The basin covers just under one-sixth of all Australia and is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about , including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South Australia and the Northern Territory, and a part of western New South Wales. The basin is also one of the largest, least-developed arid zone basins with a high degree of variability anywhere. It supports about 60,000 people and a large amount of wildlife, and has no major irrigation, diversions or flood-plain developments.