Alice Springs and the surrounding communities make the total population of Central Australia around 60,000 people.

There are many very small settlements scattered across the Territory but the larger population centres are located on the single sealed road that links Darwin to southern Australia, the Stuart Highway, known to locals simply as "the track".

[8] In the northern part of the territory lies Kakadu National Park, that features wetlands and native wildlife.

To the north of that is the Arafura Sea, and to the east Arnhem Land, whose regional centre is Maningrida on the Liverpool River delta.

Much of the Territory is relatively flat, but has some disconnected ranges, including the sandstone plateau of western Arnhem Land.

The Northern Territory also has the natural rock formations of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, which are sacred to the local Aboriginal people.