Northern Territory
The Northern Territory ( ' nɔ ː dən tɛɹɪtɹɪ ) ( German: Northern Territory ) is an Australian Federal territory, that is, an administrative unit that, unlike the federated states such as Western Australia and South Australia does not have statehood. However, the territory is by federal law a large measure of self-government was granted, so that its status was in fact in line with the the member States; however, any law of the territory to be lifted by the Federal Parliament, as has been done with a law ( Rights of the Terminally Ill Act ) that had active euthanasia allowed. The territory has been inhabited extremely thin with about 219 818 inhabitants. The population is very multicultural; so in 24.1% of households have a non-English native language is spoken.
In the three largest cities in Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs almost 80 % of the total population of the territory live.
Geography
The Northern Territory is bordered to the west by Western Australia ( along the 129 degrees east ), to the south by South Australia ( 26 ° south ), and Queensland to the east ( 138 degrees east ). In the north it is bordered by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The coastline is 1,600 km long and is strongly divided by bays and estuaries; it alternate wetlands with sandy beaches from, in some cases there are also steep sections. For the Northern Territory are also some islands, including Groote Eylandt, Melville Iceland, Iceland Bathurst and the Wessel Islands.
At the coastal area is an extensive lowland connects, through the plateaus ( eg Arnhem Land ) and plateaus (eg, Barkly Tableland - ) is characterized. Only in the South Island mountains dominate the landscape, which run mainly in East-West direction. In the MacDonnell Ranges there is also Mount Zeil, the highest with 1,531 meters point of the Northern Territorys .. Large parts of dunes in the south are covered (eg, Simpson Desert).
The total area is 1,349,130 km ², which is about four times the size of Germany. In addition to Darwin ( 120,000 inhabitants ) include Palmerston ( 28 030 ), Alice Springs ( 27 481 ), Litchfield ( 18 277 ), Katherine ( 9912 ), Tennant Creek ( 5634 ) and Nhulunbuy ( 3719 ) to the larger cities.
The Northern Territory is divided into 17 local government areas, see Local Government Areas in the Northern Territory.
Climate
In the interior there is an arid desert climate, the coastal region in the north, however, is determined by the hot and humid monsoon and severe tropical storms ( cyclones ).
The maximum temperatures can reach 34 ° C in April around the tropical north of the country in the period from November. During this time, the humidity is at its highest and it is partly to be expected with heavy monsoon rains, so that dirt roads to tourist destinations are temporarily impassable. However, this season is especially beautiful because of its abundance of tropical flowers and numerous animals. In the remaining months the temperatures drop a bit and the humidity is lower.
Central Australia has a dry climate, up to 58 ° C, which can drop to 20 ° C with maximum temperatures in the Australian summer months in the other months, especially in June, July. At night, temperatures can cool down here from April to September from a few degrees Celsius.
History
In the area of present-day Northern Territorys live since about 40,000 years Aborigines, both in the tropical areas of the north and in the arid areas of the center. The coastal inhabitants driven for at least five centuries extensive seasonal trade with residents of present-day Indonesia.
After initial sightings by Europeans in the 17th century, the British tried in the 19th century to build a settlement on the north coast. On January 5, 1869 therefore established on the site of present-day Darwin with 135 settlers Palmerston, named after the British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston. The area was from 1825 to 1863 part of colonial New South Wales, with a brief interruption as part of the briefly existing colony North Australia from February to December 1846. From 1863 it was part of South Australia, under whose administration the overland telegraph line was built ( 1870-1872 ).
Between 1883 and 1889, also a railway line between Darwin and Pine Creek was built. Cattle developed into a major industry, so that the area of today's Northern Territorys around 1911 not only 513,000 beef cattle, but with Victoria River Downs was also home to the then largest cattle ranch in the world. In addition, from the 1870s the mining began, as in Grove Hill ( 1872), Pine Creek, Brocks Creek and Burrundi gold and at Daly River and copper were found.
On January 1, 1911, exactly a decade after the Australian Federation, ( the Australian federal government ), the Northern Territory of South Australia split off and the Commonwealth of Australia under represents.
Towards the end of 1912, the idea grew that the name " Northern Territory " was unsatisfactory. It was the name " Centralia ", " territoriality " and - similar to Queensland - " Kingsland " proposed (after George V), the latter enjoyed the greatest support. The renaming efforts silted however.
For a brief period 1927-1931, the Northern Territory was divided along the 20th degree of latitude south into North Australia and Central Australia.
