Investigating Australia’s Identity
Location in the World
Major cities: Moscow, London, Paris, Washington.
Neighbours: Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Singapore, New Zealand, Hawaii, Asia.
The EEZ
200 nautical mile zone around borders
Exclusive Economic Zone
One of largest in world
Have exclusive use of resources in it
Rich in marine life and fauna
Limited PNG and Indonesia
Zone of cooperation next to Timor because of oil deposits
Size and Shape
Between latitudes 10˚S and 44˚S, longitudes 115˚E and 150˚E
Coastline varies from 35kn to 13000km
State area varies from 2500km to 2.5million km
Almost 8 million km²
Unique Characteristics
Varied climates: north has most rain in summer, winter most rain in winter.
Rainfall decreases as you move inland with 2/3 of country desert
Most rain on eastern side
Temperature ranges from very hot (monsoon) in north to tropical maritime in NE QLD, with warm temperatures.
Summer generally warm or hot and winter cool.
Temperature variations caused by smaller area to heat near equator so Darwin warmer than Melbourne.
Natural resources: rich in minerals considering population, poor in trees and soil nutrients, rich in natural beauty and energy sources
Aboriginal Heritage
Dreaming – when the Earth was formed, binds Aboriginals o the Earth and explains everything
Lived in harmony with the land, regarded it as a trust to be passed on
Moved around to take advantage of seasonal food and not exhaust an area completely
Aboriginal population between 500 000 and million
Communities
Group of people who share things in common
May share space they live in or common beliefs and interests
Factors that contribute to creating a sense of community are:
-Popular culture
-Culture
-Religion
-Gender
-Neighbourhood
Changing Australian Environments
Effects of Physical Environment on People
Impact of Climate on people’s lives
Climate is long term behaviour of atmosphere involving temperature and precipitation
Tourism
Building
Landscape
Topography
Farming and land use
Impact of Weather on people’s lives
Condition of atmosphere at particular time
Daily activities eg. Transport
Recreational activities
Power requirements
Farming routines
Atmospheric pollution
Transport requirements
Work/industries
Natural Disasters
Perceived natural event threatening life and property
Disaster is realization of this hazard
Extreme events causing loss of life, property and severe disruption to human activities
Created by human actions eg. Transport accidents
Created by natural processes eg, earthquakes
Eg. Sydney hailstorm in 1999, most expensive natural disaster
Effects of People on Physical Environment
Traditional Water Management
Europeans saw implementation of European farming methods including stock and crops
The variability of rainfall and river flow led to the need for water storage
Small scale involves on-farm dams
Large scale involves irrigation, industrial and mining use
Led to disappearing wetlands, disturbing breeding patterns, salinisation, development of blue-green algae
Biodiversity, Conservation and Preservation
Preservation is keeping species and ecosystem of region in present form, like creating reserves
Conservation is protection of the environment from destructive influences and takes into account both present and future needs, and is more flexible than preservation because it doesn’t rule out possibility of change
Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms of a region including genes, species and ecosystems. Australia has diversity in all these.
Contemporary Water Management
Macro level policies –laws for water quality and use
Total Catchment Management – managing catchment as whole rather than individual rivers
Water conservation & management – methods of conservation, managing demand, pricing, research, flood control.
Biological conservation & management – maintaining and restoring biodiversity
Water quality control – quality guidelines, drinking water standards, recycling.
Changing Australian Communities
Views on a problem may be economic, personal, environmental or aesthetic
Includes council or state government representatives, conservationists, residents, members of local businesses and other groups
Issues in Australian Environments
Contemporary Geographical Issues
Spatial dimension: where things are and why they are there
Ecological dimension: the relationship between people and the environment and the effect they have on each other.
Coastal Management
Solution / Description / Advantages / DisadvantagesBeach nourishment / Placing artificial sand on beach. / Sand used that matches beach.
Low environmental impact. / Sand must come from other beach.
Requires continuous funds.
Groynes / Traps moving sand which protects the beach. / Maintains the beach. / Don’t stop offshore sand movement.
