Uluru, Central Australia

Credit: Credit: Goddard Space Flight Center/NASA/Landsat, Posted on: Thursday, 5 June 2003, 06:00 CDT Download full size image

Uluru (an aboriginal name for Ayers Rock) is located in the remote south-west corner of the Northern Territory, roughly in the center of the Australian continent. The area surrounding the Rock and the nearby Olgas is all part of Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, which is administered jointly by the Australian government and the Aboriginal community. The nearest town of any size is Alice Springs (pop. 26,000), which is about 275 miles away by road.

Uluru lives up to its status as the world’s most famous monolith - rising 348 metres above the surrounding plain, occupying an area of 3.33 sq km, and with a girth of 9.4 km. The sandstone rock is especially impressive at dawn and sunset when the red rock spectacularly changes hue. There are walks around the base of the rock which pass caves, rock art and sacred Aboriginal sites.

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