A four wheel drive in the Gibson Desert

The Gibson Desert is a Western Australian desert made up of sandhills and dry grass. The desert is about 155,000 square kilometers (60,000 square miles) in size. The only of the inhabitants of the area are Indigenous Australians. Wildlife includes the red kangaroo and the emu. The area was named after Alfred Gibson who perished while attempting to cross it during an expedition in 1874 with explorer Ernest Giles, who narrowly survived the same expedition. Image File history File links MVC-684F.JPG Gregory Clarke http://www. ... Image File history File links MVC-684F.JPG Gregory Clarke http://www. ... Four wheel drive or 4x4, is a type of four wheeled vehicle drivetrain configuration that enables all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously in order to provide maximum traction. ... Emblems: Floral - Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii); Mammal - Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus); Bird - Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Const. ... Desert view in Saudi Arabia. ... A sandhill is an ecological community type found in the southeastern coastal plain of North America. ... Indigenous Australians are the first inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands, continuing their presence during European settlement. ... Binomial name Macropus rufus Desmarest, 1822 The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos and the largest surviving marsupial. ... Species Dromaius novaehollandiae Dromaius baudinianus(extinct) Dromaius ater(extinct) Synonyms Dromiceius novaehollandiae disambiguation page The Emu (pronounced , or (primarily American) ) (Dromaius novaehollandiae, Latin for fast-footed New Hollander. ... Alfred Gibson (? - 1874) was an Australian explorer who perished in a 1874 expedition organised by Ernest Giles that sought to cross the deserts of Western Australia from east to west. ... See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Yours faithfully, Ernest Giles Photo in the frontespiece of his Australia Twice Traversed William Ernest Powell Giles (July 7, 1835–November 20, 1897), best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led three major expeditions in central Australia. ...

Climate

Rainfall in the Gibson Desert ranges from 200mm (7.8 in) to 250mm (9.8 in) annually. The climate is generally hot; summer maximum temperatures rise above 40°C (104°F)whilst in winter this may fall to 18°C (64°F)^[1].

Environment and wildlife

Due to the lack of large scale farming or industry in the area, the environment of the region has been relatively unchanged in recent times. However, some external species have recently arrived. There are several sheep stations on the edge of the desert, but many are unused or unaccsessible.

Leisure and tourism

The Gibson Desert Nature Reserve is popular for four wheel drivers accessible from the famous Gunbarrel Highway. The Gunbarrel Highway is an isolated desert track in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. ...

Geography

The Gibson Desert is south of the Great Sandy Desert and north of the Great Victoria Desert. The altitude rises above 500 meters (1600 ft) and most larger settlements are in higher (and cooler) regions This article is about the Australian desert. ... The Great Victoria Desert is a barren, arid and sparsely populated desert ecoregion in southern Australia. ...

References

• ↑  Great Victoria and Gibson Deserts, Western Australia from Climate and Weather Atlas of Australia by Michael Thompson, verified 2006-01-23.
• Gibson desert (AA1303), written by the World Wildlife Fund, from National Geographic magazine.

Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. ... The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ...

External links

• Gibson Desert 1997; a photo album of the Gibson Desert by Stuart Jackson, Verified 2006-01-23