Gascoyne
- 24.921415114.884275Koordinaten: 24 ° 55 ' S, 114 ° 53 ' E
Gascoyne is one of the nine regions in Western Australia, located in the northwest of Australia. The region has a coastline of about 600 km along the Indian Ocean, located about 500 km inland and covers an area of 135,277 km ² (including offshore islands ).
Population
Gascoyne has the smallest population and population density of all regions of Australia. Most of the approximately 10,000 people live in the cities and towns Carnarvon, Exmouth, Denham, Gascoyne Junction and Coral Bay. Gascoyne is divided into the following Local Government Areas of Western Australia: Shire of Carnarvon, Shire of Exmouth, Shire of Shark Bay and Upper Gascoyne Shire of.
History
Before European colonists arrived in the region, lived in this area for thousands of years Aboriginal people. The first Europeans who came to the area, was Dirk Hartog 1616; other explorers were Willem Jansz, William Dampier, Nicolas Baudin and Phillip King. 1839 was the discoverer George Grey in the area and gave the Gascoyne River its name. The Shark Bay was one of the first areas of the Australian pearling industry in the 1850s. 1858 Francis Thomas Gregory explored the region and was then known that the area is very well suited for settlement and agriculture, after the colonization of the region began in the 1860s and Carnarvon was appointed in 1883 to the city.
Climate
The region has a moderate arid and tropical climate. It's all year round warm, with a maximum average temperature of 22 ° C in July and 35 ° C in January, 320 days of sunshine. The annual rainfall varies, is low and is 200 mm, of which most comes from cyclones. As a result of the climate, the region is only covered by undergrowth, especially of spinifex, Mulgabüschen and very small trees. In the hinterland of Gascoyne is home to the Kennedy Range and Mt Augustus, the largest monolith in the world.
Economics
Tourism
The economic development of Gascoyneregion is essentially determined by the tourism. Tourists come because of the warm and dry climate and long coastline and the natural beauty of the Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay. The Shark Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; also for the Ningaloo Reef, an application has been submitted for approval. Furthermore, there are significant national parks such as the Kennedy Range National Park and Mount Augustus National Park.
Agriculture
Grazing management is important for the region; 84 % of the country is used in this way. Along the Gascoyne River at Carnarvon are 170 horticultural businesses in an area of 1,500 hectares, bananas, grapes, tomatoes, peppers and mangoes grow. This area was devastated in 2010 by a flooding of the Gascoyne River.
Mining
Major oil and gas reserves on the North West Cape in Carnarvonbecken and off the coast are degraded. At Cape Cuvier, north of Carnarvon and Shark Bay at Useless Loop salt is obtained, which is of importance for the chemical industry. There are gold, uranium and diamonds in the region. Tourmaline and Amethyst is found in the Upper Gascoyne. Limestone is mined north of Carnarvon; economic importance has also the gypsum mining.