Great Dividing Range, Mountain range in eastern Australia.
The Great Dividing Range is a mountain range in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, stretching 3700 kilometers along the eastern coast. The highest point rises at Mount Kosciuszko to 2228 meters, while the ridges are gentler and more forested in many places.
Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains section in 1813, opening the interior to further settlers. Before their arrival, the original inhabitants had created and used pathways over the mountains for thousands of years.
The ridges and valleys carry names from the languages of the original inhabitants who have lived and moved through these mountains for thousands of years. Many walking tracks today still follow old routes that once connected different groups.
The mountain chain runs north to south and divides rivers toward the west and east, so walkers experience the terrain differently depending on which slope they choose. Access is possible in many places, with some sections easily reached and others requiring a longer journey.
This chain is the fifth longest land-based mountain range in the world and the longest contained entirely within a single country. Water falling on the eastern side flows to the Pacific, while water on the western side moves through the interior toward the Indian Ocean.
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