Cape York, Australia

The smallest continent on planet Earth is Australia. This continent is located in the Southern Hemisphere and is washed by the waters of the Pacific and Indian Ocean. In Australia, beautiful nature and a unique animal world. Numerous attractions attract tourists from different countries.

The extreme points of the smallest continent

Each continent has 4 extreme points, and Australia is no exception:

• South Point is a cape located in the south of the continent.
• Byron is a point on the east coast of Australia.
• In the west - located SteeP Point.
• Cape York is the extreme northern point.

If you hold a diagonal from the western to the eastern cape, the distance will be about 4 000 km. But the southern and northern points are slightly closer to each other - about 3,200 km.

Each of these places has its exact geographical coordinates:

Northern Cape of Australia

Cape York is located in the northern part of the Australian continent, on the Cape York peninsula, which is more than 600 km long. These territories are at a remote distance from large cities and are undeveloped. The shores of the peninsula are washed by the waters of the Arafura and Coral seas. About 150-160 km from the extreme northern point of Australia is a large island of New Guinea. It is separated from the mainland by the Torres Strait.

Territorially Cape York belongs to the second largest Australian state - Queensland. The nearest city (Bamaga) is at a distance of 40 km.

The area of the peninsula is about 137 thousand square kilometers. Despite the fact that this territory is quite large, it has a population of 18 000 people. Approximately 60% of these people are native Aborigines and islanders.

Historical facts

To date, the northern point of Australia is known to us as Cape York. Who discovered this remote corner of the planet, it is not hard to guess. Those who carefully studied geography know that in 1770 the great navigator James Cook arrived to the eastern shores of the new continent. The discovery aroused special interest among Europeans, and after a while the British built the city of Sydney in the southeast of the mainland. By the end of the 18th century, Australia had become one of the colonies of Great Britain.

Cape York and Cape York were named the British seafarer in honor of the great English Duke of York. The same name has survived to this day.

Description of the peninsula of Cape York

The Cape York Peninsula has a unique landscape. Its western part is a lowland, while in the east stretches a mountainous terrain. The highest point on the peninsula has a height of 823 m. It is near the settlement of Cohen, on the ridge of the McLarley. Low hills and mountains are the continuation of the Great Dividing Range. From the eastern and western sides they are surrounded by lowlands, which are called Laura and Carpentaria. The relief of the peninsula is excised by numerous armholes and rivers.

Unlike other territories in Australia, the soil in this area is unproductive, because of which there is too little population density. The humid marine climate and strong winds caused soil erosion, so it is extremely difficult to conduct agricultural activities in this region.

Cooktown is the administrative center of the peninsula. It is located in its southeastern part. Since the population in these places is not numerous, there are no large megacities here. Laura, Lakeland, Cohen are only small settlements located near the central highway. Two small settlements Seisia and Bamaga, which are located in the north of the peninsula, are inhabited mainly by aborigines.

The nature of Queensland

The locality, located in northeastern Australia (Queensland), was included in the UNESCO list in 1988. Rainforests, with untouched wilderness, a unique landscape including rivers, waterfalls, mountains and gorges, have become World Heritage sites.

The animal and plant world of these places is amazingly rich. This is due to the climatic features of the region. The air temperature in the summer is an average of about 30 degrees Celsius, and the winter in these parts is quite warm. Columns of the thermometer fall only 5 degrees lower. Slightly colder near the cliffs and on the plateau: in summer, plus 17-28, in winter, plus 9-22 degrees.

The climate in this region is very humid, so the nature reserve is called Wet Tropics of Queensland, which means Wet Tropics of Queensland.

In the forests there are more than 100 species of animals and about 380 species of plants that belong to the rare and endangered representatives of the flora and fauna.

Beaches of the peninsula

Many people like to travel, exploring the unprecedented corners of the planet, they do not bypass the side and Cape York. Australia contains a lot of interesting and unexplored: the unique nature and the animal world, amazing landscapes with its splendor. There really is something to see. If you decide to visit the northernmost point of this continent, do not forget to admire the seascapes and beaches of the Cape York Peninsula.

Along the eastern coastline of the continent is the Great Barrier Reef, the length of which is about 2,300 km. This is a kind of "Mecca" for tourists from all over the world.

The most popular beaches of Cape York are:

• Somerset.
• Chilli beach.

Their appearance resembles a paradise, tropical corner. Although these places are characterized by problems:

• The northern coast of Australia is characterized by strong ebb.
• In seawater there are poisonous jellyfish.
• Ocean currents bring debris to the shores, but this problem is eliminated by regularly cleaning the coast.
• Crocodiles are one of the many inhabitants of these places.

If you want to visit Cape York, the ideal time for this is May-November. This is the period of the dry season, although during the rains the surrounding nature becomes more picturesque and bright. In this there is a special charm. But in the rainy season in these places it is difficult to travel, since even on a jeep here can not be passed.

Cape York is an outlandish paradise in the tropics, where a large number of endemic animals and plants of Australia are found. To feel all the charm of unspoilt nature, it is worth to visit these places.