Question

6th Grade Social Studies Worksheet
Learning Target:
Describe how Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources impact trade and affect where
people live.
Passage: Australia’s Geography and Its Impact on People and
Trade
Australia is the smallest continent but one of the largest countries in the world. Its geography greatly
influences where people live and how the nation trades with other countries. Most Australians live
near the coastline. One major reason is that the coastal areas have a mild climate with moderate
rainfall, making them comfortable places to live. In contrast, the center of Australia—called the
Outback—is extremely hot, dry, and difficult to farm. Because of these harsh conditions, few people
choose to live there.
Australia’s location also affects its trade. Since the country is surrounded by water, it depends
heavily on ships to transport goods. Being close to major Asian countries like China, Japan, and
South Korea helps Australia trade easily with them. These trading partners buy many Australian
resources such as coal, iron ore, and natural gas.
Natural resources are a big part of Australia’s economy. Even though many people don’t live in the
center of the country, the Outback contains valuable minerals. Mining companies operate in these
remote areas and then send the resources to coastal ports. From there, the goods are shipped
around the world. Because of its location, climate, and natural resources, Australia has developed
strong trading relationships that help support its economy.
Questions
1. What’s the author’s viewpoint?
(Hint: What does the author believe about Australia’s geography and its importance?)
2. Identify two details that support this viewpoint.
1.
2.
3. Why do most Australians live near the coast?
4. Why do you think people avoid living in the center of Australia?
Vocabulary Review Questions
1. What is climate, and how is it different from weather?
2. What are natural resources? Give one example found in Australia.
3. What does the word coastline mean, and why is it important to Australians?

Answer 1

1. What’s the author’s viewpoint?
- The author believes that Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources strongly influence where people live and help shape the country’s trade and economy.

2. Identify two details that support this viewpoint.
1. Most Australians live near the coastline because coastal areas have a mild climate and moderate rainfall.
2. The Outback is hot, dry, and hard to farm, so few people live there; however, it contains valuable minerals that are mined and shipped from coastal ports.

3. Why do most Australians live near the coast?
- Because the coast has a milder climate, more rainfall, and more comfortable living conditions (and it has ports and jobs), making it easier to live there than inland.

4. Why do you think people avoid living in the center of Australia?
- The center (the Outback) is extremely hot, very dry, and difficult to farm or get water and services, so living there is hard.

Vocabulary Review Questions
1. What is climate, and how is it different from weather?
- Climate is the usual pattern of weather (temperature, rainfall, seasons) in a place over a long time. Weather is the short-term conditions (like today’s temperature or a rainstorm).

2. What are natural resources? Give one example found in Australia.
- Natural resources are materials found in nature that people use, like minerals, water, or fuels. Example: coal (also iron ore or natural gas).

3. What does the word coastline mean, and why is it important to Australians?
- The coastline is the place where the land meets the ocean. It’s important because many people live there, and it has ports for shipping goods, fishing, and milder climates for settlement.