Compare Baker Island (2008) - Christmas Island (2005)

Compare Baker Island (2008) z Christmas Island (2005)

	Baker Island (2008)	Christmas Island (2005)

Administrative divisions	-	none (territory of Australia)
Age structure	-	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products	-	NA
Airports	one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable (2006)	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: 135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC	about three-quarters the size of 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.	Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate	-	NA
Budget	-	revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Capital	-	The Settlement
Climate	equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun	tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April
Coastline	4.8 km	138.9 km
Constitution	-	Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958)
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Baker Island	conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island
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 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	Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in the near future
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 8 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
Environment - current issues	no natural fresh water resources	NA
Ethnic groups	-	Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001)
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 Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports	-	NA
Exports - commodities	-	phosphate
Exports - partners	-	Australia, NZ
Fiscal year	-	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	the flag of the US is used	the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA
GDP - real growth rate	-	NA
Geographic coordinates	0 13 N, 176 28 W	10 30 S, 105 40 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	located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Highways	-	total: 240 km paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000)
Imports	-	NA
Imports - commodities	-	consumer goods
Imports - partners	-	principally Australia
Independence	-	none (territory of Australia)
Industries	-	tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate	-	total: NA male: NA female: NA
International organization participation	-	none
Irrigated land	0 sq km	NA sq km
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force	-	NA
Labor force - by occupation	-	NA
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001)
Languages	-	English (official), Chinese, Malay
Legal system	the laws of the US, where applicable, apply	under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held in 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy	-	NA
Location	Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia	Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references	Oceania	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 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
National holiday	-	Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality	-	noun: Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards	the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard	the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources	guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife	phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate	-	NA
People - note	-	the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1,508 as of the 2001 Census
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	361 (July 2005 est.)
Population growth rate	-	0% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Flying Fish Cove
Radio broadcast stations	-	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions	-	Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Sex ratio	-	NA
Telephone system	-	general assessment: service provided by the Australian network domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	-	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	NA
Television broadcast stations	-	NA
Terrain	low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef	steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate	-	NA
Transportation - note	there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast	-

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