Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-07-13

I prepared by the National Geographic So
eiety. Washington. ID. -
The summer conference of the pre-
/ miers of British domlnions, including
I the premier OF Australia, and the gen
eral understanding that Australia Is
Y In close sympathy with the United
I States in the matter OF oriental inn
Z migration. makes that far-away COM
mOnweslth Of more than ordinary in
Y tereSt 10 Americans Just now.
Australia Is the most isolated or all
I Inhabited continents and is remote
I from the center OF all Of the worlds
activities. NOrthward the sailing dis
lance 10 Japan is approximately 5000
nautical miles; 10 India, $500 miles.
I South America is 1900 miles 10 the east;
and Africa an equal distance west.
From London 10 the capital OF Aus
I ualla ships by the Suez route traverse
/ approximately 1000 miles Of water
and by the Ponama canal. 1874 miles.
From California ports the routes via
7 Samoa. or FIJI. or Tahiti cover a quar-
\ ter Of the circumference OF the earth.
/ AuStralla's only large civilized neigh
Dor within q radius OF 1.00O miles is
I Java.
Few Americans Go There.
The continent, lying thus far out
side the ordinary routes of travel, Is
/ rarely visited by Americans. For most
7 Of Us knowledge Of this fascinating
I land is obtained by a study OF "A few
pages in the back OF school geog-
raphies-psges descriptive of Aus
tralla and New Zealand" and accom-
! panied by a map Of Australia and
I the Islands OF the Pacific" on n scale
I too small for the recognition OF signif-
I lcant features.
One Of the first surprises awaiting
I The tourist from the northern hemi-
/ sphere Ia TO find that Australia and
I New Zealand may not be grouped as
I two islands OF like appearance. differ
Ing mainly IN size; near neighbOrs
7 which NAV be treated as "A unit. New
I Zealand Is nearly twice as far from
T Australia Is Bermuda Is from New
York. and is not only east but also
south.
The southern coast OF the Aus
trnllan mainland has the latitude of
central New Jersey, while the south
ernmost a the three Islands which
comprise the Dominion Of New Yea
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 a. features distinctly Aus
unlian-a neverendlng source of in-
terest 90 the geogrspher.
Australia Il q large country. IL is
about fourteen times the size Of
France or Germany. twenty-five times
the size Of Italy, or Ecuador, and two
and oHs-half times the size Of Ar
gentlna. its chief competitor I'm the
southern hemisphere. Its 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 IL near
ly the shape OF the United States.
Level In surfacs, Low in Elevation.
Australia IL the most level in sur
face and regular In outline Of all the
continents. and even Of most large Is
lands. II IL also the lowest continent
with an average elevation about that
7 Of Ohio It's surface lacks variety.
Y Tie cha axe from one type OF topog-
raphy is so gradual, and significant
natural features are so few aud so
widely spaced that. with the excep-
ton 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-
F Ite and the Grand canyon, of Nor
/ wegian fjords and Alpine scenery, need
not visit Australia. Its mountain
scenery IS that of the southern APP
palachians. the White mountains, and
the low ranges Of Arizona. Its 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-
seouent distribution OF vegetation and
people better exemplifled. A birds
aye view OF Australia shows a belt OF
vegetation extending along It's north.