96-669: George Gill Range is a mountain range in the southern part of Australia's Northern Territory , 215 km (134 mi) southwest of Alice Springs . It is an extension of the MacDonnell Ranges and consists mainly of sandstone. In the southern part of the range there are some springs and water holes. Among other things, the Kings Creek flows here, which at the western end created the Kings Canyon over millions of years. This canyon offers over 100 meter high rock walls in various colors,
192-564: A Central Land Council and a Northern Land Council be established to present to him the views of Aboriginal people. A Land Rights Bill was drafted, and the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 was passed by the Fraser government on 16 December 1976 and began operation on 26 January 1977). The Northern Territory Council for Aboriginal Rights was disestablished in 1976. In 1974, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, Darwin
288-519: A UNESCO World Heritage Site . The coast of northern tip of Sulawesi is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Triangle . Early in the Pleistocene, Sulawesi had a dwarf elephant and a dwarf form of Stegodon , (an elephant relative, S. sompoensis ); later both were replaced by larger forms. A giant suid , Celebochoerus , was also formerly present. It
384-655: A chance to govern a difficult group. Padbruge commented that in the 1700s the Kaili population was significantly high and were a highly militant society. In the 1850s, a civil war erupted between the Kaili groups, including the Banawa, in which the Dutch colonial government decided to intervene. In the late 19th century, the Sarasins journeyed through the Palu valley as part of a major initiative to bring
480-637: A cluster between Sulawesi and Maluku . All the above-mentioned islands and many smaller ones off the coasts of Sulawesiare administratively part of Sulawesi's six provinces. The island slopes up from the shores of the deep seas surrounding the island to a high, mostly non-volcanic, mountainous interior. Active volcanoes are found in the northern Minahasa Peninsula , stretching north to the Sangihe Islands . The northern peninsula contains several active volcanoes such as Mount Lokon , Mount Awu , Soputan and Karangetang . According to plate reconstructions ,
576-403: A flower, star, or eye, another depicted astronomic rays of light. In January 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of cave art that is at least 45,500 years old in a Leang Tedongnge cave. According to the journal Science Advances , the cave painting of a warty pig is the earliest evidence of human settlement of the region. An adult male pig, measuring 136 cm x 54 cm and what
672-614: A hand was 39,900 years old, which brings it among the oldest known hand stencils in the world (the record is detained so far by a 64,000 years-old stencil hand made by a Neanderthal in Maltravieso cave , Cáceres , Spain). Dr. Maxime Aubert, of Griffith University in Queensland , Australia , said that was the minimum age for the outline in Pettakere Cave in Maros , and added: "Next to it
768-424: A mixture of hunting and gathering and swidden or shifting agriculture. Speculative planting of wet rice may have taken place along the margins of the lakes and rivers. In Central Sulawesi, there are more than 400 granite megaliths , which various archaeological studies have dated to be from 3000 BC to AD 1300. They vary in size from a few centimeters to approximately 4.5 meters (15 ft). The original purpose of
864-615: A peninsula stretching southwards from Southwest Sulawesi into the Flores Sea are administratively part of Sulawesi. The Sangihe Islands and Talaud Islands stretch northward from the northeastern tip of Sulawesi, while Buton and Muna Islands and their neighbors lie off its southeast peninsula, the Togian Islands are in the Gulf of Tomini, and Peleng Island and the Banggai Islands form
960-474: A permanently water-bearing billabong with lush vegetation and is surrounded by a plateau with spectacular stone formations. This natural beauty makes it one of the main tourist attractions in the region. About 36% of the range is located in Watarrka National Park . The first European to visit the area was Ernest Giles in 1872. He named it after his brother-in-law, George Gill, who had helped him fund
1056-805: A result of the status quo. In 1905, the entire island became part of the Dutch state colony of the Netherlands East Indies until Japanese occupation in the Second World War . During the Indonesian National Revolution , the Dutch Captain 'Turk' Westerling led campaigns in which hundreds, maybe thousands died during the South Sulawesi Campaign . Following the transfer of sovereignty in December 1949, Sulawesi became part of
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#17328522837511152-575: A single Miocene collision of West Sulawesi with the Sula Spur, the western end of an ancient folded belt of Variscan origin in the Late Paleozoic. The Bone Basin lies between the eastern and western arms of Sulawesi. According to recent studies, the basin has been opened up due to extensional forces. The basin is bounded by normal faults on each side of the basin. Each side of the basin is surrounded by uplifted basement rock with young sediments found in
