Australia is the smallest continent located in the Southern Hemisphere between 10-44 degrees south latitude and 112-154 degrees east longitude. It was inhabited by Aboriginal Australians for over 40,000 years before being discovered by Europeans in the 17th century. Australia can be divided into three main physical regions - the Western Plateau, Central Lowlands, and Eastern Highlands. The Western Plateau covers most of Western and Central Australia and contains the famous Uluru rock formation. The Central Lowlands contain several inland river basins. The Eastern Highlands run along the eastern coast and contain the Great Dividing Range and highest point of Mt. Kosciuszko. Antarctica is located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere around the South Pole, covering

1. LS-7(A)
STUDY OF CONTINENTS
[AUSTRALIA AND
ANTARTICA]
IN THIS LESSON WE ARE GOING
TO LEARN ABOUT THE
CONTINENTS
AUSTRALIA AND

2. AUSTRALIA
Australia is the smallest of the
world’s continents.
This is in fact the only country in
the world which occupies a
whole continen
Due to this Australia is also
called an island continent .
Australia is slightly more than
twice the size of India in area .
This continent lies wholly within
the southern hemisphere .
Australia together with New
Zealand and the other
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

3. LOCATION OF AUSTRALIA
1.LOCATION: IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
2.LATITUDE: 10° S TO 44° S
3.LONGITUDE:112°E TO 154°E

4. DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA
For at least 40,000 years before European
settlement in the late 18th century , Australia was
inhabited by indigeneous Australians ,known as
“ABORIGINES” . Captain James Hook discovered
Australia in 1770 . Captain Cook was an English
seaman . He landed near the site of the present
day Sydney harbour . He named this land after is
homeland , the New South Wales . Australia was
a british colony for a long time . It became
independent on 1st January , 1901 . Australia is
divided into a total of six self-governing states
and two centrally administered territories .

5. THE LAND OF AUSTRALIA
THE CONTINENT OF AUSTRALIA CAN BE DIVIDED
INTI THREE MAJOR PHYSICAL DIVISIONS:
1. THE WESTERN PLATEAU
2. THE CENTRAL LOWLANDS
3. THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS

6. THE WESTERN
. PLATEAU
The western part of australia
is a vast plateau which covers
nearly two –third of the
continent it incudes three
states of western australia,
northern territory and south
australia . The average height
is about 350 m above sea
level . Macdonnnell Range ,
which is roughly in the centre
of australia , incorporates the
world famous Ayers Rock .
The Australian plateau is rich
in number of mettalic
minerals such as gold and
iron ore . Ayer rock, which is
now known as Uluru is an
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

7. THE CENTRAL LOWLANDS
THESE LIE BETWEEN THE WESTERN PLATEAU AND THE EASTERN
HIGHLAND . IT EXTENDS FROM THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA IN THE
NORTH ACROSS THE CONTINENT TO SOUTHERN SHORES OF
AUSTRALIA . THE CENTRAL LOW LAND CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE
PARTS:
1. THE GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN
2. LAKE EYRE BASIN
3. THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN

8. THE GREAT
ARTESIAN BASIN
It is the largest and the
deepest artesian basin
in the world covering a
total of 1,711,000sq.km
. The region is famous
for the underground
water . The water is
often hot and has high
salt content . It is very
useful for cattle rearing .

9. LAKE EYRE BASIN
This basin lies in the
middle of central
lowlands . Most of the
rivers which flow
through this lowland are
not able to reach the sea
and fall into the inland
lakes . Thus a great part
of the central lowland
around lake eyre is a
region of INLAND
DRINAGE .

10. THE MURRAY-
DARLING BASIN
Murray-darling basin of
australia is formed by
the two most longest
rivers of australia i,e
murray darling .
Murray-darling basin is
australias most
important agricultural
region which produces
rice,oil seeds,
wool,cotton.etc.

11. THE EASTERN
HIGHLANDS
The eastern highlands extend
almost parallel to the eastern
cost of Australia. These
highlands starting from the
Cape York peninsula in the north
reach the island of Tasmania in
the south . The higher pats of
highlands form the GREAT
DIVIDING RANGE. Mt.Kosciusko,
with a height 2,234metres above
sea level , is the highest peak of
Australia . Most of the rivers of
austrakia rise in the eastern
highlands . A special feature of
the eastern coast of Australia is

12. ANTARTICA
With the south pole at
its heart,Antarctica is
the world’s
windiest,coldest and
most southernly
continent. Antartica is
the fifth largest
continent . Due to
permanent snow cover it
is also known as WHITE
CONTINENT.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

13. LOCATION AND SIZE
ANTARTICA IS LOCATED AROUND THE
SOUTH POLE . IT LIES COMPLETELY IN THE
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.

14. DISCOVERY OF ANTARTICA
ANTARTICA WAS DISCOVERED IN 1820 . BUT ITS REAL
EXPLANATION BEGAN ONLY IN THE 20TH CENTURY . INDIA
ESTABLISHED A PERMANENT BASE CAMP AT DAKSHIN GANGOTRI
FOR THIS PURPOSE.SEVERAL OBSERVATION STATIONS HAVE BEEN
ESTABLISHED BY OTHER COUNTRIES .

15. LOCATION OF ANTARCTICA
1.LOCATION: SOUTH POLAR REGION(BEYOND
ANTARCTIC CIRCLE)
2.POPULARLY KNOWN AS: A WHITE CONTINENT
3.AREA:14 MILLION SQ.KMS
4.TEMPARATURE:-90°C AT VASTOCK