Eyesore.
Sea wall / Parallel to shoreline to separate land and water. / Prevents erosion and protects buildings. / Base will be undermined, eyesore, needs sand nourishment as well, high cost and ongoing maintenance.
Offshore breakwater / Structure parallel to water in 10m depth. / Waves break in deeper water reducing energy at shore. / Destroys surfing, requires lots of large boulders, high cost.
Purchase property / Buy and remove buildings threatened by erosion. / Easier management of dunes, natural beach processes continue, increases public access. / Loss of revenue to council, social problems, exposes back dune, high cost, doesn’t solve sand loss.
Urban Growth and Decline
Australian population 5 times bigger than in 1991 due to natural increase and migration
A decline can be caused by depression, war and fertility.
Botany Bay Case Study
Land Use – Residential
Houses in Botany Bay are built near the CooksBridge and along Lady Robinson’s Beach
Impact: Air & Visual Pollution
From 3rd runway, industry (port) and cars on bridge
Industry means lots of factories and rubbish which look bad and lower land value.
Management Strategy: large bins, building guidelines
PYRMONT – ISSUE: URBBAN GROWTH AND DECLINE – SEE SEPARATE SHEET
Australia in its Regional and Global Context
Diversity of Asia-Pacific
Cultural Diversity
Culture is body of beliefs, attitudes, skills and tools by which communities structure their lives and interact with environments
Many countries with different languages introduced by colonization
Religion is a common bond and each major religion represented in Asia eg. Christianity and Islam
Various scales of social and political organisation
-in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand local village makes the important decisions
-Large countries eg. US and Australia have state and national levels and are democratic
-Asian countries like North Korea and China are more government controlled
Technological diversity throughout
-more developed countries like US more technologically advanced, use robots ad computerised systems
-tribes in Cambodia and Laos use simple technology to cultivate the land
Physical Diversity
Asia is compact and mountainous while the Pacific is flat and spread out
Lots of small island groups – high volcanic and low coral
Elevation, pollution, ocean currents latitude and continent influence vegetation, weather and climate
Economic Diversity
Majority of Asia-Pacific nations less developed but some more developed
Rapid growth of Asian countries and US in late 20th century
Other economies have changed little or stagnated eg. North Korea remains poor, Indonesia primitive
Korea and Singapore focused on heavy industry
Japan and China manufacture
Tourism being developed in many areas eg. Fiji
Most PacificIslands export agricultural materials and import manufactured goods
Economy types:
- Low-income developing eg. Vietnam, Laos
-low incomes
-most people working in agriculture
-small industrial sector
- Middle income developing eg. Indonesia, Thailand
-higher incomes
-some people in agriculture
-growing industrial sectors
- High-income developed eg. Australia, Japan
-high incomes
-strong industrial sectors
-most people working in producing services and information
Regional and Global Trends
Population, Growth and Migration
Why is population growing?
Death rates have fallen, birth rates slightly less so natural increase has improved
Improvements in health, technology, and infrastructure
Developed countries – lack of contraception, need for labourers
Where is it growing?
Mostly in developed world – Asia
People in developed world having less children
What are the effects of population growth?
Places strain on world’s resources – need more food, shelter etc.
Leads to destruction of environment
Increases global problems like greenhouse effect and pollution
Without increase in population economy will suffer
How can it be reduced?
Education of women so they make more informed decisions
Improved standards of living – no need for labourers
Urbanisation – people have less children in cities due to space limitations
Regional and Global Links
China and Tourism
Number of visitors this year double that of last year
Provides a diverse range of opportunities for Australian suppliers
Strengthened when Approved Destination Status documents signed in 1999
After this number of visas rose by 80 000 over 5 years
China’s fast expanding tourism growth has propelled our economy
Increased number of tourists exported economic benefits and promoted cultural exchanges
China and Trade
Grown by over 16 billion dollars since 1972
3rd largest trading partner, we’re 9th largest destination
Supply China with raw material for manufacture which are exported to Australia
Both countries benefit
Strengthened by signing of a trade and economic framework in 2003
As China expands, our trade increases
Benefits exporters and businesses
Urban Growth and Decline
Definition
Urban growth and decline is a term that describes the growth and decrease, in terms of population, services and housing of an area, over time of an urban area such as Sydney.
