**Geography and Environment of the Outback:**
– Aboriginal peoples inhabited the Outback for over 50,000 years.
– Outback is recognized as one of the largest intact natural areas on Earth.
– Major ecosystems in the Outback include the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, sub-tropical savanna landscapes, and ten deserts.
– The Outback hosts diverse wildlife like kangaroos, emus, and dingoes.
– Feral animals like camels, horses, pigs, and rabbits threaten the ecosystem.
**Economy and Industry in the Outback:**
– Pastoralism is the largest industry in the Outback, with cattle and sheep grazing being common.
– Mining is the main economic activity in the Outback, with rich deposits of various ores.
– The Outback is home to major mines like opals at Coober Pedy and metals at Broken Hill.
– The Pilbara region in Western Australia is dominated by mining and petroleum industries.
**Population and Infrastructure in the Outback:**
– The Outback population in Australia declined from 700,000 in 1996 to 690,000 in 2006.
– Facilities like the Royal Flying Doctor Service and School of the Air provide essential services in remote areas.
– The Outback has historic tracks and major highways for transportation.
– Air transport is crucial for mail delivery and medical services in remote areas.
**Cultural and Historical Aspects of the Outback:**
– Afghan cameleers played a crucial role in early Australian exploration and transport.
– Various organizations and initiatives in Australia focus on preserving wilderness and biodiversity in the Outback.
– Challenges in the Outback include harsh environmental conditions, wildlife management, and balancing economic activities with conservation efforts.
– Literature, media, and cultural references highlight the unique aspects of the Australian Outback.
**Tourism and Conservation Efforts in the Outback:**
– Tourism is a major industry in the Outback, attracting domestic and international travelers.
– Conservation efforts in the Outback focus on preserving natural habitats and promoting sustainable tourism.
– Indigenous tourism initiatives aim to showcase and protect Aboriginal cultural heritage in the Outback.
– Various publications, guides, and events offer insights into the life, ecology, and history of the Australian Outback.
The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a number of climatic zones, including tropical and monsoonal climates in northern areas, arid areas in the "red centre" and semi-arid and temperate climates in southerly regions. The total population is estimated at 607,000 people.
Outback | |
|---|---|
Area | |
 View across sand plains and salt pans to Mount Conner, Central Australia | |
![Red and dark red areas form the legally defined Outback, dark red and striped areas forms the modern Outback.[a]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_the_Australian_Outback.svg) Red and dark red areas form the legally defined Outback, dark red and striped areas forms the modern Outback. | |
| Coordinates: 25°S 130°E / 25°S 130°E | |
| Country | Australia |
| Continent | Oceania |
| Population | |
| • Total | 607,000 (Rangelands) |
Geographically, the Outback is unified by a combination of factors, most notably a low human population density, a largely intact natural environment and, in many places, low-intensity land uses, such as pastoralism (livestock grazing) in which production is reliant on the natural environment. The Outback is deeply ingrained in Australian heritage, history and folklore. In Australian art the subject of the Outback has been vogue, particularly in the 1940s. In 2009, as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Queensland Outback was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "natural attraction".