EL SHERANA

also spelled El Sharana, rural community, north-central Northern Territory, Australia. It serves as the base for uranium mining; the ore, discovered in 1953 and found in ridges far above the floor of the South Alligator River valley, is brought to the town for treatment and then taken by road 220 miles (350 km) northwest to Darwin. One of the largest (2,150 pounds ) pieces of pitchblende, a uranium ore, ever found came from this mine. The community's name is derived from a combination of Ellen, Sharon, and Diana, daughters of one of the prospectors.