Great Barrier Reef

Japanese: グレート･バリア･リーフ（英語表記）Great Barrier Reef

The world's largest coral reef (approximately 2,000 km long) and the surrounding waters (approximately 200,000 km2 in area) stretch from 10 to 24 degrees south latitude, off the east coast of Queensland in the northeast of the Australian continent. It is also called a great barrier reef. It was formed about 15,000 years ago, and the coral layer can reach a maximum thickness of 152 m. There are 700 islands scattered around, of various sizes, but not all of them are coral islands; some were formed by the sinking of parts of the former mainland. Generally, the reef is closer to the mainland in the north and farther from the mainland in the south.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

オーストラリア大陸北東部，クイーンズランド州東岸の沖合，南緯10～24゜に連なる世界最大のサンゴ礁(長さ約2000km)およびその海域(面積約20万km2)。大堡礁と訳される。約1万5000年前から形成され，サンゴ層の厚さは最大152mに達する。大小700の島が散在するが，すべてがサンゴ島ではなく，かつての本土の一部が沈降してできた島を含む。サンゴ礁は一般に北部ほど本土に近く，南部ほど本土から遠ざかる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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