Baker Island (2004) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Agriculture - products | - | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
Airports | 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely covered with vegetation and unusable (2003 est.) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 1.4 sq km
land: 1.4 sq km water: 0 sq km |
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 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast. | 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 |
Budget | - | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA |
Capital | - | West Island |
Climate | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Coastline | 4.8 km | 26 km |
Constitution | - | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1953) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island |
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Death rate | - | NA |
Dependency status | unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system | 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 | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Environment - current issues | no natural fresh water resources | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
Ethnic groups | - | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | - | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) 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 |
Fiscal year | - | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of the US is used | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 0 13 N, 176 31 W | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Geography - note | treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Highways | - | total: 15 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003) |
Imports | - | NA |
Imports - commodities | - | foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | - | Australia |
Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Industries | - | copra products and tourism |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
International organization participation | - | none |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 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 | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | - | Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
Legal system | the laws of the US, where applicable, apply | 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 NA |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Location | Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force |
National holiday | - | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
Nationality | - | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | cyclone season is October to April |
Natural resources | guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife | fish |
Net migration rate | - | NA |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | uninhabited
note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service (2004 est.) |
628 (July 2005 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | 0% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat landing area along the middle of the west coast | Port Refuge |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Religions | - | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | - | NA |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: country code - 61-891; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 287 (1992) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | note - analog cellular service available |
Television broadcast stations | - | NA |
Terrain | low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | - | NA |
Transportation - note | there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast | - |
Unemployment rate | - | 60% (2000 est.) |