In the time of the Holocaust parts of the NT in the Kimberley plan have been considered as a possible Jewish homeland in consideration in order to save Jews from Europe and to colonize the north of Australia, but this was not pursued further. During the Second World War, most of the Top End was under military government because of a feared Japanese invasion; after the war control to the Commonwealth was returned. This was the only time that an Australian State or Territory was under military control.
The Aborigines had suffered so far from poor wages and non-existent land rights. In February 1973, decorated with the Aboriginal Land Rights Commission, a Royal Commission, which investigated the land rights in the Northern Territory from 1973 to 1974. She suggested the establishment of a Central Country Council and a Northern Land Council, which should represent the views of Aboriginal people. The government of Gough Whitlam in 1975 drafted a law to implement, which was adopted in 1976 by the government of Malcolm Fraser as the Aboriginal Land Rights ( Northern Territory ) Act 1976. This law laid the basis for ensuring that Aboriginal people could claim for the first time based on their traditional habitation land rights. It occurred on the following Australia Day, 26 January 1977 in force.
The Territory was created in 1978 responsible government grants, with a Legislative Assembly headed by a Chief Minister. The Administrator of the Northern Territory is the indirect representative of the Queen, the formal head of state of Australia, in the Northern Territory.
Through the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act of 1995 was the Northern Territory briefly one of the few places in the world where euthanasia was legal. The law was repealed in 1997 but by a law of the covenant, making it de jure still in force, but in practice it is ineffective because it should not be used.
The history of the tropical areas of the Northern Territory and in particular the capital Darwin is also determined by the frequent cyclones. Particularly violent storms occurred in the years 1897, 1937 and 1974 ( Cyclone Tracy).
Population
Only 224,800 of the more than 22 million inhabitants live in the Northern Territory of Australia, which is about one percent of the country's population. Most residents are focused on the capital Darwin, Palmerston, and its satellite town which is considered the " center of the outback " Alice Springs in the interior. The remaining inhabitants spread across townships in the whole territory, but especially along the Stuart Highway, which crosses the territory in north-south direction, as well as some sprawling farms.
The Northern Territory has a 29 percent share of the largest Aboriginal Australia (average: 2.4 percent). The largest tribes are the Pitjantjatjara near Uluru, the Arrernte to Alice Springs, the Luritja between those two, the Warlpiri further north, and the Yolngu in eastern Arnhem Land.
Economy
Economic activity in the Northern Territory is limited not only by the arid climate, but also by those with some 225,000 inhabitants only small population. These are only 1% of the Australian population. That the Northern Territory nevertheless accounts for about one-sixth of the land area of Australia, therefore, has a minimal economic impact: A significant part of the country has no inhabitants on. Overall economy plays in the Northern Territory for the Australian economy therefore only a minor role.
The relative importance of the largest export-oriented beef cattle here. Mineral resources such as uranium, bauxite, gold are mined and promoted energy sources such as oil and gas. With the help of his Northern Territory Geological Survey, the territory sought further mineral development investment. The manufacturing industry (food, textile and mechanical engineering) plays a minor role.
An important factor of the economy is tourism, especially to the world-famous tourist icons in the Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park ( " Ayers Rock" and "Olga "). Also, the "capital of the outback ", Alice Springs, Kings Canyon and the south and the Kakadu and Litchfield National Park in the north are also important goals of international tourism.
Traffic
Road
The main overland road is the Stuart Highway, which connects Darwin in the north to Katherine and Tennant Creek to Alice Springs in the center. From there, the continuous paved road continues to Adelaide on the southern coast of the continent and thus is the most important north-south connection in Australia is about the means of road trains, a large part of trade is settled.
The branches off from the Stuart Highway Barkly Highway is the main road link between the Northern Territory and Queensland, the corresponding compound with Western Australia is provided by the Victoria Highway.
Other major roads are: Arnhem Highway, Buchanan Highway, Buntine Highway, Carpentaria Highway, Kakadu Highway, Lasseter Highway, Plenty Highway Roper Highway, Sandover Highway, Savannah Way, Tablelands Highway.
Railway
In early 2004, the central Australian railway which ended coming up to that of South Australia in Alice Springs, extended to Darwin. In addition to road trains thus now contributes also to the railroad development of the region. In this way, Australian exports reach easily also the most important port in Asia traffic, Darwin. Passenger is offered on the route through the largely tourist-oriented train The Ghan.
Traffic
The Darwin International Airport is the only international airport in the territory. Smaller airports for flights inneraustralische include Alice Springs Airport, Ayers Rock Airport, Katherine Airport and Tennant Creek Airport. In addition, there are many airstrips for small planes.
Universities
- Charles Darwin University (CDU ), Darwin