Statistics and Trends
-most growth in Sydney occurs on rural-urban fringe
-Sydney’s population grew by 180 000 over 5 years from 91-96
-4 million people – 60% of state
-Queensland receives most interstate migrants – 122.4 thousand in 97
-In 1999 1 in 10 moved to within 10km of CBD
Geographical Processes
- Counter urbanisation
-The process by which an increasing proportion of the population lives and works in rural areas.
-In Pyrmont the population decreased from 30 000 in 1900 to 900 in 70s when industry moved to rural areas.
- Urban consolidation
-Promotes an increase in medium and high density housing in suburbs that already contain infrastructure.
-In Pyrmont there has been provision of affordable housing in form of apartment blocks to make them affordable for middle income earners.
- Urban Renewal
-the development of old urban areas, for example where old warehouses are turned into new housing
-Pyrmont has been upgraded since 1991 under the Better Cities Program and was allocated 816 million. It is been provided with better transport, communal areas like parks, encouraging small businesses and increasing the housing densities.
- Decentralisation
-doughnut effect where people move out of city to rural urban edge
-In Pyrmont the industry moved out for expansion opportunities. People moved out as well and population decreased from 30 000 to 900 and Pyrmont ceased to be a port and industrial area.
- Urban Decay
-where urban areas become run down and disused
-In Pyrmont the industry there moved out for expansion in the 50s and the wool business moved south to Yennora. The population decreased to 900 and services deteriorated.
- Rural Urban Migration
-a trend that sees increasing numbers of a country’s people moving from rural areas to cities in search of employment and services
-People lose jobs on farms to machines, land is degraded so move to city for better facilities, better houses and services. Mines and government offices in rural areas closed down so people lose jobs. Eg. Mining fell 40% in 1990-98 and in that year the mining town of Broken Hill lost nearly 350 people.
-Only 14% of Australians live outside urban centres, down from 43% at start of century.
Australia in its Regional and Global Context!
Communities
●Group of people who share things in common
●Based on shared space, social organisations or interests
●Consist of groups of people who live, work and pursue their interests together
●Actions of some people affect others
●Generally benefit from mutual cooperation and enjoy a better lifestyle
Diversity of the Asia-Pacific
Cultural Diversity
●Culture is body of beliefs, attitudes, skills and tools by which communities structure their lives and interact with environments
●Many countries with different languages introduced by colonization
●Religion is a common bond and each major religion represented in Asia eg. Christianity and Islam
●Various scales of social and political organisation
-in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand local village makes the important decisions
-Large countries eg. US and Australia have state and national levels and are democratic
-Asian countries like North Korea and China are more government controlled
●Technological diversity throughout
-more developed countries like US more technologically advanced, use robots ad computerised systems
-tribes in Cambodia and Laos use simple technology to cultivate the land
Physical Diversity
●Asia is compact and mountainous while the Pacific is flat and spread out
●Lots of small island groups – high volcanic and low coral
●Elevation, pollution, ocean currents latitude and continent influence vegetation, weather and climate
Economic Diversity
●Majority of Asia-Pacific nations less developed but some more developed
●Rapid growth of Asian countries and US in late 20th century
●Other economies have changed little or stagnated eg. North Korea remains poor, Indonesia primitive
●Korea and Singapore focused on heavy industry
●Japan and China manufacture
●Tourism being developed in many areas eg. Fiji
●Most PacificIslands export agricultural materials and import manufactured goods
●Economy types:
- Low-income developing eg. Vietnam, Laos
-low incomes
-most people working in agriculture
-small industrial sector
- Middle income developing eg. Indonesia, Thailand
-higher incomes
-some people in agriculture
-growing industrial sectors
- High-income developed eg. Australia, Japan
-high incomes
-strong industrial sectors
-most people working in producing services and information
Regional and Global Trends
Population, Growth and Migration
Why is population growing?
