Australia is called the 'Island Continent' because it is:

Surrounded by water on all sides — Being surrounded by ocean, the smallest continent is the island continent.

The world's largest coral reef, off Australia's north-east coast, is the:

Great Barrier Reef — The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef.

Australia leads the world in the production of:

Wool — Australia has the most sheep and tops world wool production.

Antarctica is known as the White Continent because it is:

Almost entirely covered in ice — About 99% of Antarctica is permanently ice-covered.

India's operational research stations in Antarctica are:

Maitri and Bharati — Maitri and Bharati are operational; Dakshin Gangotri is decommissioned.

Which one of the following is the continent with the highest mean elevation in the world?

Antarctica — Antarctica has the highest mean elevation of any continent (approximately 2,300 m) due to the massive ice sheet covering its landmass.

Australia and Antarctica — Physical Geography

The big idea

Think first

One continent is a single country baking under desert sun, the other a frozen land with no countries at all. What else separates these two southern outliers?

The two smallest continents could hardly be more different. Australia is the smallest continent and the only one that is a single country, a dry, flat "island continent." Antarctica is the frozen, almost lifeless "White Continent" at the South Pole, given over to science. Both are distinctive and frequently tested.

Australia: Land and Climate

Australia is the smallest continent, lying entirely in the southern hemisphere. The Tropic of Capricorn runs through its middle. It is surrounded by water on all sides, so it is called the "Island Continent." It has three physical divisions:

The Western Plateau: covering nearly two-thirds of the continent, mostly desert or semi-desert, rich in gold and iron ore.
The Central Lowlands: drained by the Murray–Darling river system.
The Eastern Highlands: a long belt of plateaus called the Great Dividing Range, with Mt Kosciusko (2234 m), the highest peak.

The famous Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, runs along the north-east coast. Much of the interior is dry desert, and only the coasts get good rain: the south coast has a Mediterranean climate, the north a monsoon climate.

Check yourself

Which physical division covers nearly two-thirds of Australia?

The Western PlateauThe Central LowlandsThe Eastern HighlandsThe Great Barrier Reef

Australia: Resources and People

Australia stands at the top of the world in wool production. It has the most sheep of any country. The breed is the Merino, raised on huge stations run by "jackaroos." It is also a leading producer of wheat and the world's largest producer of bauxite, with big reserves of coal, iron ore, gold and tin.

Australia is divided into six states and two territories. Canberra is the capital and Sydney the largest city. The native peoples are the Aborigines, who originally spoke some 200 languages. Most Australians live in towns along the eastern and south-eastern coasts.

Check yourself

Australia stands first in the world as a producer of which two of these?

Wheat and coalGold and tinWool and bauxiteIron ore and wheat

Antarctica: The White Continent

Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, lying almost entirely around the South Pole. About 99% of it is covered in ice, so it is called the White Continent. It is the coldest and loneliest place on Earth. The lowest temperatures on the planet are recorded here.

Antarctica is also the highest continent by mean elevation, averaging about 2,300 m above sea level. The ice sheet is kilometres thick, so it raises the entire landmass. Asia has the tallest individual peaks in the Himalayas, but its plains pull its average down. No other continent comes close to Antarctica's average height.

Key facts:

It is essentially uninhabited, a "continent for science." Its highest peak is Vinson Massif, and Mount Erebus is its only active volcano.
About 70% of the world's fresh water is locked in its ice caps, and broken-off masses become icebergs. The land is a cold desert.
Life is limited to the surrounding seas: penguins, seals, whales and the tiny but vital krill.
India runs an active Antarctic programme: its first expedition was in 1981, and it operates the research stations Maitri and Bharati (the earlier Dakshin Gangotri is no longer operational), managed by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.

Previous-year questions

Previous-year question
1995UPSC
Which one of the following is the continent with the highest mean elevation in the world?

Key takeaways

Australia: the smallest continent and the only single-country continent, the "Island Continent"
Three divisions: western plateau (desert), central lowlands (Murray–Darling), eastern highlands (Great Dividing Range, Mt Kosciusko). The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef
World's top wool producer (most sheep) and largest bauxite producer, capital Canberra, native Aborigines
Antarctica: the frozen "White Continent" at the South Pole, the coldest, ~99% ice-covered, a "continent for science"
Antarctica: highest mean elevation of all continents (~2,300 m)
Holds ~70% of the world's fresh water, life is penguins, seals, whales and krill
India's Antarctic stations: Maitri and Bharati (NCPOR, Goa), first expedition 1981

You’ve reached the end of this topic.

Review the takeaways above, then mark it done.

Create a free account to track progress