Northern Territory, Administrative division in central Australia
The Northern Territory is an administrative region in central northern Australia extending from the Timor Sea to the dry interior. The area covers tropical coastlines, arid centre, and borderlands with three other states.
European explorers charted the northern coast from the 17th century onward, but permanent colonies formed only in the mid-1800s after several failed attempts. The region remained under South Australian administration until 1911, when it passed to direct federal control.
In remote settlements you can hear languages spoken for thousands of years, while artists from these areas continue producing bark paintings and carvings following inherited designs. Markets in larger towns display the work of these craftspeople alongside produce from cattle herders and bushfood gatherers.
Darwin serves as the capital and administrative centre, with roads leading south and east into the interior. Travel between settlements often requires long drives on remote highways with limited services along the way.
More than a quarter of the population belongs to Indigenous communities, the highest concentration in any Australian administrative territory. Large portions of the region fall under traditional land rights, and many areas require permits before entry.
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