Nullarbor Plain

Nullarbor Plain [Lat.,=no trees], vast, barren limestone plateau, c.100,000 sq mi (260,000 sq km), S Australia, extending from the Great Victoria Desert (N) to the Great Australian Bight (S) in Western Australia and South Australia states. One of the largest karst areas in the world, the region has a semiarid to arid climate, includes sand dunes and cavern systems and caves, and rises to 1,000 ft (305 m). The minimal vegetation consists mainly of saltbush and bluebush; there are kangaroos, wombats, dingoes, and emus. A few sheep stations dot the plain, which is traversed by the Trans-Australian Railway and Eyre Highway, and there is a tourism industry. Nullarbor National Park, 2,290 sq mi (5,931 sq km), lies along the southern coastal cliffs within the region.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Australian and New Zealand Physical Geography