What is Van Diemen Gulf?
[[Image:Van Diemen Gulf Australia.svg|thumb|right|Map showing Van Diemen Gulf.]] '''Van Diemen Gulf''' ({{Coord|11|49|S|131|57|E|region:AU-NT}}) is a [[gulf]] between [[Arnhem Land]], the [[Cobourg Peninsula]] and [[Melville Island, Northern Territory|Melville Island]] in northern [[Australia]]. It joins the [[Timor Sea]] in the west by the [[Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)|Clarence Strait]] near the city of [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]. It joins the [[Arafura Sea]] in the north by [[Dundas Strait]] between Melville Island and Cobourg Peninsula. It covers an area of about 14,000&nbsp;km². Rivers flowing into the Gulf include the [[South Alligator River]], the [[East Alligator River]] and the [[Adelaide River]]. [[Abel Tasman]] mapped the northern entrance to the Gulf, Dundas Strait, in 1644.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/kakadu/culture-history/history/explorers.html |title=Kakadu National Park - Explorers |first= |last= |work=environment.gov.au |year=2011 |accessdate=27 March 2011 |archive-date=15 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315211824/http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/kakadu/culture-history/history/explorers.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Gulf is named after the Dutch Governor of Batavia, Anthony Van Diemen. The waters in the Gulf near the Cobourg Peninsula are protected by the [[Garig Gunak Barlu National Park]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/find/gariggunak.html |title=Garig Gunak Barlu National Park - Find a Park - Parks - Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts |first= |last= |work=nt.gov.au |year=2011 |quote=Garig Gunak Barlu National Park |accessdate=27 March 2011 |archive-date=22 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722013551/http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/find/gariggunak.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Geography of the Northern Territory]] [[Category:Gulfs]] [[Category:Bodies of water of Australia]] {{geo-stub}}