Melville Island (Australia) facts for kids
 Location of Melville Island
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Timor Sea |
| Coordinates | 11°33′S 130°56′E / 11.550°S 130.933°E |
| Archipelago | Tiwi Islands |
| Area | 5,786 km2 (2,234 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
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Australia
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| Demographics | |
| Population | about 1030 |
Melville Island is a large island in Australia. It is located in the eastern Timor Sea, which is part of the ocean north of Australia. The island is part of the Northern Territory, a region of Australia. It sits off the coast of Arnhem Land and north of the city of Darwin. The local Tiwi people call it Yermalner.
Melville Island is about 5,786 square kilometres (2,234 sq mi) in size. This makes it the second-largest island in Australia. Only Tasmania is bigger.
What's in a Name?
Melville Island was named after Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville. He was an important person in the British government. He served as the First Lord of the Admiralty, which was in charge of the navy. Another much larger island, Melville Island in northern Canada, was also named after him.
Tiwi Islands and Their People
Melville Island and nearby Bathurst Island are known together as the Tiwi Islands. The Indigenous people who live on these islands are called the Tiwi. Their traditional stories, called creation stories, suggest that Indigenous Australians have lived on the Tiwi Islands for at least 7,000 years.
Communities on the Island
The biggest town on Melville Island is Milikapiti. About 559 people live there. The second village is Pirlangimpi, which is about 27 kilometers (17 miles) west of Milikapiti. Around 440 people live in Pirlangimpi. About 30 more people live in five smaller family outstations across the island.
