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The Gulf of Carpentaria from an 1859 Dutch map
The Gulf of Carpentaria from an 1859 Dutch map

The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Arafura Sea is west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the Continental shelf between Australia and New Guinea. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known In geological terms, the Gulf is young; it was dry land as recently as the last ice age. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets

The land bordering the Gulf is generally flat and low-lying. To the west is Arnhem Land and the Top End of the Northern Territory. The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. The Top End is the second northernmost point on the continent of Australia, behind the Cape York Peninsula. The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the center of the mainland continent as well as the central northern regions To the east is the Cape York Peninsula. This article is about the peninsula located in the Australian state of Queensland; it should not be confused with either Yorke Peninsula in South Australia The area to the south (like the Cape York Peninsula, part of Queensland) is known as the "Gulf Country" or simply "the Gulf. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent "

The climate is hot and humid with two seasons per year. The dry season lasts from about April until November and is characterized by very dry southeast to east winds, generated by migratory winter high pressure systems to the south. The wet season lasts from December to March. Most of a year's rainfall is compressed into these months, and during this period, many low-lying areas are flooded. The Gulf is also a breeding ground for cyclones during the period between November and April. In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth.

In many other parts of Australia, there are dramatic climatic transitions over fairly short distances. The Great Dividing Range, which parallels the entire east and south-east coast, is responsible for the typical pattern of a well-watered coastal strip, a fairly narrow band of mountains, and then a vast, inward-draining plain that receives little rainfall. The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australia 's most substantial Mountain range. In the Gulf Country, however, there are no mountains to restrict rainfall to the coastal band and the transition from the profuse tropical growth of the seaside areas to the arid scrubs of central Australia is gradual.

The first known European explorer to visit the region was the Dutch Willem Janszoon (whose name is also written as Jansz) in his 1606 voyage. The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers Not to be confused with Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638 a contemporary Dutch cartographer Willem Janszoon (c Willem Janszoon made the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent in 1606 in the Duyfken. His fellow countryman Jan Carstenszoon (or Carstensz. Jan Carstenszoon (also known by the abbreviation of his Patronym Carstensz or Carstensz ) visited in 1623 and named the gulf in honor of Pieter de Carpentier, at that time Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Pieter de Carpentier (1586 or 88 &ndash 5 September 1659) was a Dutch, or Flemish, administrator of the Dutch East India Company, The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies represented the Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia Abel Tasman also explored the coast in 1644. Abel Janszoon Tasman ( 1603 - October 10 1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and Merchant. The region was later explored and charted by Matthew Flinders in 1802 and 1803. Captain Matthew Flinders, RN (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814 was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

The first overland explorer in the area was the Prussian Ludwig Leichhardt who traversed the area in 1844 and 1845. Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt ( October 23, 1813 - probably 1848 in Inner Australia was a Prussian explorer and naturalist Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He was followed by Augustus Gregory of the North Australian Expedition in 1856, and then Burke and Wills in 1861. Sir Augustus Charles Gregory (1 August 1819 – 25 June 1905 was an English -born Australian explorer Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year In 1860-61 Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common John McKinlay, Frederick Walker and William Landsborough lead separate search parties into the Gulf looking for Burke and Wills in 1861 and 1862. John McKinlay ( 26 August 1819 – 31 December 1872) was an explorer of Australia. Frederick Walker can refer to different people Frederick Walker (1820-1886 an explorer Frederick "Mysterious" Walker (1885-1958 William Landsborough (c1825 &ndash 1886 explorer was born in Ayrshire, Scotland and went to Australia when a young man Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday

In September and October the Morning Glory Cloud appears in the Southern Gulf. The Morning Glory cloud is a rare meteorological phenomenon observed in Northern Australia 's Gulf of Carpentaria. The best vantage point to see this phenomenon is in the Burketown area shortly after dawn.

Contents

Major rivers of the Gulf

Physiography

The Gulf is one of the distinct physiographic sections of the larger (and surrounding) Carpentaria Basin province, which in turn is part of the larger East Australian Basins physiographic division. The Roper River (named after John Roper is one of the largest rivers in the Northern Territory, Australia, extending east for over 500 km to meet the sea in The McArthur River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland, Australia at about 840 km The Norman River is a river in Queensland, Australia. The river originates in the Gregory Range and flows 420 km northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria The Gilbert-Einasleigh River is one of the largest river systems in northern Australia. The Mitchell River is a river in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Staaten River is a river in the Cape York Peninsula, Australia that rises to the west of Cairns and empties into the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Pop Culture

The area around the Gulf of Carpentaria is a major ZAFT military base in the mecha anime series Gundam SEED. This is a list of fictional nations and factions from the Cosmic Era (CE timeline of the Gundam Anime Metaseries. Word origin and usage The term "mecha" is derived from the Japanese abbreviation for the English word " mechanical " shortened to Gundam SEED, is an Anime television series and a Manga series by Sunrise.

External links

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