Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2002) | Norfolk Island (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
Airports | - | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
total: 34.6 sq km
land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. | Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. |
Birth rate | - | NA |
Budget | - | revenues: $4.6 million
expenditures: $4.8 million (FY99/00) |
Capital | - | name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 74.1 km | 32 km |
Constitution | - | Norfolk Island Act of 1979, as amended in 2005 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
Death rate | - | NA |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | - | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesian |
Exchange rates | - | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003) cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | - | $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92) |
Exports - commodities | - | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados |
Exports - partners | - | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band |
Geographic coordinates | 12 14 S, 123 05 E | 29 02 S, 167 57 E |
Geography - note | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 | most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated |
Imports | - | $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92) |
Imports - commodities | - | NA |
Imports - partners | - | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006) |
Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Industries | - | tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
International organization participation | - | UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions |
Labor force | - | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 10%
industry and services: 90% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | - | English (official), Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian |
Legal system | the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply | based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007) election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties) |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | - | NA |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | - | Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856) |
Nationality | - | noun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
Natural hazards | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards | typhoons (especially May to July) |
Natural resources | fish | fish |
Net migration rate | - | NA |
People - note | the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem | - |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh waster at Ashmore Reef's West Island |
2,114 (July 2007 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | 0.006% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) |
Religions | - | Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.2%, none 18.1% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | - | NA |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0; note - proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (local programming station plus 2 repeaters that air Australian programs by satellite) (2005) |
Terrain | low with sand and coral | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains |
Total fertility rate | - | NA |
Waterways | none | - |