AUSSIE FACTS

Hello world here I am on a bloody cold morning feeling thankful that Tasha brought down a load of washing to toss in the dryer as the dryer is in the dining room end of the loungeroom thus warming the rooms by being on.

Anyway here are this weeks facts about the Northern Territory.

The Northern Territory (aka NT) is a vast federal territory in Australia famed for its Outback desert landscapes. In the arid The Northern Territory is a vast federal territory in Australia famed for its Outback desert landscapes. In the arid Red Centre lie the iconic sandstone monolith Uluru (Ayers Rock), the red-rock domes of Kata Tjuta and the sculpted cliffs of Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. Remote Alice Springs, the gateway town to the Red Centre desert, offers Aboriginal art galleries. Red Centre lie the iconic sandstone monolith Uluru (Ayers Rock), the red-rock domes of Kata Tjuta and the sculpted cliffs of Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. Remote Alice Springs, the gateway town to the Red Centre desert, offers Aboriginal art galleries.

Constitutionally, the territory was inferior in status to the states until 1978, and it had limited legislative powers until self-government was granted in that year. Its development since 1911, when it was transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia from South Australia, has been a major item of expenditure in terms of works, services, and inducements to producers to accept the risks of an uncertain physical and economic environment.

Due to the nature of the climate, the poor soils, distance from assured markets, and problems of recruiting labour have been considerable handicaps. Nevertheless, increased mining activity in the early 21st century significantly strengthened the economy. Moreover, since the end of the 20th century the population of the Northern Territory has become one of the fastest-growing in the country; most residents are concentrated in and around the capital city, Darwin. Area 520,902 square miles (1,349,129 square km). Population (2021) 232,605.

Australian Aborigines are thought to have lived there for at least 40,000 years. The settlement pattern of the Aborigines, however, remains a mystery, as does their origin. Estimates of pre-European population on the continent range from 250,000 to 1,000,000, of which perhaps one-sixth lived in the Northern Territory. Despite a multiplicity of tribal and clan structures, the groups shared cultural similarities in their indissoluble links to their lands and the importance of myth and ritual in maintaining those links.

Aboriginal, European, Asian, and other communities in the Northern Territory provide a distinct and varied cultural life. For the most part, Aboriginal people have retained their traditional clan structure, language, customs, and religious rituals, particularly in rural areas. In Darwin the Chinese and Greek communities are prominent in commercial and political life. The presence of a sizeable Timorese population, largely the result of political unrest surrounding the independence of East Timor in 2002, reflects Darwin’s long-standing role as a haven for refugees from Asia.

Although most residents have a suburban lifestyle similar to the rest of Australia, the frontier image of the territory prevails, reinforced by the predominance of pastoral activities and Aboriginal settlement over much of the area.