Deserts of Australia

Description

Deserts cover about 1,371,000 km2 (529,000 sq mi), or 18%, of the Australian mainland, but about 35% of the Australian continent receives so little rain that it is practically desert. Collectively known as the Great Australian desert, they are primarily distributed throughout the Western Plateau and interior lowlands of the country, covering areas from South West Queensland, the Far West region of New South Wales and Spencer Gulf in South Australia to the Barkly Tableland in Northern Territory and the interior of Western Australia. Parts of the Mallee in Victoria are named as deserts; the region is described as semi-desert.