GULF OF CARPENTARIA

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Context

A new tropical cyclone warning has been issued for the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Details

Gulf of Carpentaria

• The Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea off the northern coast of Australia.
• It is enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea, which separates Australia and New Guinea.

The land bordering the Gulf

• To the west is Arnhem Land, the Top End of the Northern Territory, and Groote Eylandt, the largest island in the Gulf.
• To the east is the Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait which joins the Gulf to the Coral Sea.
• The area to the south (like the Cape York Peninsula, part of Queensland) is known as the Gulf Country.
• The Gulf Country supports the world's largest intact savanna woodlands as well as native grasslands, known as the Carpentaria tropical savanna.

Prone  to tropical cyclones

• The Gulf is prone to tropical cyclones during the period between November and April.
• The gulf experiences an average of three cyclones each year that are thought to transport sediments in a clockwise direction along the Gulf's coast.

Coral reefs

The Gulf of Carpentaria is known to contain fringing reefs and isolated coral colonies, but no near-surface patch or barrier reefs exist in the Gulf at the present time.

Major rivers fall into the Gulf

• The Roper River, Walker River and Wilton River flow into the Gulf.

Industry

• Extensive areas of seagrass beds have allowed commercial shrimp operations in the Gulf.
• Zinc, lead and silver is mined from the McArthur River zinc mine and exported via the Gulf.

The Torres Strait

• The strait links the Coral Sea to the east with the Arafura Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria in the west.

PRACTICE QUESTION Gulf of Carpentaria is located in which of the following sea? Arafura Sea Coral Sea Timor Sea Seram sea Answer A