Land rights

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Land rights are those property rights that pertain to real estate, that is, land.

Because land is a limited resource and property rights include the right to exclude others, land rights are a form of monopoly. Those without land rights must enter into land use agreements, since they must reside somewhere. In western culture, land rights are derived from the sovereign; thus, a land value tax is sometimes referred to as rent.

Land rights can also refer to encumbrances on for example, the right of access.

Land rights and related resource rights are of fundamental importance to the world's indigenous peoples for a range of reasons including religious significance, self-determination, identity and economics. Land rights, particularly regarding title to land, have been a major part of most indigenous rights movements worldwide.

Rights for Indigenous Australians living in the Northern Territory were granted under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 (Northern Territory).