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Central Australia

{{Short description|Region in Australia}}

{{about|the region in the Northern Territory and more generally, central Australia|other uses|Central Australia (disambiguation)}}

{{refimprove|date=May 2018}}

{{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}

{{Infobox Australian place

| type = region

| name = Central Australia

| state = nt

| image =

| image_upright =

| image_alt =

| caption =

| image2 = CSIRO ScienceImage 1217 Aerial view of Central Australian landscape.jpg

| image2_upright =

| image2_alt=

| caption2 = Aerial view of Central Australian landscape

| coordinates = {{coord|23|42|0|S|133|52|12|E|display=title}}

| coord_ref =

| pop = 41,000

| pop_year = 2016

| pop_footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://business.nt.gov.au/business/investment-and-major-projects/regional-economic-development/nt-regional-economic-profiles |title=NT regional economic profiles |author= |date=18 April 2016 |website=Department of Trade, Business and Innovation |publisher=Northern Territory Government |access-date= 11 August 2017}}

| established =

| area =

| lga = Alice Springs Town Council

| lga2 = MacDonnell Regional Council

| lga3 = Central Desert Shire

| lga4 =

| lga5 =

| stategov =

| fedgov =

| logo =

| url =

}}

Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and its immediate surrounds including the MacDonnell Ranges. Commonly, it refers to an area up to {{convert|600|km|abbr=on}} from Alice Springs, in every direction. In its broadest use it can include almost any region in inland Australia that has remained relatively undeveloped, and in this sense is synonymous with the term Outback.

In a modern, more formal sense it can refer to the administrative region used by the Northern Territory government, as of 2022.

Centralia is another term associated with the area, most commonly used by locals.

Administrative region of the NT

{{further|Regions of the Northern Territory}}

Image:Alice Springs region.jpg

=Economic region=

There are six regions in the Northern Territory for the purposes of economic planning, as defined by the Northern Territory Government:{{cite web | title=Strengthening the regions | website=Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet | date=26 September 2022 | url=https://cmc.nt.gov.au/strengthening-regions | access-date=9 November 2022}}

This region has an estimated population of total regional population of 41,000, serviced by Alice Springs (population 28,000). The town also services parts of South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.{{cite web | title=Central Australia | website=Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet | date=24 September 2021 | url=https://cmc.nt.gov.au/strengthening-regions/regional-economic-growth-plans/central-australia | access-date=9 November 2022}}

LGAs make up the region:{{cn|date=November 2022}}

Colloquial or general use

In more general usage, or when referring to the flora and fauna of Australia, the term "central Australia" may refer to a large area in the interior of the continent, including the Lake Eyre Basin, which stretches across three states and the NT.{{cite web | last=Willis | first=Carli | title=Traditional owners, advocates say federal Threatened Species Action Plan will not stop central Australia extinctions - ABC News | website=ABC | date=8 November 2022 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-09/threatened-species-action-plan-falls-short-central-australia/101554670 | access-date=9 November 2022}} For many, the term "outback" is almost synonymous with central Australia.{{cite web | title=Where is the Outback? | website=Travel Outback Australia | date=20 August 2012 | url=https://traveloutbackaustralia.com/where-is-the-outback.html/ | access-date=10 November 2022}}

Climate

The region has a desert environment, meaning it is very dry, receiving on average just {{convert|150|mm|in|sigfig=1}} of rainfall annually.{{cite book |title=Deserts and Desert Environments |last=Laity |first=Julie J. |year=2009 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1444300741 |pages=43, 45 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wtAbzLLTcwcC |access-date=8 November 2012 }} Most of the annual rainfall falls during extreme rainfall events in the summer months. Moderate dry winters persist between May and October with hot, long summers from November to April.{{cite journal |last1=Boas |first1=T. |last2=Mallants |first2=D. |date=April 2022 |title=Episodic extreme rainfall events drive groundwater recharge in arid zone environments of central Australia |journal=Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |volume=40 |page=101005 |doi=10.1016/j.ejrh.2022.101005 |bibcode=2022JHyRS..4001005B |doi-access=free }}

See also

{{Portal|Australia}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Wikivoyage|Red Centre}}

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20090905172416/http://www.nt.gov.au/business/services.cfm?cat5id=31 Alice Springs Region]

{{Northern Territory}}

Category:Regions of the Northern Territory