1248-410: Is a pig that has a minimum age of 35,400 years old, and this is one of the oldest figurative depictions in the world, if not the oldest one." On 11 December 2019, a team of researchers led by Dr. Maxime Aubert announced the discovery of the oldest hunting scenes in prehistoric art in the world that is more than 44,000 years old from the limestone cave of Leang Bulu' Sipong 4. Archaeologists determined
1344-619: Is an island in Indonesia . One of the four Greater Sunda Islands , and the world's 11th-largest island , it is situated east of Borneo , west of the Maluku Islands , and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago . Within Indonesia, only Sumatra , Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra are more populous. The landmass of Sulawesi includes four peninsulas:
1440-403: Is believed that most Territorians, regardless of their general views on statehood, were reluctant to adopt the particular offer that was made. The chief minister is the head of government of a self-governing territory (the head of a state government is a premier ). The chief minister is appointed by the administrator , who in normal circumstances appoints the leader of whichever party holds
1536-525: Is concentrated in coastal regions and along the Stuart Highway . Besides the capital of Darwin, the major settlements are (in order of size) Palmerston , Alice Springs , Katherine , Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek . Residents of the Northern Territory are often known as "Territorians". Humans have lived in the present area of the Northern Territory since at least 48,400 to 68,700 years ago. From
1632-454: Is divided into seventeen local government areas : two cities, three municipalities, nine regions, and three shires. Shire, city and town councils are responsible for functions delegated by the Northern Territory parliament, such as road infrastructure and waste management. Council revenue comes mostly from property taxes and government grants. Aboriginal land councils in the Northern Territory are groups of Aboriginal landowners, set up under
1728-415: Is home to a large number of endemic rodent genera. Murid rodent genera endemic to Sulawesi and immediately adjacent islands (such as the Togian Islands , Buton Island , and Muna Island ) are Bunomys , Echiothrix , Margaretamys , Taeromys and Tateomys as well as the single-species genera Eropeplus , Hyorhinomys , Melasmothrix , Paucidentomys , Paruromys , Sommeromys and
1824-427: Is likely a Sulawesi or Celebes warty pig (Sus celebensis), was depicted with horn-like facial warts and two hand prints above its hindquarters. According to co-author Adam Brumm, there are two other pigs that are partly preserved and it appears the warty pig was observing a fight between the two other pigs. A bronze Amaravathi statue was discovered at Sikendeng , South Sulawesi near Karama river in 1921 which
1920-561: Is not known why these two ingredients appeared together; one was perhaps the product of the other. In 1367, several identified polities located on the island were mentioned in the Javanese manuscript Nagarakretagama dated from the Majapahit period. Canto 14 mentioned polities including Gowa, Makassar, Luwu and Banggai. It seems that by the 14th century, polities in the island were connected in an archipelagic maritime trading network, centered in
2016-400: Is recorded a few times a year. The region receives less than 250 mm (9.8 in) of rain per year. The highest temperature recorded in the territory was 48.3 °C (118.9 °F) at Finke on 1 and 2 January 1960. The lowest temperature was −7.5 °C (18.5 °F) at Alice Springs on 17 July 1976. The Northern Territory Parliament is one of the three unicameral parliaments in
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#17328522837512112-673: Is thought that many of the migrants to Sulawesi arrived via the Philippines , while Sulawesi in turn served as a way station for migrants to Flores . A Pleistocene faunal turnover is recognized, with the competitive displacement of several indigenous tarsiers by more recently arriving ones and of Celebochoerus by other medium-sized herbivores like the babirusa , anoa and Celebes warty pig . There are 127 known extant native mammalian species in Sulawesi. A large percentage, 62% (79 species) are endemic , meaning that they are found nowhere else in
2208-526: Is unclear, it might be considered a Portuguese rendering of the native name "Sulawesi". Sulawesi is the world's eleventh-largest island , covering an area of 186,216.16 km (71,898 sq mi) (including minor islands administered as part of Sulawesi). The central part of the island is ruggedly mountainous, such that the island's peninsulas have traditionally been remote from each other, with better connections by sea than by road. The three bays that divide Sulawesi's peninsulas are, from north to south,
2304-482: Is very little rainfall between May and September. In the coolest months of June and July, the daily minimum temperature may dip as low as 14 °C (57 °F), but very rarely lower, and frost has never been recorded. The wet season is associated with tropical cyclones and monsoon rains. The majority of rainfall occurs between December and March (the southern hemisphere summer), when thunderstorms are common and afternoon relative humidity averages over 70% during
