Fraser Island

Fraser Island or Great Sandy Island, 66 sq mi (171 sq km), in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Queensland, Australia; on the west it borders Hervey Bay (NW) and the Great Sandy Strait (SW). Known as K'gari to the aboriginal Butchulla people, it is the world's largest sand island (76 mi/123 km long, 14 mi/22 km wide), with dunes as much as 656 ft (200 m) high, sand cliffs, and extensive beaches as well as varied plant communities and ground parrots, flying foxes, and dingoes. Logging was a principal activity until the island was named a world heritage site in 1991.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Australian and New Zealand Physical Geography