Australia map: central desert, coastal population and mineral exports
GeographyRegions & CountriesAges 16–17
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
Next in Regions & Countries
A map of Australia drawn from latitude and longitude coordinates, showing six states and the Northern Territory plus the island of Tasmania. Click a state to see its area, average annual rainfall, population and share of GDP; turn on the desert layer to see the arid zone covering most of the interior, while major cities cluster along the southeastern and southwestern coasts. Drag the year slider from 1990 to 2021 to watch the national population grow from 17 million to nearly 26 million, driven mainly by immigration.
Lesson: Geographic location, natural conditions, population, society and economy of Australia
What it shows
Australia is the only country that occupies a whole continent, and its map shows a strong link between climate and where people live. The subtropical high-pressure belt near the Tropic of Capricorn keeps the interior dry, so desert and semi-desert cover about 70% of the land. Rain falls mainly on the eastern, southeastern and northern margins, and that is where most people and all the large cities are. State-level data on area, rainfall, population and share of GDP, together with mineral and farming areas, let students connect climate, resources and settlement.
How to use
Start on the Natural layer and click each state to compare rainfall, then switch to Population and Economy to see which states match the wettest coasts. Turn on Show central desert region and Show minerals and farming areas to see that iron ore and gold lie far from the main cities. Press Play, or drag the Year slider, to follow national population growth from 1990 to 2021.
Parameters you can change
- Data layer Natural – average annual rainfall, Population – population by state, Economy – share of GDP
- Year of national population data Year 1990, Year 2000, Year 2010, Year 2021
- Selected state or territory View whole country, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania
- Show minerals and farming areas
- Show central desert region
Questions to explore
- Which state has the largest area but a small population, and what climate explains this?
- How does the pattern of rainfall compare with the location of the major cities?
- By about how many millions did Australia's population grow from 1990 to 2021, and what drove most of that growth?