2400-523: The Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 . The two historically dominant political parties in the Northern Territory are the conservative Country Liberal Party which governed the Territory from 1974 to 2001, from 2012 to 2016 and Since 2024, and the social-democratic Australian Labor Party which governed the Territory from 2001 to 2012 and from 2016 to 2024. Minor parties that are also active in
2496-551: The 20th parallel of South latitude . Soon after this time, parts of the Northern Territory were considered in the Kimberley Plan as a possible site for the establishment of a Jewish Homeland , understandably considered the " Unpromised Land ". During the early 20th century, the southern part of the Territory was considered the "last frontier" of Australian settlement, where 'sympathetic whites' hoped that Aboriginal traditions would continue to be practised. Conflicts arose due to
2592-473: The Chinese , Balinese , and Indian communities. The economy of Sulawesi is heavily centered around agriculture, fishing, mining, and forestry. The island was administered as one province between 1945 and 1960. In 1960 it was divided into two provinces – North and Central Sulawesi, and South and Southeast Sulawesi. In 1964 both of these were again divided, the former into North Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi, and
2688-485: The Lariang and pygmy tarsiers) as well as diurnal macaques ( Heck's , the booted , crested black , Gorontalo , moor , and Tonkean macaques). While most of Sulawesi's mammals are placental and have Asian relatives, several species of cuscus , arboreal marsupials of Australasian origin, are also present ( Ailurops ursinus and Strigocuscus celebensis , which are diurnal and nocturnal, respectively). Sulawesi
2784-788: The Tomini , the Tolo and the Boni . These separate the Minahasa or Northern Peninsula , the East Peninsula , the Southeast Peninsula and the South Peninsula . The Strait of Makassar runs along the western side of the island. The island is surrounded by Borneo to the west, by the Philippines to the north, by Maluku to the east, and by Flores and Timor to the south. The Selayar Islands make up
2880-558: The federal United States of Indonesia , which in 1950 became absorbed into the unitary Republic of Indonesia . The Portuguese were rumoured to have a fort in Parigi in 1555. The Kaili were an important group based in the Palu valley and related to the Toraja. Scholars relate that their control swayed under Ternate and Makassar, but this might have been a decision by the Dutch to give their vassals
2976-471: The 11th-largest country subdivision in the world . It is sparsely populated, with a population of only 249,000 as of December 2021 – fewer than half as many people as in Tasmania . The largest population centre is the capital city of Darwin , having about 52.6% of the Territory's population. The largest inland settlement is Alice Springs with a population of about 25,000 people. The archaeological history of
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3072-613: The 17th or 18th century CE onwards, traders from Sulawesi established extensive seasonal trade links with the Indigenous peoples of Kimberley region , the modern-day Northern Territory, and Arnhem Land . They collected trepang ( sea cucumber ) for Chinese markets and introduced several goods and technologies to the Indigenous peoples. There is significant evidence of contact with Makassan fishers in examples of Indigenous Australian rock art and bark painting of northern Australia, with
3168-550: The 1947 election was 4,443. The Northern Territory was split into five electorates: Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Batchelor, and Stuart. While this assembly exercises powers similar to those of the parliaments of the states of Australia, it does so by legislated devolution of powers from the Commonwealth Government , rather than by any constitutional right. As such, the Commonwealth Government retains
3264-532: The 1980s, conservation-oriented areas in the Northern Territory such as Kakadu National Park and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their mix of natural heritage and Aboriginal culture. During 1995–96 the Northern Territory was briefly one of the few places in the world with legal voluntary euthanasia , until the Federal Parliament overturned
3360-401: The 19th century. Most Muslims are Sunnis . Christians form a substantial minority on the island. According to the demographer Toby Alice Volkman, 17% of Sulawesi's population is Protestant and less than 2% is Catholic . Christians are concentrated on the tip of the northern peninsula around the city of Manado , which is inhabited by the Minahasa , a predominantly Protestant people, and
3456-426: The 2000 census, the population of the provinces of Sulawesi was 14,946,488, about 7.25% of Indonesia's total population. By the 2010 Census, the total had reached 17,371,782, and the 2020 Census recorded a total of 19,896,951. The official estimate for mid-2023 was 20,568,411. The largest city on Sulawesi is Makassar . Religion in Sulawesi (2023) Islam is the majority religion in Sulawesi. The conversion of
