Coober Pedy, town in central southern Australia, in the heart of the state of South Australia. Coober Pedy is located on the Stuart Highway, where the Great Victoria Desert meets the Stuart Range. The town is the site of one of the most important opal fields in the world and attracts tourists for that reason. Coober Pedy has one of the most extreme climates in Australia: searing hot in the day, often freezing at night. Because of the heat, water is imported and the town is constructed entirely below ground. The burrowlike town is reputed to have derived its name from the Aboriginal words kupa piti, meaning “white man's burrow.” In addition to the highway, Coober Pedy is linked to the rest of Australia by its airport.
Coober Pedy was settled in 1915 and designated a town in 1960. Since its founding, it has attracted residents from around the world in search of opals. Well known for its harsh appearance, the town was the site of much of the filming for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), a motion picture set after a nuclear holocaust. Population (1991) 2,492.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Coober Pedy Information info
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