Location and Description
The Australian Alps occupy less than 0.3% of the Australian landmass and run for 600 km from the Brindabella Ranges near Canberra along the borders of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria almost as far as Melbourne. The highest point is Mount Kosciuszko (2,228m) in the Snowy Mountains. On the Australian mainland these are the south-eastern section of the country's Great Dividing Range while there are also significant elements of montane grassland in Tasmania. These mountain areas are notable in Australia, which is mostly flat and dry, and the Alps receive almost a quarter of the country's rainfall and are the water source for almost half of the population. Winters are dark, cold and windy with snow on the ground, with Mount Kosciuszko for example only having 10 frost-free days per year.
On the mainland, the Australian Alps montane grasslands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Southeast Australia temperate forests ecoregion.
Read more about this topic: Australian Alps Montane Grasslands
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