<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Website: www.environment.gov.au/ </Td> </Tr> <P> Uluru / ˌuːləˈruː / (Pitjantjatjara: Uluṟu), also known as Ayers Rock / ˌɛərz ˈrɒk / and officially gazetted as "Uluru / Ayers Rock", is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia . It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs, 450 km (280 mi) by road . </P> <P> Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area . The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings . Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Uluru and Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, are the two major features of the Uluṟu - Kata Tjuṯa National Park . </P> <P> The local Anangu, the Pitjantjatjara people, call the landmark Uluṟu (Pitjantjatjara (uluɻu)). This word is a proper noun, with no further particular meaning in the Pitjantjatjara dialect, although it is used as a local family name by the senior Traditional Owners of Uluru . </P>

Why was ayers rock name changed to uluru