|
Introduction |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Background |
There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. From the 1820s to 1978, members of the CLUNIE-ROSS family controlled the islands and the copra produced from local coconuts. Annexed by the UK in 1857, the Cocos Islands were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. |
|
Geography |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Area |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
| Area - comparative |
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Climate |
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
| Coastline |
26 km |
| Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
| Environment - current issues |
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
| Geographic coordinates |
12 30 S, 96 50 E |
| Geography - note |
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation; site of a World War I naval battle in November 1914 between the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and the German raider SMS Emden; after being heavily damaged in the engagement, the Emden was beached by her captain on North Keeling Island |
| Irrigated land |
NA |
| Land boundaries |
0 km |
| Land use |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005) |
| Location |
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
| Map references |
Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Natural hazards |
cyclone season is October to April |
| Natural resources |
fish |
| Terrain |
flat, low-lying coral atolls |
|
People |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Age structure |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
| Birth rate |
NA (2008 est.) |
| Death rate |
NA (2008 est.) |
| Ethnic groups |
Europeans, Cocos Malays |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS |
NA |
| Infant mortality rate |
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.) |
| Languages |
Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
| Life expectancy at birth |
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.) |
| Literacy |
NA |
| Nationality |
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
| Net migration rate |
NA (2008 est.) |
| Population |
596 (July 2007 est.) |
| Population growth rate |
0% (2008 est.) |
| Religions |
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
| Total fertility rate |
NA (2008 est.) |
|
Transportation |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Airports |
1 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
| Ports and terminals |
Port Refuge |
| Roadways |
total: 22 km
paved: 10 km
unpaved: 12 km (2006) |
|
Government |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Administrative divisions |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Capital |
name: West Island
geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 50 E
time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Constitution |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 |
| Country name |
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
| Dependency status |
non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department |
| Diplomatic representation from the US |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Executive branch |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)
cabinet: NA
elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
| Flag description |
the flag of Australia is used |
| Government type |
NA |
| Independence |
none (territory of Australia) |
| International organization participation |
none |
| Judicial branch |
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
| Legal system |
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
| Legislative branch |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2007 (next to be held in May 2009) |
| National holiday |
Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
| Political parties and leaders |
none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders |
The Cocos Islands Youth Support Centre |
| Suffrage |
NA |
|
Economy |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Budget |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
| Currency (code) |
Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Economic aid - recipient |
$NA |
| Economy - overview |
Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. |
| Exchange rates |
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004) |
| Exports |
$NA |
| Exports - commodities |
copra |
| Fiscal year |
1 July - 30 June |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) |
$NA |
| Imports |
$NA |
| Imports - commodities |
foodstuffs |
| Industries |
copra products and tourism |
| Labor force |
NA |
| Labor force - by occupation |
note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others |
| Unemployment rate |
60% (2000 est.) |
|
Communications |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Internet country code |
.cc |
| Internet users |
NA |
| Radio broadcast stations |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Telephone system |
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system; a local mobile-cellular network is in operation
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat) (2001) |
| Telephones - main lines in use |
287 (1992) |
| Television broadcast stations |
4 (2007) |
|
Military |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Military - note |
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force |
|
Transnational Issues |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Disputes - international |
none |
