Pilbara

The Pilbara is a large, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia.^[1][2] In 2010, the region had a population of about 48,600.^[3][4]

Pilbara
The Pilbara region according to the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993
Coordinates: 21°S 119°E
Country	Australia
state	Western Australia
Area
• Total	502,000 km2 (194,000 sq mi)
Population  (2010)
• Total	48,610
• Density	0.097/km2 (0.25/sq mi)

Weano Gorge in Karijini National Park: showing the bright-red strata of the iron-bearing Archaean rocks of the Pilbara.

North of the Pilbara looking south at the range

Pilbara is known for Aboriginal peoples, its stunning landscapes, its red earth and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is a dry region, but it has cyclones every year or two. The cyclones bring a great deal of rain when they do occur.

The area is known for its petroleum, natural gas and iron ore deposits, which make up much of the economy of Western Australia. Other than mining, pastoral activities as well as fishing and tourism are the main industries.^[5]

The Pilbara covers an area of 502,000 square kilometres (194,000 square miles).^[6] It includes some of Earth's oldest rock formations in the Pilbara craton. This is one of the world's oldest undisturbed rock formations, dating back to the Archaean eon. It includes landscapes of coastal plains and mountain ranges with cliffs and gorges. The major settlements of the region are Port Hedland, Karratha and Newman.

The Pilbara includes the two of the largest national parks in Australia:

• Karlamilyi National Park
• Karijini National Park

References

1. Environment Australia. "Revision of the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) and Development of Version 5.1 - Summary Report". Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 5 September 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-31. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. IBRA Version 6.1 Archived 2006-09-08 at the Wayback Machine data
3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 March 2011). "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009–10 - Western Australia". Retrieved 28 August 2011.
4. "Rangelands - Overview - Pilbara". Australian Natural Resources Atlas. Department of Sustainabililty, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 27 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
5. "Department of Health: Pilbara". Government of Western Australia. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
6. "Regional Development Australia Pilbara". Retrieved 28 August 2011.