Broome, town and small port in northwestern Australia on the Indian Ocean, in the state of Western Australia. Broome is located northwest of the Great Sandy Desert, on the peninsula of Dampier Land, on the north side of Roebuck Bay. Broome's economy is based largely on the exploitation of offshore oil and natural gas reserves, as well as trade in the agricultural products of the interior. Tourism is important, too, with visitors attracted by the town's beaches and the “Golden Staircase to the Moon,” an illusion created by the full moon reflecting off the exposed ocean floor. Broome is linked to the rest of Western Australia by the nearby Great Northern Highway, which crosses the state from north to south, and an airport. Because the tide in the area can vary up to 10 m (up to 33 ft), the town overlooks large mud flats and mangrove swamps rich in wildlife. During low tide, dinosaur footprints can be seen in the ocean bed at Gantheaume Point, west of town.
Broome was settled and rose to prosperity with the discovery of rich coastal pearl oyster beds in 1883. The town became a magnet for pearl divers. By 1900, 80 percent of the world's mother-of-pearl, or pearl shell, came from Broome. Mother-of-pearl, which was used to make buttons, declined in popularity in the 1950s. Some pearl harvesters remain and cultured pearls are farmed nearby. Population (1996) 11,368.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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