About Northern Territory
Northern Territory (NT) is a self-governing state in the central-northern part of Australia. This part of Australia has a very laidback lifestyle and tropical climate, which attracts many international students every year who enjoy the hotter weather.
In fact, the Northern Territory was listed in National Geographic Magazine’s top 20 ‘Best of the World’.
The capital of NT is Darwin, a small city in the north of the territory. Here you’ll find a top-class education institution with a range of study options.
Geography & climate
Northern Territory covers around 1.35 million square kilometres and shares its borders with Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.
Like South Australia, much of the land is sparsely populated, as it is mostly desert (the ‘red centre’), wetlands and rainforest.
It also has more than more than 6,000 kilometres of coastline, where you can explore mangroves, tidal flats, swamps, grasslands, river floodplains, rock formations, gorges and rainforests.
The Northern Territory is hot most of the year with a monsoonal climate – it has a wet season and a dry season. The dry season from May to October has warm days and cool nights. The wet season between November and April can create very humid conditions with balmy nights and very hot days.
People
The Northern Territory has a very small population of only 245,786 people. Half of the population lives in the capital city of Darwin – around 120,000 people. The other half are spread along the coastal areas, and in towns and Indigenous communities throughout the state.
Northern Territory has a high Indigenous population – around 31% of NT’s population identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
It also has a large multicultural community with people from more than 145 countries. Around one-quarter of the NT population speaks a language other than English.
Healthcare
In Australia, residents have three types of healthcare available to them:
- Medicare
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- private health insurance.
Medicare is run by the Australian Government, and is mainly for Australian permanent residents and citizens, as well as New Zealand citizens. The scheme covers 70% of a person’s healthcare costs.
However, international students in Australia can access Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC). This health cover is mandatory to keep students safe while they study in Australia.
Economy
The Northern Territory is a leader in renewable energy. It has a strong economy which is led by sectors such as oil and gas extraction, health services, beef cattle production, barramundi, crocodile skins and pearls. Tourism is also a major contributor to the NT economy.
Interestingly, the ninth-largest export in NT is international education and training. This sector creates around 400 jobs and contributes $88 million a year to the Australian economy.
Another booming industry is construction, which increases steadily every year.
Studying in Northern Territory
Charles Darwin University is the main university in Northern Territory. In 2015, this top-class university was ranked in the top 2% of universities. It has a strong reputation for innovative teaching and research. The university is also a member of Australia’s Innovative Research Universities group.
Vocational education and training (VET) is extremely important in NT. These courses assist international students to gain workplace skills and qualifications in many industries.
VET providers collaborate with local employers to provide work experience in sectors such as aged care, early childhood and school-aged care, hospitality and commercial cookery, engineering, civil construction, and leadership and management.
International students who want to get part-time or casual work, internships or work placements in the Northern Territory will find many great opportunities.