3552-560: The Bare'e-Speaking Toradja of Central Celebes," which is invaluable for English-speaking researchers. One of the most recent publications is "When the bones are left," a study of the material culture of central Sulawesi, offering extensive analysis. Also worthy of study are the brilliant works of Monnig Atkinson on the Wana shamans who live in the Mori area. Population of Sulawesi by province (2020 Census) At
3648-605: The Central Australian region and Kakadu National Park in the north. Each of these sites are sacred to the local Aboriginal people and which have become major International tourist attractions and recognised UNESCO World Heritage sites . The northern portion of the Territory is principally tropical savannas , composed of several distinct ecoregions – Arnhem Land tropical savanna , Carpentaria tropical savanna , Kimberley tropical savanna , Victoria Plains tropical savanna , and Mitchell Grass Downs . The southern portion of
3744-447: The Kaili under Dutch rule. Some very surprising and interesting photographs were taken of shamans called Tadulako. Further Christian religious missions entered the area to make one of the most detailed ethnographic studies in the early 20th century. A Swede by the name of Walter Kaudern later studied much of the literature and produced a synthesis. Erskine Downs in the 1950s produced a summary of Kruyts and Andrianis work: "The religion of
3840-586: The Majapahit port in East Java. By 1400, a number of nascent agricultural principalities had arisen in the western Cenrana valley, as well as on the south coast and on the west coast near modern Parepare. The first Europeans to visit the island (which they believed to be an archipelago due to its contorted shape) were the Portuguese sailors Simão de Abreu in 1523, and Gomes de Sequeira (among others) in 1525, sent from
3936-566: The Makassan perahu a prominent feature. With the coming of the British, there were four early attempts to settle the harsh environment of the northern coast, of which three failed in starvation and despair. The land now occupied by the Northern Territory was part of colonial New South Wales from 1825 to 1863, except for a brief time from February to December 1846, when it was part of the short-lived colony of North Australia . The Northern Territory
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4032-462: The Marshall River, Arthur Creek, Camel Creek and Bore Creek flowing into it. The Northern Territory has two distinctive climate zones. The northern end, including Darwin, has a tropical climate with high humidity and two seasons, the wet (October to April) and dry season (May to September). During the dry season nearly every day is warm and sunny, and afternoon humidity averages around 30%. There
4128-614: The Moluccas in search of gold, which the islands had the reputation of producing. A Portuguese base was installed in Makassar in the first decades of the 16th century, lasting until 1665, when it was taken by the Dutch. The Dutch had arrived in Sulawesi in 1605 and were quickly followed by the English, who established a factory in Makassar. From 1660, the Dutch were at war with Gowa , the major Makassar west coast power. In 1669, Admiral Speelman forced
4224-838: The NT include the Northern Territory Greens , the Shooters and Fishers Party and various others. It is common for independent politicians to win elections. The CLP's rule was once so tight, that a former minister once said the CLP had a "'rightful inheritance of being the party that runs this place'". The Northern Territory is the only branch of the Australian Greens to have never had any parliamentary representation as of 2024. As fewer parties and candidates contest Northern Territory general elections than they do Australian federal elections in
4320-482: The Northern Territory may have begun more than 60,000 years ago when humans first settled this region of the Sahul Continent. From at least the 18th century, Makassan traders began a relationship with the indigenous people of the Northern Territory around the trading of trepang . The coast of the Territory was first seen by Europeans in the 17th century. The British were the first Europeans to attempt to settle
4416-449: The Northern Territory, the CLP, Labor and independents usually have a higher vote share at territory elections than at federal elections in the Northern Territory due to the absence of right-wing minor parties such as Pauline Hanson's One Nation and the fact that the Greens do not run in every seat at territory elections. The population of the Northern Territory at the 2011 Australian census
4512-774: The Senate. As of May 2022, resulting from the 2022 federal election , Marion Scrymgour from the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in Lingiari and Luke Gosling from the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in Solomon serve in the House of Representatives, and Malarndirri McCarthy from the ALP and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price from the Country Liberal Party serve in the Senate. The Northern Territory
4608-548: The Territory is covered in deserts and xeric shrublands , including the Great Sandy-Tanami desert , Simpson Desert , and Central Ranges xeric scrub . There are also an extensive series of river systems in the Territory. These rivers include: the Alligator Rivers , Daly River , Finke River , McArthur River , Roper River , Todd River and Victoria River . The Hay River is a river south-west of Alice Springs, with
