Australia

Rivers are one of Australia's most vital resources. Rivers provide the towns and cities with drinking water, and they supply farmers with much - needed water for irrigation. However, most of Australia's rivers are dry at least part of the year. They fill with water only during the rainy season. The rainy season occurs in summer in northern Australia , and in winter in southern Australia . The Murray River is Australia's longest river. It starts in the Snowy Mountains and is 1,609 miles (2,589 kilometers) long.

Australia's only large permanent lakes have been artificially created. They include Lake Argyle in Western Australia and Lake Gordon in Tasmania.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef and one of Australia's most popular tourist attractions. Although its name suggests one reef, the Great Barrier Reef is a chain of more than 2,500 reefs. It also includes many small islands. The waters around the Great Barrier Reef are warm the year around. The warm waters and the beauty of the coral formations attract swimmers and skin divers. The Great Barriers Reef area has a number of tourist resorts.

The northern third of Australia lies in the tropics and has warm summers and mild or cool winters. In winter, many parts of the south have occasional frosts. Australia receives most of its moisture as rain. Snow falls only in Tasmania and the Australian Alps. The east coast of Queensland is the wettest part of the continent. Australia lies south of the equator, and so its seasons are opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere. The southern part of the continent has four distinct seasons. Tropical northern Australia has only two seasons - a wet season and a dry one. The wet season corresponds with summer and lasts from November through April. The dry season corresponds with winter and lasts from May through October.

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