AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

1. Australia: Geographical Position. Coastlines. Relief

Australia is the world's smallest continent. Nearly 7,600,000 square kilometres in area, it is one-fourth the size of Africa. East of Australia is Oceania, a group of islands spread over a vast area of the Pacific

2. Climate. Inland Waters

Climate. Australia lies close to the Equator in the north and is crossed by the Tropic of Capricorn in the centre. Its northern half lies within the torrid zone, its southern half and Tasmania within the temperate zone.

3. Natural Zones

Peculiarities of Vegetable and Animal Life. Its long isolation has led to the development in Australia of a peculiar plant and animal
life.

4. Population and Economic Activities

The average density of population in Aus­tralia is a little over one person to the square kilometre. The greater part of the inhabitants live in the regions along the subtropical coastal belt of the south-east and in the south-west corner of the continent.

5. Oceania

East and north-east of Australia lie a number of Pacific islands, mostly in tropical latitudes. The larger ones are quite close to the continent and were separated from it as a result of a sinking of the land.