4704-508: The Territory was granted Self Government with a Legislative Assembly headed by a Chief Minister . The Administrator of the Northern Territory is another important position in the government and they act as the King's representative in the Territory and a part of their role is appointing the Chief Minister. The Territory also publishes official notices in its own Government Gazette . In
4800-474: The age of the depiction of hunting a pig and buffalo thanks to the calcite 'popcorn', different isotope levels of radioactive uranium and thorium . In March 2020, two small stone ' plaquettes ' were found by Griffith University archaeologists in the Leang Bulu Bettue cave, dated to a time between 26,000 and 14,000 years ago. While one of the stones contained an anoa (water buffalo) and what may be
4896-450: The arrival of a group from east Borneo speaking a Proto- South Sulawesi language (PSS). Initial settlement was probably around the mouth of the Sa'dan river, on the northwest coast of the peninsula, although the south coast has also been suggested. Subsequent migrations across the mountainous landscape resulted in the geographical isolation of PSS speakers and the evolution of their languages into
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#17328522837514992-790: The average non-Indigenous Australian. There are Aboriginal communities in many parts of the territory, the largest ones being the Pitjantjatjara near Uluru / Ayers Rock , the Arrernte near Alice Springs, the Luritja between those two, the Warlpiri further north, and the Yolngu in eastern Arnhem Land . Sulawesi Sulawesi ( / ˌ s uː l ə ˈ w eɪ s i / SOO -lə- WAY -see ), also known as Celebes ( / ˈ s ɛ l ɪ b iː z , s ə ˈ l iː b iː z / SEL -ib-eez, sə- LEE -beez ),
5088-406: The coastal regions. After three failed attempts to establish a settlement (1824–1828, 1838–1849, and 1864–1866), success was achieved in 1869 with the establishment of a settlement at Port Darwin . The economy is based largely on mining and petroleum, which during 2018–2019 contributed 23% of the gross state product , or $ 5.68 billion, accounting for 92.4% of exports. The Territory's population
5184-478: The country. Based on the Westminster System , it consists of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly which was created in 1974, replacing the Northern Territory Legislative Council . It also produces the Northern Territory of Australia Government Gazette . The Northern Territory Legislative Council was the partly elected governing body from 1947 until its replacement by the fully elected Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 1974. The total enrolment for
5280-427: The deadly 2018 and 2021 quakes. Off the eastern coast of Sulawesi, the North Banda Sea was created through subduction rollback during the early Miocene. Evidence for this tectonic event lies with the extensive interconnected fault network found in the area, a volcanic seamount with its surrounding ridges, and an accretionary wedge. Off the coast of east Selawesti and Banggai is an accumulation of carbonate rocks from
5376-444: The desire to help them in times of hunger and the fear of "pauperizing" them and reducing their incentives to work. In the 1928 Coniston massacre , punitive expeditions were carried out by white colonists led by Northern Territory Police constable William George Murray in response to the murder of a dingo hunter, resulting in the deaths of dozens to hundreds of people of the Warlpiri , Anmatyerre , and Kaytetye groups. This
5472-410: The eight families of the South Sulawesi language group. If each group can be said to have a homeland, that of the Bugis – today the most numerous group – was around lakes Témpé and Sidénréng in the Walennaé depression. Here for some 2,000 years lived the linguistic group that would become the modern Bugis; the archaic name of this group (which is preserved in other local languages) was Ugiq. Despite
5568-410: The expedition. Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT ; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory ) is an Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regions of Australia . The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Australia to the west ( 129th meridian east ), South Australia to
5664-479: The fact that today they are closely linked with the Makassarese , the closest linguistic neighbors of the Bugis are the Torajans . Pre-1200 Bugis society was most likely organized into chiefdoms . Some anthropologists have speculated these chiefdoms would have warred and, in times of peace, interbred. Further, they have speculated that personal security would have been negligible and head-hunting an established cultural practice. The political economy would have been
5760-435: The governor-general on the appointment of the administrator, but by convention consults first with the Territory government. The current administrator is Hugh Heggie who commenced his three-year term on 31 January 2023; he had previously served as the Northern Territory’s Chief Health Officer . The Northern Territory is represented in the federal parliament by two members in the House of Representatives and two members in
