Australia is a very dry continent with only parts of the coast truly thriving in population and tropical environment. Even though we are one of the most urbanized countries in the world, the majority of our country isn't even populated and there a vast lack of buildings in the centre of the country.

The Australian outback covers 6.5 million square kilometres of the country's land mass. However, because it is so dry it is only inhabited by less than 60,000 people. These 6.5 million square kilometres is primarily made up of Australian deserts, including the Great Sandy Desert, Gibson, Tanami, Simpson and the Great Victorian Desert. These deserts in total make up 18% of the continent. A further 35% of Australia receives so little rainfall it is also considered as desert.

In total, 70% of the continent of Australia is classified as arid or semi-arid, which means that it gets as little as 500mm of rain a year. This makes it the driest inhabited continent on earth.

Australian deserts can be found around a certain latitude, which is roughly 30 degrees north/south of the equator. This is where weather phenomena create a dry climate and is therefore why the centre of Australia is so dry. Hot moist air rises at the equator. It cools as it moves north or south; the moisture condenses and falls as abundant rain onto the tropical regions. Finally the now dry air sinks over the subtropical regions, warming as it sinks, which encourages evaporation, and voila: you get more evaporation than rain, perfect conditions for the formation of a desert.

Australia's dry centre is home to open spaces, an eerie quietness and a sense of solitude. It is full of stunning scenery, magnificent rocks and gorges, coloured sands, and unique plants and wildlife. The outback truly is an amazing place full of some of our country's most spectacular natural wonders!