Central Australia, also known as the Alice Springs Region (Eastern Arrernte: Mparntwe Ampere), and colloquially as "The Red Centre", is differently defined by different agencies, and also varies in its colloquial use. As an administrative region it applies to an area in the Northern Territory of Australia, centred around the town of Alice Springs, although its definition and extent varies dependent on the agency and usage. Generally though, this NT-defined region (always spelt with capital "C") is located in the southern part of the Northern Territory, spanning from the west on the Western Australian Border to the east on the Queensland border. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians.

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Central Australia Northern Territory
Location of the Alice Springs Region
Aerial view of Central Australian landscape
Central Australia
Coordinates
Population	41,000 (2016)[1]
LGA(s)	Alice Springs Town Council MacDonnell Regional Council Central Desert Shire

More generally, the term is also used to refer to the centre of the continent of Australia, which may span areas in Queensland, WA, South Australia, and New South Wales. For many, central Australia is more or less synonymous with the term "outback".

Geography and governance

Economic region

There are six regions in the Northern Territory for the purposes of economic planning, as defined by the Northern Territory Government:[2]

• Central Australia
• Darwin, Palmerston & 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.[3] Local Government Areas (LGAs) make up the region:^{[citation needed]}

• 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 150 millimetres (6 in) of rainfall annually.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6] For many, the term "outback" is almost synonymous with central Australia.[7]

See also

• Central Australia (territory), Australian federal territory 1927–1931
• Regions of the Northern Territory
• Centre points of Australia

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Red Centre.

• Alice Springs Region