Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. 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. 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. Centralia is another term associated with the area, most commonly used by locals. As described by Charles Sturt in one of the earlier uses of the term "A veil hung over Central Australia that could neither be pierced or raised. Girt round about by deserts, it almost appeared as if Nature had intentionally closed it upon civilized man, that she might have one domain on the earth's wide field over which the savage might roam in freedom." In a modern, more formal sense it can refer to the administrative region used by the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

government, as of 2022.

Administrative region

Economic region

There are six regions in the Northern Territory for the purposes of economic planning, as defined by the Northern Territory Government: * Central Australia * Darwin,

Palmerston Palmerston may refer to: People * Christie Palmerston (c. 1851–1897), Australian explorer * Several prominent people have borne the title of Viscount Palmerston ** Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston (c. 1673–1757), Irish nobleman and ...

& Litchfield * East Arnhem (also an LGA) * Barkly Region (also an LGA) * Big Rivers Region * Top End 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.

Local Government Areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The phra ...

(LGAs) make up the region: * Town of Alice Springs (town) * Central Desert Region (region) * MacDonnell Region (region) * Yulara ( unincorporated town)

Climate

The region has a desert environment, meaning it is very dry, receiving on average just of rainfall annually. 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.

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. For many, the term " outback" is almost synonymous with central Australia.

References

External links