Petermann Ranges facts for kids
The Petermann Ranges is a mountain range in central Australia. It spreads about 320 km (200 mi) across the border between Western Australia and the southwest corner of the Northern Territory. The highest point is 1,158 metres (3,799 ft) above sea level. The ranges were formed about 550 million years ago, in an event called the Petermann Orogeny. They are made mostly of granite, sandstone and quartzite. The greater Petermann Ranges consist of several sections of ridges and hills. In the Northern Territory, these sections include the Dean, Mannanana, Ilyaralona, Curdie and Piultarana Ranges, the Pottoyu Hills, and several isolated mountains. In Western Australia, it includes the Hope and Dean Ranges.
The Petermann Ranges were given their name by the explorer Ernest Giles, who travelled through the area during March 1874.
The area is considered biologically important for Australia. An indigenous protected area, the Katiti-Petermann Indigenous Protected Area, has been proposed to conserve the ranges' ecosystem.
