Pine Gap facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pine Gap Australia

Pine Gap is a remote facility 19 km southwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is officially recognised as a joint defense of Australia and the US satellite tracking station. Conspiracies exist which link the site to covert programs for monitoring and testing of laser weaponry for satellite and space based attack/defense.

Pine Gap employs about 700 American and Australians and is responsible for about 2,000 people in the Alice Springs region who are US citizens. The US influence in the area is evident by American sports such as baseball and American football. Similarly, the celebration of American festivals which are normally not active in Australia, such as Halloween, Independence Day and Thanksgiving also showcase the US cultural influence. A number of Australians join in the festivities from time to time.

Images for kids

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  Warning sign on the road to Pine Gap