The Great Dividing Range is Australia's most substantial mountain range, stretching over 3,500 kilometers from the northeastern tip of Queensland, through New South Wales and Victoria, to the Grampians in western Victoria. It is the third-longest land-based mountain range in the world. As its name suggests, it forms a critical watershed: rivers flowing to the east empty into the Pacific Ocean, while rivers flowing to the west eventually reach the Murray-Darling Basin or the Gulf of Carpentaria. The range includes the Australian Alps and Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 meters). The mountains are characterized by diverse environments, from tropical rainforests in the north to snow-capped subalpine plateaus in the south. The range significantly influences the Australian climate, as it blocks moisture from the Tasman Sea, creating a rain shadow that contributes to the aridity of the country's interior.