Some Australian ranches, also known as "stations," are thousands of square miles in size because of the country's unique geography and climate. Australia has a relatively low population density, with most people living in urban areas along the coast, leaving vast stretches of land in the interior uninhabited. These areas are often arid and unsuitable for farming, but they can support large-scale grazing operations. Additionally, the semi-nomadic lifestyle of early Australian ranchers, known as "drovers," required large tracts of land to accommodate the movement of livestock across long distances. The combination of these factors led to the development of large cattle stations in Australia's outback.