The Pilbara

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Nearby places
Dampier
Karratha
Port Hedland
Newman
Tom Price

The Pilbara region is located about 1200 kilometres from Perth. It is a large, arid, and thinly populated region in the north of the state known for its vast mineral deposits, especially iron ore.

The area is one of nine major regions of the state, and is dominated by mining and petroleum export activities.

The Pilbara's economy is dominated by mining, natural gas and petroleum exploration, extraction and export industries.

Most of the iron ore mining activity in Australia takes place in the region, with the larger mines located around Tom Price and Newman. About 9000 people are employed in the local mining industry, including at of the world's largest manganese mine, Woodie Woodie, located about 400 kilometres southeast of Port Hedland.

The Pilbarra contains some of the most massive iron ore bodies in the world, with the demonstrated resources of ore currently amounting to 24 billion tonnes. At the present rate of mining, the entire iron ore resource is expected to be exhausted by about 2050.

A number of sheep-grazing stations exist in the area, along with a growing tourism industry. Attractions such as the Karijini and Millstream-Chichester national parks, the Dampier Archipelago and the Ningaloo Reef are located within the region.

Nearby schools
Strelley Community School >

Pilbara landscape. Photograph © Peter Connolly. Courtesy of Panoramio

The colours of the Pilbara

Vidoe © oddoutlet. Courtesy of YouTube.