Final answer:
The outback's harsh climate, geographical conditions, and the core-periphery spatial pattern in Australia contribute to the lack of economic activity in its interior, with limited agriculture and mining, and main income sources like tourism concentrated in areas with more favorable conditions along the coast.
Step-by-step explanation:
The interior region of Australia, known as the outback, has little to no economic activity due to its harsh climate conditions and geographical characteristics. Approximately 40 percent of Australia's interior is desert, with wide temperature variations between day and night due to the low humidity. This makes the area less conducive to continuous agricultural and human settlement. Economic Geography in the outback is contingent on sporadic agricultural operations that utilize underground water resources and extensive grazing lands for livestock, with limited engagement in other economic activities.
The remoteness and core-periphery spatial pattern of Australia also explain the economic inactivity in the interior. The sparse population in the region, combined with a concentration of economic and political influence on the coast where Type C climates prevail, relegates the outback to a secondary role in terms of economic contributions. Despite potential resources, the lack of infrastructure and services, including the primary means of education through television or radio for isolated children, further diminish the region's economic prospects. Meanwhile, Australia's primary means of income, tourism, along with mining to a lesser extent, mainly flourish in peripheral areas close to major urban centers or natural attractions.