Why does Australia have a sparse population?

Answer 1

Most of Australia is either arid or semi-arid (desert). Away from the coast, there are few rivers with water in them all of the time, there is very little surface water, most of the inland lakes are salt, whether of not they have water in them. The best land for large urban centres is along the east and south east coasts and the south west coast and in to a depth of a few hundred kilometres. Australia is a big place, but not much of it is habitable to large, urban dwelling populations.

Answer 2

The great majority of the land mass of Australia is either arid or semi-arid, there is very little surface water, the rain fall is low and there are very few rivers that actually run other than immediately after heavy rain. Some of the larger deserts are the Great Victoria Desert, the Gibson Desert, the Tanami Desert, the Great Sandy Desert, the Little Sandy Desert, Sturt Stony Desert, the Simpson Desert. That accounts for most of the west of the continent, nearly two-thirds. The only habitable areas for large urban populations are coastal regions.

Answer 3

Most of Australia is either arid or semi-arid, with no regular rainfall and no permanent surface water. The major population centres are along the east and south-east coasts, with a few other habitable areas in the south-west and far north.

Answer 4

Around 44 % of Australia is desert, and largely unpopulated. Another 22% is semi-arid, with vast cattle properties scattered around. these cattle properties support just a few families and their workers. Because this area, together with inland sheep properties and loosely termed the "outback" covers around 70% of Australia, it therefore gives it an extremely low population density to land mass ratio.

Answer 5

Most of Australia is either desert or semi-desert and there is very little fresh water away from the coast. The eastern and south-eastern coastal areas are the most densely populated.

Answer 6

Because it's mainly desert, too hot and dry for people to live.

Answer 7

Yes. Australia's population density is only 2.8 persons per square kilometer.

Answer 8

On the coasts, the population can reach from 100 to 2000 people per sq km. Because Australia is mostly desert-capped or sand-coated, conditions are arid and dry.