Notes
- Australia: the smallest continent and a country. Capital Canberra (not Sydney). Much of the interior is dry outback with desert; most people live in cities along the coast, especially in the southeast. The Great Barrier Reef off Queensland is the world's largest coral reef system. The Great Dividing Range runs along the east coast; the Murray-Darling is its main river system. Uluru is a sacred rock for Aboriginal Australians.
- New Zealand: capital Wellington; two main islands; the Southern Alps; Māori are Indigenous people.
- Papua New Guinea: Port Moresby. Pacific islands are grouped as Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
- Pacific islands are either high volcanic islands or low coral atolls. Low atolls are threatened by rising seas.
Practice
What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra was built as a compromise capital between Sydney and Melbourne.
Why do most Australians live in cities along the coast?
The southeastern and coastal regions have more rainfall.
Which Pacific island type is a low ring of coral surrounding a lagoon?
Atolls are low and vulnerable to rising sea levels.
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