Compare Antarctica (2008) - Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2003)

Compare Antarctica (2008) z Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2003)

	Antarctica (2008)	Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2003)

Administrative divisions	-	none (territory of Australia)
Age structure	-	0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Airports	26 (2007)	1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 26 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 6 (2007)	-
Area	total: 14 million sq km land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.) note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe	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	slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US	about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Background	Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific research on the continent. A number of countries have set up year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered into force in 1961.	There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William Keeling discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they 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.
Birth rate	-	NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital	-	West Island
Climate	severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing	tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
Coastline	17,968 km	26 km
Constitution	-	Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antarctica	conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Currency	-	Australian dollar (AUD)
Death rate	-	NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	-	$NA
Dependency status	-	territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international	Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in Government type entry); Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK claim land and maritime sectors (some overlapping) for a large portion of the continent; the US and many other states do not recognize these territorial claims and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia reserve the right to do so); no claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA
Economy - overview	Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2004-05 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 147,000 metric tons (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area). Unregulated fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish, is a serious problem. The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total of 26,245 tourists visited in the 2005-06 Antarctic summer, up from the 22,712 visitors the previous year. Nearly all of them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that make trips during the summer. Most tourist trips last approximately two weeks.	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.
Electricity - consumption	-	NA kWh
Electricity - production	-	NA kWh
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Environment - current issues	in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic ozone hole was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light passing through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an Antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming	fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Ethnic groups	-	Europeans, Cocos Malays
Exchange rates	-	Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)
Executive branch	-	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports	-	$NA
Exports - commodities	-	copra
Exports - partners	-	Australia (1999)
Fiscal year	-	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	-	the flag of Australia is used
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate	-	NA%
Geographic coordinates	90 00 S, 0 00 E	12 30 S, 96 50 E
Geography - note	the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable	islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
Heliports	53 note: all 37 year-round and 16 seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs stations have restricted helicopter landing facilities (helipads) (2007)	-
Highways	-	total: 15 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	-	$NA
Imports - commodities	-	foodstuffs
Imports - partners	-	Australia (1999)
Independence	-	none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA%
Industries	-	copra products and tourism
Infant mortality rate	-	total: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	NA%
International organization participation	-	none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	2 (2000)
Irrigated land	-	NA sq km
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force	-	NA
Labor force - by occupation	-	the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others
Land boundaries	0 km note: see entry on Disputes - international	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages	-	Malay (Cocos dialect), English
Legal system	Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US laws directly apply to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov; more generally, access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party to the Antarctic Treaty	based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.)
Location	continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle	Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
Map references	Antarctic Region	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from their continental claims, but like the claims themselves, these zones are not accepted by other countries; 21 of 28 Antarctic consultative nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory (although Russia and the US have reserved the right to do so) and do not recognize the claims of the other nations; also see the Disputes - international entry	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	none (2002 est.)
Military - note	the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes	defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force
National holiday	-	NA
Nationality	-	noun: Cocos Islander(s) adjective: Cocos Islander
Natural hazards	katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may calve from ice shelf	cyclone season is October to April
Natural resources	iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries	fish
Net migration rate	-	NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	none
Population	no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and summer-only staffed research stations note: 28 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only (summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty); these stations' population of persons doing and supporting science or engaged in the management and protection of the Antarctic region varies from approximately 4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000 personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak summer (December-February) population - 3,944 total; Argentina 417, Australia 200, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 15, Chile 224, China 70, Czech Republic 20, Ecuador 26, Finland 20, France 122, Germany 78, India 65, Italy 113, Japan 125, South Korea 60, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Romania 13, Russia 429, South Africa 80, Spain 28, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 205, US 1,293, Uruguay 60 (2006-2007); winter (June-August) station population - 1,077 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12, Chile 88, China 29, France 37, Germany 9, India 25, Italy 2, Japan 40, South Korea 15, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 337, Uruguay 9 (2006); research stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60 degrees south latitude) by National Antarctic Programs: year-round stations - 37 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, France 1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1, Poland 1, Russia 5, South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay 1, Italy and France jointly 1 (2005); seasonal-only (summer) stations - 16 total; Bulgaria 1, Chile 1, Czech Republic 1, Ecuador 1, Finland 1, Germany 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Peru 1, Romania 1, Russia 1, Spain 2, Sweden 1, UK 1 (2006-2007); in addition, during the austral summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in support of research (July 2007 est.)	630 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	0% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	none; lagoon anchorage only
Radio broadcast stations	AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1 (information for US bases only) (2002)	AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)
Railways	-	0 km
Religions	-	Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)
Suffrage	-	NA
Telephone system	general assessment: local systems at some research stations domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number of locations international: country code - 672; via satellite (including mobile Inmarsat and Iridium systems) from all research stations, ships, aircraft, and most field parties (2001)	general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002)
Telephones - main lines in use	0; note - information for US bases only (2001)	287 (1992)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	NA
Television broadcast stations	1 (cable system with 6 channels; American Forces Antarctic Network-McMurdo - information for US bases only) (2002)	NA
Terrain	about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent	flat, low-lying coral atolls
Total fertility rate	-	NA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	60% (2000 est.)
Waterways	-	none

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