East Australian Cordillera
| Great Dividing Range | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Highlands | |
 |
|
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Kosciuszko |
| Elevation | 2,228 m (7,310 ft) |
| Coordinates | 36°27′S 148°16′E / 36.450°S 148.267°E |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 3,500 km (2,200 mi) North–South |
| Geography | |
| Country | Australia |
| States | New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria |
| Range coordinates | 25°S 147°E / 25°S 147°ECoordinates: 25°S 147°E / 25°S 147°E |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Carboniferous |
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest land-based range in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 kilometres (2,175 mi) from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through New South Wales, then into Victoria and turning west, before finally fading into the central plain at the Grampians in western Victoria. The width of the range varies from about 160 km (100 mi) to over 300 km (190 mi).
The sharp rise between the coastal lowlands and the eastern uplands has affected Australia's climate, mainly due to orographic precipitation, and these areas of highest relief have revealed an impressive gorge country.
The Dividing Range does not consist of a single mountain range. It consists of a complex of mountain ranges, plateaus, upland areas and escarpments with an ancient and complex geological history. The physiographic division name for the landmass is called the East Australian Cordillera. In some places the terrain is relatively flat, consisting of very low hills. Typically the highlands range from 300 m to 1,600 m in height.
The mountains and plateaus, which consist of limestones, sandstone, quartzite, schists and dolomite, have been created by faulting and folding processes.
The crest of the range is defined by the watershed or boundary between the drainage basins of rivers which drain directly eastward into the Pacific Ocean, or southward into Bass Strait, and those rivers which drain into the Murray–Darling river system towards the west and south. In the north, the rivers on the west side of the range drain towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.
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