5856-423: The island and separates the island from Borneo. The name Sulawesi possibly comes from the words sula ("island") and besi ("iron") and may refer to the historical export of iron from the rich Lake Matano iron deposits . The name came into common use in English following Indonesian independence . The name Celebes was originally given to the island by Portuguese explorers . While its direct translation
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#17328522837515952-401: The island are the provincial capitals of Makassar , Manado , Palu , Kendari , and Gorontalo (the provincial capital of West Sulawesi – the town of Mamuju – is not a city); there are six other cities – Bitung, Palopo, Bau-Bau, Parepare, Kotamobagu and Tomohun. Sulawesi is part of Wallacea , meaning that it has a mix of both Indomalayan and Australasian species that reached
6048-417: The island by crossing deep-water oceanic barriers . The flora includes one native eucalypt, E. deglupta . There are 8 national parks on the island, of which 4 are mostly marine . The parks with the largest terrestrial area are Bogani Nani Wartabone with 2,871 km and Lore Lindu National Park with 2,290 km . Bunaken National Park , which protects a rich coral ecosystem, has been proposed as
6144-423: The island is believed to have been formed by the collision of terranes from the Asian Plate (forming the west and southwest) and from the Australian Plate (forming the southeast and Banggai ), with island arcs previously in the Pacific (forming the north and east peninsulas). Because of its several tectonic origins, various faults scar the land and as a result the island is prone to earthquakes , including
6240-511: The late Miocene. These carbonates are likely pinnacle reefs and the carbonate platform has a total thickness of around 180–770 meters. Sulawesi, in contrast to most of the other islands in the biogeographical region of Wallacea , is not truly oceanic, but a composite island at the centre of the Asia-Australia collision zone . Parts of the island were formerly attached to either the Asian or Australian continental margin and became separated from these areas by vicariant processes . In
6336-402: The latter into South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi. Today, it is subdivided into six provinces : Gorontalo , West Sulawesi , South Sulawesi , Central Sulawesi , Southeast Sulawesi , and North Sulawesi . Among these, the newest provinces are Gorontalo, established in 2000 from part of North Sulawesi, and West Sulawesi, established in 2004 from part of South Sulawesi. The largest cities on
6432-506: The legislation . Before the over-riding legislation was enacted, four people used the law supported by Dr Philip Nitschke . There are many very small settlements scattered across the Territory, but the larger population centres are located on the single paved road that links Darwin to southern Australia, the Stuart Highway , known to locals simply as "the track". The Territory is home to many spectacular natural rock formations, including Uluru / Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta / The Olgas in
6528-420: The lowlands of the south western peninsula (South Sulawesi) to Islam occurred in the early 17th century. The kingdom of Luwu in the Gulf of Bone was the first to embrace Islam in February 1605; the Makassar kingdom of Gowa-Talloq, centred on the modern-day city of Makassar , followed suit in September. However, the Gorontalo and the Mongondow peoples of the northern peninsula largely converted to Islam only in
6624-415: The majority of seats in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. The current chief minister is Lia Finocchiaro of the Country Liberal Party . The CLP defeated Territory Labor to win office on 24 August 2024. The Northern Territory became self-governing on 1 July 1978 under its own administrator appointed by the Governor-General of Australia . The federal government, not the NT government, advises
6720-498: The megaliths is unknown. Approximately 30 of the megaliths represent human forms. Other megaliths are in form of large pots ( Kalamba ) and stone plates ( Tutu'na ). A burial of a woman associated with the hunter-gatherer Toalean culture dating to 7,000 years ago has yielded DNA that has provided rare insight into early migrations in and through the region. In October 2014, it was announced that cave paintings in Maros had been dated as being approximately 40,000 years old. One of
6816-459: The middle. The past geological history has allowed for a large accumulation of carbonates which could lead to a higher potential of oil and gas occurrences. However, the faults present in the basin makes it a very complicated system. The oldest evidence for humans on Sulawesi are stone tools produced by archaic humans , dating from over 200,000 to 100,000 years ago, that were found at the Talepu site in southwestern Sulawesi. Before October 2014,
6912-402: The name "Northern Territory" was unsatisfactory. The names "Kingsland" (after King George V and to correspond with Queensland ), "Centralia" and "Territoria" were proposed with Kingsland becoming the preferred choice in 1913. However, the name change never went ahead. For a brief time between 1927 and 1931 the Northern Territory was divided into North Australia and Central Australia at
