Breathtaking Aerial Photos Of Australia's Resource Rich Northern Territory

With a slowing Chinese economy, many argue that Australia's mining boom, which helped it avoid a recession for 21 years, has come to an end. 

But Australia's largely untapped Northern Territory is rich in resources like uranium, zinc, lead, bauxite, gold, phosphate and manganese. 

Prime ministerial hopeful, Tony Abbott wants to develop the Northern Territory and bring a new wave of mining investment to the country, according to Reuters. But environmentalists and aboriginal groups are working together to discourage mining.

We drew on the work of Reuters photographer David Gray that show the vast, untouched Northern Territory.

Australia's Northern Territory is said to be size of South Africa and has abundant diamond, gold and uranium reserves.

Source: Reuters

Over half of Australia lies above the Tropic of Capricorn, but it is home to only 5% of the population

Source: Reuters

Tony Abbott, prime ministerial hopeful, wants to develop the "sparse and inhospitable" Northern Territory by 2030.

Source: Reuters