Southwest corner of Western Australia
Encyclopedia
The south-west corner drainage region of Western Australia
is one of only two temperate and relatively fertile parts of mainland Australia
. It covers about 140,000 square kilometres, or a little less than 2% of the continent. For comparison, this is about the same size as North Carolina
or a little larger than England
.
The landscape is generally flat and sandy but there are several major features, in particular the Stirling Range
near Albany
, which reach 1096 metres at their highest point, and the Darling Scarp
.
The climate is temperate Mediterranean. Summers are warm to hot and dry, winters are cool and wet. Mountains near the coast concentrate rainfall in that area, with parts of the extreme south-western corner receiving as much as 1,400 mm per year (about 56 inches). Away from the coast, however, precipitation drops rapidly, with inland areas averaging about 250 mm per year (10 inches).
Other Australian drainage divisions include:-
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
is one of only two temperate and relatively fertile parts of mainland Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It covers about 140,000 square kilometres, or a little less than 2% of the continent. For comparison, this is about the same size as North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
or a little larger than England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The landscape is generally flat and sandy but there are several major features, in particular the Stirling Range
Stirling Range
The Stirling Range or Koikyennuruff is a range of mountains and hills in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, 337 km south-east of Perth. It is located at approximately and is over 60 km wide from west to east, stretching from the highway between Mount Barker and Cranbrook...
near Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, which reach 1096 metres at their highest point, and the Darling Scarp
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
.
The climate is temperate Mediterranean. Summers are warm to hot and dry, winters are cool and wet. Mountains near the coast concentrate rainfall in that area, with parts of the extreme south-western corner receiving as much as 1,400 mm per year (about 56 inches). Away from the coast, however, precipitation drops rapidly, with inland areas averaging about 250 mm per year (10 inches).
See also - drainage divisions
Western Australian drainage divisions include:-- Indian Ocean drainage division: see Pilbara region of Western AustraliaPilbara region of Western AustraliaThe Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia known for its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore...
- Timor Sea drainage division: see Top EndTop EndThe Top End of northern Australia is the second northernmost point on the continent. It covers a rather vaguely-defined area of perhaps 400,000 square kilometres behind the northern coast from the Northern Territory capital of Darwin across to Arnhem Land with the Indian Ocean on the west, the...
and Kimberley region of Western AustraliaKimberley region of Western AustraliaThe Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
Other Australian drainage divisions include:-
- Gulf of CarpentariaGulf of CarpentariaThe Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
- Australian north-east coast drainage divisionAustralian north-east coast drainage divisionThe north-east coast drainage division is the area of Queensland between the Great Dividing Range and the ocean. It lies between Torres Strait and an arbitrary line drawn along the Queensland - New South Wales border.-See also:...
- Australian south-east coast drainage divisionAustralian south-east coast drainage divisionThe south-east coast drainage division is the very long, narrow area of southern Australia between the Great Dividing Range and the sea. It includes the small part of south-eastern South Australia which lies to the east of the Murray-Darling Basin, and all of coastal Victoria and coastal New South...
- Murray-Darling BasinMurray-Darling BasinThe Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
- South Australian gulf drainage divisionSouth Australian gulf drainage divisionThe South Australian gulf drainage division is the area surrounding the Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf and a sliver of country to the immediate north. It includes 75,000 square kilometres of mostly moderately flat territory, broken only by the Mount Lofty Ranges which reach 932 metres at their...
- Lake Eyre BasinLake Eyre BasinThe Lake Eyre basin is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South...
- Western PlateauWestern PlateauThe Western Plateau is Australia's largest drainage division and is composed predominantly of the remains of the ancient rock shield of Gondwanaland. It incorporates two thirds of the continent; 2,700,000 square kilometres of arid land including large parts of Western Australia, South Australia,...