7008-643: The northern Minahasa Peninsula , the East Peninsula , the South Peninsula , and the Southeast Peninsula . Three gulfs separate these peninsulas: the Gulf of Tomini between the northern Minahasa and East peninsulas, the Tolo Gulf between the East and Southeast peninsulas, and the Bone Gulf between the South and Southeast peninsulas. The Strait of Makassar runs along the western side of
7104-720: The northernmost Sangir and Talaud Islands . The Toraja people of Tana Toraja in South Sulawesi have largely converted to Christianity since Indonesia's independence. There are also substantial numbers of Christians around Lake Poso in Central Sulawesi, among the Pamona speaking peoples of Central Sulawesi, and near Mamasa. Though most people identify themselves as Muslims or Christians, they often subscribe to local beliefs and deities as well . Smaller communities of Buddhists and Hindus are also found on Sulawesi, usually among
7200-555: The resource scarcity and the fragility of the cattle industry and the area was rife with Indigenous 'bush bandits' who speared cattle for food for want of employment by ranchers. This was exacerbated by a drought between 1925 and 1929 that led to the deaths of 85 per cent of the children at the Hermannsburg Mission in Central Australia. In the meantime, white attitudes towards Aboriginal people were paternalistic, torn between
7296-479: The right bank of the Walanae River at Barru (now part of Bone Regency ), which were thought to date to the Pleistocene on the basis of their association with vertebrate fossils, are now thought to date to perhaps 50,000 BC. Following Peter Bellwood's model of a southward migration of Austronesian-speaking farmers (AN), radiocarbon dates from caves in Maros suggest a date in the mid-second millennium BC for
7392-533: The right to legislate for the territory, including the power to override legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly. The Monarch is represented by the Administrator of the Northern Territory , who performs a role similar to that of a state governor . Twenty-five members of the Legislative Assembly are elected to four-year terms from single-member electorates . Numerous times since self government
7488-582: The ruler, Sultan Hasanuddin, to sign the Treaty of Bongaya , which handed control of trade to the Dutch East India Company . The Dutch were aided in their conquest by the Bugis warlord Arung Palakka, ruler of the Bugis kingdom of Bone . The Dutch built a fort at Ujung Pandang, while Arung Palakka became the regional overlord and Bone the dominant kingdom. Political and cultural development seems to have slowed as
7584-528: The settlement of South Sulawesi by modern humans had been dated to c. 30,000 BC on the basis of radiocarbon dates obtained from rock shelters in Maros. No earlier evidence of human occupation had at that point been found, but the island almost certainly formed part of the land bridge used for the settlement of Australia and New Guinea by at least 40,000 BC. There is no evidence of Homo erectus having reached Sulawesi; crude stone tools first discovered in 1947 on
7680-555: The smallest proportion (5.7%) aged 65 and over. The median age of residents of the Northern Territory is 31 years, six years younger than the national median age. Indigenous Australians make up 30.3% of population and own some 49% of the land. The life expectancy of Aboriginal Australians is well below that of non-Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory, a fact that is mirrored elsewhere in Australia. ABS statistics suggest that Indigenous Australians die about 11 years earlier than
7776-583: The south ( 26th parallel south ), and Queensland to the east ( 138th meridian east ). To the north, the Northern Territory looks out to the Timor Sea , the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria , including Western New Guinea and various other islands of the Indonesian archipelago. The NT covers 1,347,791 square kilometres (520,385 sq mi), making it the third-largest Australian federal division, and
7872-498: The terms of entry to full statehood. The Northern Territory was offered three senators, rather than the twelve guaranteed to original states (because of the difference in populations, equal numbers of Senate seats would mean a Territorian's vote for a senator would have been worth more than 30 such votes in New South Wales or Victoria ). Alongside what was cited as an arrogant approach adopted by then chief minister Shane Stone , it
7968-605: The territory, port delays and rapid economic development led to uncertainty in port and regional infrastructure development. As a result of the Commission of Enquiry established by the Administrator, port working arrangements were changed, berth investment deferred and a port masterplan prepared. Extension of rail transport was then not considered because of low freight volumes. Indigenous Australians had struggled for rights to fair wages and land. An important event in this struggle
8064-637: The west, the opening of the Makassar Strait separated West Sulawesi from Sundaland in the Eocene c. 45 Mya. In the east, the traditional view of collisions of multiple micro-continental fragments sliced from New Guinea with an active volcanic margin in West Sulawesi at different times since the Early Miocene c. 20 Mya has recently been replaced by the hypothesis that extensional fragmentation has followed
