Nullarbor Plain

Nullarbor Plain
Vast limestone plateau, southern Australia.

It lies along the south coast of western South Australia and eastern Western Australia, extending north from the Great Australian Bight to the Great Victoria Desert. It occupies 100,000 sq mi (260,000 sq km) of generally flat surface in bedrock. The name Nullarbor is derived from the Latin nullus arbor ("no tree"). The Nullarbor National Park preserves rare vegetation and fauna. The plain has many limestone caves, including Koonalda Cave, an archaeological site. The park is crossed by the world's longest stretch of straight railroad track (330 mi [530 km]).

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      vast limestone plateau, extending westward for roughly 400 miles (650 km) from Ooldea in South Australia into Western Australia and northward from the Great Australian Bight (a wide bay) for 250 miles (400 km) to the Great Victoria Desert. The plain occupies 100,000 square miles (260,000 square km) of generally flat surface in bedrock; the elevation averages 600 feet (180 m), but in places it rises to 1,000 feet (300 m). Its vegetation chiefly consists of saltbush and blue bush, with some grasses and flowers appearing after rare winter rains (annually averaging 10 inches [254 mm] or less). The Nullarbor National Park preserves rare vegetation and fauna. The plain has many limestone caves, including Koonalda Cave, an important archaeological site. The name Nullarbor is derived from the Latin nullus arbor (“no tree”).

      Crossed (1841) by the British colonial administrator Edward John Eyre (Eyre, Edward John), the plain is today traversed 100 miles (160 km) inland by the world's longest stretch of straight railroad track (330 miles [530 km]) and by the Eyre Highway, nearer the coast. There are scattered sheep stations along the margins, supplied by artesian water.

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  • Nullarbor Plain — Nullarbor redirects here. For other uses, see Nullarbor (disambiguation). NASA Visible Earth, Nullarbor. The true Nullarbor is the light tan semi circular area adjacent to the coast. Image acquired by the Terra (satellite) on 19 August 2002 The… …   Wikipedia

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  • Nullarbor Plain — Die Nullarbor Wüste in Australien Die Nullarbor Wüste (von lat. nulla arbor = kein Baum , auch Nullarbor Ebene) ist eine flache, weit ausgedehnte Karstwüste im südlichen Australien direkt an der Großen Australischen Bucht. Sie ist mit rund… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nullarbor Plain — noun a vast arid plain of southern Australia stretching inland from the Great Australian Bight; has sparse vegetation and no surface water and is almost uninhabited; the site of a major rocket research center • Instance Hypernyms: ↑plain, ↑field …   Useful english dictionary

  • Nullarbor Plain — geographical name treeless plain SW Australia in Western Australia & South Australia bordering on Great Australian Bight …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Nullarbor Plain — /nʌləbɔ ˈpleɪn/ (say nuluhbaw playn) noun a plain lying behind the Great Australian Bight, stretching from the WA–SA border 300 km to the west and 250 km to the east, at its widest 400 km. {Latin: no tree} …  

  • Nullarbor Plain —  Western Australia. Often misspelled Nullabor …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • Nullarbor Plain —    , Western Australia. Often misspelled Nulla bor …   Dictionary of troublesome word

  • Nullarbor, South Australia — Nullarbor South Australia The Nullarbor Roadhouse …   Wikipedia

  • Nullarbor National Park — IUCN Category II (National Park) …   Wikipedia

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