●Death rates have fallen, birth rates slightly less so natural increase has improved
●Improvements in health, technology, and infrastructure
●Developed countries – lack of contraception, need for labourers
Where is it growing?
●Mostly in developed world – Asia
●People in developed world having less children
What are the effects of population growth?
●Places strain on world’s resources – need more food, shelter etc.
●Leads to destruction of environment
●Increases global problems like greenhouse effect and pollution
●Without increase in population economy will suffer
How can it be reduced?
●Education of women so they make more informed decisions
●Improved standards of living – no need for labourers
●Urbanisation – people have less children in cities due to space limitations
Refugees
●Person in fear of prosecution for their race, religion, nationality or opinion outside their country of origin and is unable to use the protection of that country
●23 million refugees
●90% of refugees live in the poorest countries
●Bhutan – Legal Nepalese migrants banished to refugee camps in Nepal
●Sudan – civil war made 4 million people flee
Indigenous Nations
●Indigenous people are the descendants of original people of a country or place
●During expansion of European power many indigenous people reduced to inferior status achieved through superior technology
●These countries eventually became independent but did not recognise indigenous rights
Recognition of Indigenous Rights
●Growing recognition that indigenous people has been hard done by and little was done to correct it
●In some countries changes have been barely significant
●Backlashes against invaders have started protests and violence
Aborigines in Australia
●Suffered a lot from Europeans
●Not recognised as citizens
●Children taken away to assimilate into white society
●Move towards reconciliation in 1960
●Got right to vote and granted citizenship rights
●Mabo case recognised Aboriginal land rights
●Weakened by Wik decision in 1998 which said the rights of indigenous people to land and farmers owing pastoral leases could co-exist
●Still disadvantaged in literacy, employment and health care
Global Village
●Denotes coming together of cultures into one community eg. Sydney
●Globalisation is the breaking down of barriers between countries
●Expressed as the world get getting smaller
Transnational Corporations
●Vital in bringing countries’ resources together and developing trade eg. McDonalds, Nike
●Influence cultural and economic integration of countries by spreading food, music, beliefs and entertainment
Mobility of Labour
●Describes the phenomenon of people moving and working in different countries due to TNCs
- Footloose industries
-produce textiles, clothing and footwear
-found in poorer countries due to cheap labour
- Low skilled labour
-people in industries like mining
-can easily take skills to new country
3. Highly skilled labour
- people with particular training
- demanded around the globe
Mobility of Capital
●Capital is the accumulation of wealth
●Used to finance production and leads to growth
●Most mobile with foreign exchange market and stock market
Global Media Networks
●Mass media has great influence on culture
●Most media comes from US, affects culture
●TV influenced by overseas trends
Case Studies
Nike
●Produce products in Asia in sweatshops – paid $1 an hour
●Products sold in developed countries; profits go to Nike
Katherine Gorge
●Gorge in NT
●Faults in sandstone made amazing landforms
●Combines waterfalls, rapids, erosion, volcanoes and landscape in one
Silicon Valley
●Dense concentration of computer and electronics company
●Base for industries, innovative people prepared to take risk and attractive environment
Regional and Global Links
China and Tourism
●Number of visitors this year double that of last year
●Provides a diverse range of opportunities for Australian suppliers
●Strengthened when Approved Destination Status documents signed in 1999
●After this number of visas rose by 80 000 over 5 years
●China’s fast expanding tourism growth has propelled our economy
●Increased number of tourists exported economic benefits and promoted cultural exchanges
China and Trade
●Grown by over 16 billion dollars since 1972
●3rd largest trading partner, we’re 9th largest destination
●Supply China with raw material for manufacture which are exported to Australia
●Both countries benefit
●Strengthened by signing of a trade and economic framework in 2003
●As China expands, our trade increases
●Benefits exporters and businesses
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