The region has only three towns with a population of more than 2,000 (Broome, Derby and Kununurra), and the total population is around 25,000.
The Kimberley region was one of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with the first arrivals coming over about 20,000 years ago from the islands of what is now Indonesia. European settlement started around 1885, when cattle were driven across Australia from the Eastern States in search of good pasture lands. Many other Europeans arrived soon after, when gold was discovered around Halls Creek.
Other industries have include pearling, diamond mining (including the Argyle Diamond mine which produces about 1/3 of the world's diamonds), agriculture (more recently centred on the Ord River Irrigation Area near Lake Argyle) and tourism.