Q. Which of the following statements with regard to the physiography of Australia is/are correct?
1.The Great Dividing Range is a complex cordillera of ancient plateaus, upland escarpments, and residual mountain chains rather than a single continuous ridge.
2.The Australian continent is characteristically devoid of active, young fold mountain belts formed during the Cenozoic alpine orogeny.
3.The Eastern Highlands constitute Australia’s largest internal drainage division by geographical area.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer: A
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: The Great Dividing Range (East Australian Cordillera) consists of a series of plateaus, hill chains, and escarpments with an ancient geological history.
- Statement 2 is correct: Unlike Asia or South America, Australia lacks young fold mountain systems because it is located centrally on its tectonic plate, far from active convergent plate boundaries.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: The Western Plateau (covering nearly 60% of the landmass) is Australia’s largest drainage division, not the Eastern Highlands.
