Great Victoria Desert
The Great Victoria Desert isbarren, aridsparsely populated regionsouthern Australia. Itover 700 kilometres wide (from westeast)is separated fromSouthern Ocean byNullarbor Plain. It falls insidestatesSouth AustraliaWestern Australiaconsistsmany small sandhills, grasslandssalt lakes.The rainfalllow, but not as low as many deserts, ranging from 200 - 250 mm (8-10 inches) per year. Also, thunderstormsrelatively common inGreat Victoria Desert,an average15 - 20 thunderstorms per annum. Summer daytime temperatures range from 32-40 degrees celsius (90-104F). In winter, this falls18-23 degrees celsius (64-75F). Snow never falls inGreat Victoria Desert.
Very little farming activitycarried out inGreat Victoria Desert.
Itinhabited by many different groupsAustralian Aborigines, includingKogara andMirning.
The year 1875 saw British explorer Ernest Giles becomefirst Europeancrossdesert. He nameddesert aftercurrent British queen attime, Queen Victoria.
