The Northern Territory is the Federal territory of Australia that occupies most
part of the northern center zone of the country, being its capital the city of Darwin.
This vast state has borders with South Australia to the south, Western Australia
at west, the Timor Sea, the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Arafura Sea at north and
Queensland at east. This region covers around 1 349 129 square kilometers (520 902
square miles) and is composed by a great tropical region and a substantial amount
of desert areas. The Northern Territory is also one of the best areas to learn about
the Australian Aborigines, because, it was amongst the last zones to come into contact
with European people, therefore, there are many vestiges of the native culture in
this ancient land.
View of Darwin City
The Northern Territory is one of the areas less populated of the world. It has around
218000 inhabitants and its population density is about 0.16 inhabitants per square
kilometer (0.4 inhabitants per square mile). The Northern Territory has two main
climates; the northern zone, where it is the Capital Darwin and the Kakadu national
Park has a tropical climate, hot and humid with two main seasons: wet and dry. Most
rainfalls occurs between November and April, being from May to October the best
time to visit this zone, when the days are warm and sunny with temperatures around
30ºC (86ºF)til 0ºC (32ºF) at night. The annual rate of rainfall is 1200
mm (48 inches) with occasional snowfalls.
The other climate of the Northern region is in the desert, where it can find cities
such as Ayers Rock or Alice Springs. This zone is very dry; since, it receives less
than 255 mm of precipitations per year. Besides, it is also very hot, mainly in
summer (from December to March), when temperatures can reach 38ºC (100 ºF).
Nevertheless, in winter (from June to August), temperatures can decrease until 18ºC (64ºF).
The main economical activity of the Northern region is the mining. This region produces
a great number of minerals and petroleum; besides, it generates also a great part
of the energy that consumes Australia. The Northern Territory is one of the most
prosperous parts of Australia; since, its gross state product per capita is $63548,
which is almost $20000 more than the national average of Australia. The tourism
is also an important source of incomes to this region, thanks to famous attractions
such as the Kakadu national park or Uluru, which turned the Northern Territory one
of the preferred tourist destinations of the country.
The capital of the region, the city of Darwin is a
nice city located at the Timor
Sea, whose population is around 120 000 inhabitants, being the least populous capital
of Australia. It is an important interchange center between Australia and Asian
countries such as Indonesia or East Timor. This city was named thus, in honor to
the famous scientist Charles Darwin, the author of the evolutionist theory. This
is a vibrant and tropical capital city, perched on a deepwater port, which offers
a blend of cosmopolitan pleasures. It also acts as a gateway to key Top natural
and cultural attractions. It is also a common base for the tourists that visit the
famous Kakadu National Park.
The Northern Territory has an excellent net of roads and highways that allow the
transport through the entire region and neighboring states, connecting cities such
as Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Jabiru amongst others. Besides there are also
train services, like the Adelaide-Darwin Railway, that connects Adelaide and Alice
Springs at south with Darwin at north. The main airport of the zone is the Darwin
International Airport, which receives local and international flights;
but, there
are airports also in cities such as Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock.
The Northern Territory is a beautiful land full of wonders and ancestral culture
that worth visiting.