Why is Australia mostly desert?

Answer 1

Because it's so big. The water in the clouds coming from the east is generally dropped as they cross the mountains and for most of the time clouds will drop moisture near the coast. It rarely makes it inland very far.

Answer 2

Yes, there are many deserts in Australia. The majority of the land is desert or semi-arid, although there is rich and fertile land around the coasts, and inland in the southeastern quadrant. An estimated 44% percent, or over one-third of Australia is made up of sandy or stony arid desert, while another 37% is semi-arid grassland or scrub.

The three largest deserts in Australia are:

Great Victoria Desert (Western Australia): 424,400 km2 (163,900 square miles)

Great Sandy Desert (Western Australia): 284,993 km2 (110,036 square miles)

Tanami Desert (Western Australia and Northern Territory): 184,500 km2 (71,235 square miles)

Each of these deserts is either in or primarily in Western Australia, in the western third of the continent.

The Nullarbor Plain is an arid, limestone region extending for some 270,000 square km above the Great Australian Bight. Nothing is cultivated there, and in many respects its aridness places it within the category of desert, but there is little (if any) sand there.

Other deserts include -

Simpson Desert (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia): 176,500 km2 (68,145 square miles)

Gibson Desert (Western Australia): 156,000 km2 (60,230 square miles)

Little Sandy Desert (Western Australia): 111,500 km2 (43,050 square miles)

Strzelecki Desert (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia): 80,250 km2 (30,985 square miles)

Sturt Stony Desert (South Australia): 29,750 km2 (11,485 square miles)

Tirari Desert (South Australia): 15,250 km2 (5,890 square miles)

Pedirka Desert (South Australia): 1,250 km2 (480 square miles)

Answer 3

Approximately two-thirds of the Australian continent is desert or semi-desert.

Apart from the tropics, the east coast, Tasmania and a few other pockets of the country, there is very little regular rainfall, no surface water and many of the river courses are near permanently dry.

Much of Australia's prevailing weather conditions are determined by the El-nino effect and the south east of Australia is currently in the 15th year of a drought.

Answer 4

There are nine official deserts in Australia, and other regions which are not officially classified as "desert".

The three largest deserts in Australia are:

Great Victoria Desert (Western Australia): 424,400 km2 (163,900 square miles)

Great Sandy Desert (Western Australia): 284,993 km2 (110,036 square miles)

Tanami Desert (Western Australia and Northern Territory): 184,500 km2 (71,235 square miles)

Each of these deserts is either in or primarily in Western Australia, in the western third of the continent.

The Nullarbor Plain is an arid, limestone region extending for some 270,000 square km above the Great Australian Bight. Nothing is cultivated there, and in many respects its aridness places it within the category of desert, but there is little (if any) sand there.

Other deserts include -

Simpson Desert (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia): 176,500 km2 (68,145 square miles)

Gibson Desert (Western Australia): 156,000 km2 (60,230 square miles)

Little Sandy Desert (Western Australia): 111,500 km2 (43,050 square miles)

Strzelecki Desert (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia): 80,250 km2 (30,985 square miles)

Sturt Stony Desert (South Australia): 29,750 km2 (11,485 square miles)

Tirari Desert (South Australia): 15,250 km2 (5,890 square miles)

Pedirka Desert (South Australia): 1,250 km2 (480 square miles)

Answer 5

well at one stage Australia was just desert!, but now its not just desert eg Sydney its a giant place so Australia is not just desert hope it helped

Answer 6

Principal Australian Deserts:Central Desert – a central Australian desert

Gibson Desert – a central Australian desert

Great Sandy Desert – a northwestern Australian desert

Great Victoria Desert – the biggest desert in Australia

Little Sandy Desert – a western Australian desert

Simpson Desert – a central Australian desert

Strzelecki Desert – a south-central Australian desert

Tanami Desert – a northern Australian desert

Answer 7

Because of the hunting techniques of the aboriginals. It consisted of burning down forests to scare out the animals, which caused desertification of Australia.