The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-07-07

Prepared by the National Geographic So.
ciety, Washington. ID. O.
The summer conference of the pre-
miers of British dominions, including
the premier of Australia, and the gen.
eral understanding that Australia is
In close sympathy with the United
States in the matter of oriental i'm
migration, makes that far-away COM
monwealth Of more than ordinary in
terest to Americans just now.
Australia Is the most isolated of all
Inhabited continents and is remote
from the center of all of the worlds
activities. Northward the sailing dis
lance TO Japan Is approximately 5000
nautical miles; to India, $500 miles.
South America is 1000 miles to the east !;
and Africa an equal distance west.
From London TO the capital Of Aus
tralia ships by the Suez route traverse
approximately 1000 miles Of water
and by the Panama canal. 1874 miles.
From California ports the routes via
Samoa, or Fiji, or Tahiti cover a quar-
Australia's only large civilized neigh
Dor within a radius of 1000 miles is
Java.
Few Americans Go There.
The continent, lying thus far out
side the ordinary routes of travel, is
rarely visited by Americans. For most
of us knowledge Of this fascinating
land Is obtained by study Of few
pages in the back of school geog-
raphies-pages descriptive Of Aus
tralia and New Zealand" and accom-
panied by map Of Australia and
the Islands of the Pacific" on scale
too small for the recognition of signif-
icant features.
One Of the first surprises awaiting
the tourist from the northern hemi-
sphere is to find that Australia and
New Zealand may not be grouped as
two islands of like appearance, differ
ing mainly In size; near neighb0rs
which may be treated as a unit. New
Zealand is nearly twice as far from
Australia as Bermuda is from New
IOIh, uuu 10 uOt Oilly euSt Dut ulSO
south.
The southern coast of the Aus
tralian mainland has the latitude Of
central New Jersey, while the south
ernmost of the three islands which
comprise the Dominion Of New Zea-
land occupies the position of southern
Newfoundland.
Unique vegetation Of remarkable
variety and beauty, animal life of by
gone geological periods, and an alb
original population, the lowest in the
scale Of beings having human form,
stand out as features distinctly Aus
tralian-a never-ending source of in
terest to the geographer.
Australia Is large country. 1t Is
about fourteen times the size Of
France or Germany, twenty-five times
the size Of Italy or Ecuador, and two
and one-half times the size Of Ar
gentina, it's chief competitor in the
southern hemisphere. It's area is equal
to three-fourths of Europe, one-third
OF all North America, or one-fourth
of the British Empire. The continent
Is almost exactly the size and is near
ly the shape Of the United States.
Level in Surface, Low In Elevation.
Australia Is the most level in sur
face and regular in outline Of all the
continents, and even Of most large is
lands. II Is also the lowest continent,
with an average elevation about that
Of Ohio. It's surface lacks variety.
The change from one type of topog-
raphy Is so gradual, and significant
natural features are so few and so
widely spaced that, with the excep-
tion Of the Murray river, they are not
utilized In marking the boundaries of
states.
The traveller in search of duplicates
Of the Canadian Rockies, the Yosem-
tie and the Grand canyon, Of Nor
wegian fjords and Alpine scenery, need
not visit Australia. It's mountain
scenery is that of the southern APP
palachians, the White mountains. and
the low ranges Of Arizona. It's plains
and plateaus are comparable with
those Of the Rocky Mountain foothills
and the arid expenses Of Utah, Idaho
and Oregon.
Although the moutains are low com
pared with those Of other continents,
their influence is great, for nowhere
is their control Of rainfall and con-
sequent distribution Of vegetation and
people better exemplified A birds
eye view Of Australia shows a belt of
vegetation extending along is north,