Murray (river)

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Principal river of Australia, which rises in the Snowy Mountains of the Australian Alps near Mount Kosciusko, in New South Wales; length 2,540 km/1,578 mi. The Murray flows west and northwest, for most of its length forming the boundary between New South Wales and Victoria, then turns south to reach the Southern Ocean at Encounter Bay, southeast of Adelaide in South Australia. The River Murray is an important source of hydroelectric power and water for irrigation which supports farming in over 4,000 ha/1,000,000 acres. With its main tributary, the Darling, it is 3,750 km/2,330 mi long. Together the basins of these rivers produce 40% of the country's agricultural wealth, including wheat, fruit, and wine, as well as the products of pastoral farming, especially of sheep and cattle.

The main towns on the Murray's course are Albury-Wodonga, Echuca, Mildura, and Murraybridge.

Blue is the colour of the People's United Party. Sub umbra floreo, ‘I flourish in the shade’, is the national motto. Effective date: late 1980s. >>