australia fruity” 🍊🍎 — remember its agricultural dominance. 🌊 Darling River 📌 Key Details:…
Unlike the Himalayas or Andes, Australia’s mountain ranges are older, worn-down, and often subtle in elevation, but they play a vital role in drainage systems, climate zones, and resource distribution. Great Dividing Range (Eastern Highlands) 📍 Location: Runs parallel to the east coast, from northern Queensland through New South Wales to Victoria🏔 Highest Peak: Mount…
Area and Composition of the Continent Let’s start by looking at Australia not just as a country, but as a continent—one of the seven in the world. Now here comes a very important conceptual distinction: Australia is often called the world’s largest island, but geographers consider it a continental landmass instead. Hence, Greenland gets the…