Minerals of Australia
The continent received its name fromLatin language. In it the word "southern" is consonant with the name of Australia. And this is not accidental, because it is completely in the southern part of the globe. According to the total area occupied (and this is about 7.6 million square kilometers), Australia is rightly considered the smallest continent on our planet. For this reason, some scholars tend to reckon it to the mainland islands. Most of the coasts are washed by the salty waters of the Indian Ocean and only from one, the eastern side - by the Pacific Ocean.
The continent is at a great distance from othersregions of the world, therefore most of the trade routes pass from it to the side. The coasts are not rich in deep bays, the most convenient of which are located in the southeast. There is the main port area of the Australian continent. The waters that wash Australia, warm even in the winter season - not below +20 degrees Celsius. This creates a favorable environment for the existence of corals, of which a great variety is growing on the coast of the continent. It is for this reason that along the coast of Australia stretches the famous Great Reef, reaching in length more than two thousand kilometers.
Due to its geographical location, Australia is a separate continent. This largely influenced its development both in terms of culture and species diversity of animals and plants.
Relief and minerals of Australia
In the past, the continent was not separated from the generalcontinent as now, Australia was an integral part of Gondwana. But by the end of the Mesozoic era, it separated and gradually began to withdraw, until it reached its present position. Now the foundation of the Australian continent is the pre-Cebrian platform, the foundation of which is a crystalline structure. In some parts of the continent, it comes to the surface, forming shields, especially in the northern, western and central regions. But most of the platform is hidden beneath the thickness of sedimentary rocks, equally marine and continental origin.
The most striking elements of the relief of the Australianmainland can be described as follows: Central lowland, whose height does not exceed one hundred meters above sea level; East Australian mountains, which are basically a large watershed ridge (up to a thousand kilometers in height) and the West Australian plateau. It is also the only continent of the globe where there are no iced mountains, and there are no active volcanoes. Although in the past there was a stormy tectonic activity. This is evidenced by the vast hollows and cones from the once erupted volcanoes of antiquity.
The minerals of Australia are richdiversity. Geological discoveries, made in just the last ten years, managed to put it on the first places for the extraction of iron ore, bauxite and lead-zinc ores. The ore minerals of Australia on the map are displayed in the Hamersley area. The deposits of this ridge have been developed for more than half a century and do not threaten to be exhausted in the foreseeable future. Iron ore is also mined on the largest island of the continent - Tasmania, and on smaller islands in the northwestern region.
Polymetallic minerals of Australia,which include, first of all, zinc and lead with admixtures of copper and silver, are located in the desert areas of the State of South Wales. Another important center for mining polymers is Queensland and the already named island of Tasmania. Small deposits are scattered throughout the continent, but such active mining is not carried out everywhere, as in these key points. In addition, in Australia there are considerable gold reserves. The largest are in the areas of the basement, the small ones can be found in almost any state of the country.
The state of South Wales is also famous for itsvast deposits of coal. Although this mineral is everywhere in the eastern part of the continent, the main development falls on the cities of Wales. In addition to the above, not so long ago, significant deposits of gas and oil, located deep in the bowels of the Australian mainland, were discovered. Some of them have been successfully developed recently. The country also actively produces chrome, clay, sand and limestone.
