What the Australia country is like

The continent of Australia is nearly all smooth and level. This is because it is what geologists call "old" land. It has been worn down by millions of years of winds and rains, until the hills in most parts of the country are gentle, rolling slopes, somewhat like the hills of New England. There is, however, one large mountain range. It runs from north to south near the east coast, and is called the Great Dividing Range. In the southern part, there are high, rugged peaks. This part is called the Australian Alps.

Out in the Pacific Ocean, about sixty miles off the east coast of Australia, is an underwater mountain range called the Great Barrier Reef. This is a great protection from enemy warships in times of war. The climate of Australia in some places is like that of the United States, but in other places it is much hotter and drier. About one-third of the continent is tropical. This is in the northern section, because Australia is in the southern hemisphere, and the northern part is nearest the equator. The central part of the continent is very dry, and there is not enough rain to grow crops. It is called the Great Central Desert.

There are many rivers, but none of them is deep enough for large boats to travel on it. Even the smaller rivers usually flood the land around them every spring, when the heavy rains fall. In many places, the overflow of the streams is used to provide irrigation and now there are many fertile field: where once there was just wasteland.