Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia. The park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory. It is the size of Wales, about one-third the size of Tasmania, and nearly half the size of Switzerland. The climate is monsoonal, characterised by two main seasons the dry season and the wet season.

The Ranger Uranium Mine, one of the most productive uranium mines in the world, is surrounded by the park. The name Kakadu probably originates from the mispronunciation of Gaagudju, which is the name of an Aboriginal language spoken in the north-western part of the park. The largest national park in Australia and one of the largest in the world's tropics.

Kakadu is ecologically and biologically diverse. The main natural features protected within the National Park includes four major river systems, six major landforms and a remarkable variety and concentration of wildlife. Aboriginal people have occupied the Kakadu area continuously for at least 40,000 years.

Kakadu National Park is renowned for the richness of its Aboriginal cultural sites. It was redesignated as a national park in 1979 and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981. The park is jointly administered by the Australia Department of the Environment and Heritage and the Aboriginal landowners.