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Northern Territory 
Although the Northern Territory has only 1% of Australia's population, the Territory covers around 20% of Australia's area.
Originally administered by New South Wales and then by South Australia, it was taken over by the Commonwealth Government in 1911. Although not a state, the Northern Territory does have it's own government and has been self-governed since 1978.
It took a long time to decide on Darwin as the region's capital. Initially in the 1820s the British were worried about the Dutch or the French gaining a foothold in the north of the continent, so there were many attempts to settle different areas. Darwin was finaly settled in 1869 and was called Palmerston at first. Later it was unofficially known as Port Darwin by John Lort Stokes aboard the Beagle who named the settlement after Charles Darwin, Stokes former shipmate. In 1991 the name was changed officially to Darwin.
Related weblinks -
• Visit the Northern Territory government website for information on the Northern Territory
http://www.nt.gov.au
• The Northern Territory is home of the legendary outback -
http://www.travelnt.com
• Check out this Encyclopedia entry about the Northern Territory -
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Northern-Territory