8160-526: The wettest months. On average more than 1,570 mm (62 in) of rain falls in the north. Rainfall is highest in north-west coastal areas, where rainfall averages from 1,800 to 2,100 mm (71 to 83 in). The central region is the desert centre of the country, which includes Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayers Rock), and is semi-arid with little rain usually falling during the hottest months from October to March. Seasons are more distinct in central Australia, with very hot summers and cool winters. Frost
8256-481: The world. The largest of these are the two species of anoa or dwarf buffalo. Other artiodactyl species inhabiting Sulawesi are the warty pig and the babirusas , which are aberrant pigs. The only native carnivoran is the Sulawesi palm civet ( Asian palm and Malayan civets have been introduced ). Primates present include a number of nocturnal tarsiers ( T. fuscus , Dian's , Gursky's , Jatna's , Wallace's ,
8352-418: Was 211,945, a 10 per cent increase from the 2006 census. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated a June 2015 resident population of 244,300, taking into account residents overseas or interstate. The territory's population represents 1% of the total population of Australia. The Northern Territory's population is the youngest in Australia and has the largest proportion (23.2%) under 15 years of age and
8448-456: Was dated to 2nd–7th century AD by Bosch (1933). In 1975, small locally made Buddhist statues from 10th-11th century were also discovered in Bontoharu, on the island of Selayar , South Sulawesi. Starting in the 13th century, access to prestige trade goods and to sources of iron started to alter long-standing cultural patterns and to permit ambitious individuals to build larger political units. It
8544-438: Was devastated by tropical Cyclone Tracy . Cyclone Tracy killed 71 people, caused A$ 837 million in damage (approximately A$ 6.85 billion as of 2018 ) and destroyed more than 70 per cent of Darwin's buildings, including 80 per cent of houses. Tracy left more than 41,000 out of the 47,000 inhabitants of the city homeless. The city was rebuilt with much-improved construction codes and is a modern, landscaped metropolis today. In 1978
8640-401: Was established so that by 1911 there were 513,000 cattle. Victoria River Downs Station , 686 kilometres (426 mi) west of Darwin, was at one time the largest cattle station in the world. Gold was found at Grove Hill in 1872 and at Pine Creek (in 1871), Brocks Creek, Burundi, and copper was found at Daly River . On 1 January 1911, a decade after Federation , the Northern Territory
8736-468: Was granted there has been agitation for full statehood within the region. A referendum of voters in the Northern Territory was held on the issue in 1998, which resulted in a 'no' vote. This was a shock to both the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments, as opinion polls showed most Territorians supported statehood. But under the Australian Constitution, the federal government may set
8832-576: Was one of many massacres of Aboriginal people in the region. For more information see: List of massacres of Indigenous Australians . During World War II, most of the Top End was placed under military government. This is the only time since Federation that part of an Australian state or territory has been under military control. After the war, control for the entire area was handed back to the Commonwealth. The Bombing of Darwin occurred on 19 February 1942. It
8928-603: Was part of South Australia from 1863 to 1911 and, under their administration the Overland Telegraph Line was constructed between 1870 and 1872. From its establishment in 1869 the Port of Darwin was the major Territory supply for many decades. A railway was built between Palmerston and Pine Creek between 1883 and 1889 as part of the North Australia Railway . The economic pattern of cattle raising and mining
9024-495: Was separated from South Australia, alongside the Australian Capital Territory from NSW, and transferred to federal control. Alfred Deakin opined at this time "[t]o me the question has been not so much commercial as national, first, second, third and last. Either we must accomplish the peopling of the northern territory or submit to its transfer to some other nation." In late 1912 there was growing sentiment that
9120-660: Was the strike and walk off by the Gurindji people at Wave Hill Cattle Station in 1966. The Northern Territory Council for Aboriginal Rights (NTCAR) supported the strikers and provided publicity. The Federal government of Gough Whitlam set up the Woodward Royal Commission in February 1973, to enquire into how land rights might be achieved in the Northern Territory. Justice Woodward 's first report in July 1973 recommended that
9216-400: Was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. Evidence of Darwin's World War II history is found at a variety of preserved sites in and around the city, including ammunition bunkers, airstrips, oil tunnels and museums. The port was damaged in the 1942 Japanese air raids. It was subsequently restored. In the late 1960s improved roads in adjoining States linking with
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