The largest barrier reef system in the world is found at _______.

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the world's largest barrier reef system, stretching approximately 2,300 kilometers (1,429 miles) [3]. It is located in the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia, specifically along the coast of Queensland [4]. This massive complex is not a single continuous reef but consists of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands [3]. It extends from the northern Torres Strait to the Capricorn-Bunker Group in the south [2]. Geographically, it runs in a northwest-southeast direction along the continental shelf of the North East Australian Coast. As the largest living structure on Earth, it is even visible from space and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981 due to its immense biodiversity and ecological significance [2].

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 17: Major Landforms and Cycle of Erosion > Fringing Reefs (Shore Reefs) > p. 222
2. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 17: Major Landforms and Cycle of Erosion > Reef > p. 219
3. [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 11: Islands and Coral Reefs > Types of Goral Reef > p. 100
4. [4] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 31: Ocean Relief > Reef > p. 485