About Gulf of Carpentaria:
- It is a shallow rectangular sea on the northern coast of Australiaand an inlet of the eastern Arafura Sea (a Pacific Ocean Sea separating New Guinea and Australia).
- The gulf covers a continental shelf common to both New Guinea and Australia. A ridge extends across Torres Strait, separating the floor of the gulf from the Coral Sea to the east.
- It is a rare modern example of an epicontinental sea(a shallow sea on top of a continent), a feature much more common at earlier times in the Earth’s geologic history.
- At least 20 rivers empty into the gulf, including the Roper, Wilton, Walker, Calvert, Flinders, McArthur, and Norman Rivers.
- There are several islands in the gulf, with Groote Eylandt, being the largest. The gulf also contains fringing reefs and coral colonies.
- It gained international recognition in the 20th and 21st centuries following the discovery and exploitation of several mineral resources, including manganese and bauxite.
