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LOCATION: In the Central-north of Australia between Queensland and Western Australia, and north of South Australia. CLIMATE: Highest temp. 48.2° C at Charlotte Waters; lowest -7.5° at Alice Springs. The Top End has a high rainfall in the 'Wet Season' (Nov.to March) with warm winters due to its proximity to the equator. The southern section has mainly hot, dry weather with very cold winter nights.

Darwin was first settled in 1839 after 2 previous attempts.
On Christmas Eve, 1974 it was practically obliterated by Cyclone Tracy and was rebuilt over the ensuing years with cyclone proof houses and is now Australia's most modern city.
It is also one of the fastest growing. Prior to the cyclone there was a population of around 44,000, there are now over 100,000 people living in and enjoying Darwin.
In the south, Alice Springs began as a repeater station on the Overland Telegraph Line between Adelaide and Darwin and grew slowly as people congregated around the tiny settlement. It was not until the railway line reached there in 1929 that the town began to prosper.
Alice Springs had a population of some 8,000 in 1969. Today there is in excess of 30,000 living there.
The main industry of the Territory is beef cattle and massive stations measured in thousands of square kilometres comprise around half of the state. The other half is occupied by aboriginal groups and a permit is needed to access much of this land.
Uranium is mined in the mid-north and Tennant Creek has copper mines.
It was announced in November 1999 that continuation of the railway line from Alice Springs to Darwin would commence shortly. This guarantee was contained in the hand-over documents when administration of the Northern Territory passed from South Australia to the Federal Government in 1911 but has been ignored by successive governments (excluding the Fraser Government of the 1970/80's which charted a route for it) until now. Completion will open up fast passenger and freight services between Asia and the Southern and Eastern populated areas and should see increased growth and development of the Territory.
The Northern Territory contains two of Australia's best known attractions. Kakadu in the north, and Ayers Rock (Uluru) in the south.

In Vorbereitung