(CNN) -- Australia's northeastern state of Queensland begins 2011 facing historic river flooding along many coastal rivers, namely the Fitzroy River near the city of Rockhampton. In Rockhampton, the river is expected to reach its crest on Wednesday at a height exceeded only once in recorded history, back in January 1918.

The landmark floods, which have affected at least 200,000 people and spanned an area approximately the size of France and Germany, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, are the result of extremely heavy rains which occurred at the end of 2010.

Many locations along the central coast of Queensland saw rainfall amounts during the month of December top 800mm (31.5 inches), which amounted to 400 percent of their average for the month.