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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) - Christmas Island (2001)
Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) z Christmas Island (2001)
| British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) | Christmas Island (2001) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | 1 (2003 est.) | 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total:
135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | 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. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being restored, and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
| Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population |
| Budget | - | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | - | The Settlement |
| Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | 698 km | 138.9 km |
| Constitution | - | Christmas Island Act of 1958 |
| Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form:
Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island |
| Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
| Debt - external | - | $NA |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
| Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access to the largest island in the chain | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
| Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | 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 by union workers. With the support of the government, Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $34 million casino on Christmas Island, which opened in 1993. As of yearend 1999, gaming facilities at the casino were temporarily closed but were expected to reopen in early 2000. Another economic prospect is the possible location of a space-launching site on the island. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
| Ethnic groups | - | Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no indigenous population |
| Exchange rates | - | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) 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 | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | 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 | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
| Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
| Highways | total: NA km
paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
total:
140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry) paved: 30 km unpaved: 110 km (1999) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | - | $NA |
| Imports - commodities | - | consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | - | principally Australia |
| Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
| Industries | - | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
| Infant mortality rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 live births |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
| International organization participation | - | none |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
| Labor force | - | NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% note: mainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park |
| Languages | - | English, Chinese, Malay |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK, 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 one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
| Location | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
| Map references | Political Map of the World | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
contiguous zone:
12 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| National holiday | - | NA |
| Nationality | - | noun:
Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island |
| Natural hazards | NA | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
| Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | phosphate |
| Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
| Political parties and leaders | - | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2004 est.) |
2,771 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | 7.77% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | Flying Fish Cove |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 1,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 24 km to serve phosphate mines |
| Religions | - | Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991) |
| Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service |
| Telephones - main lines in use | NA | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA |
| Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
| Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
| Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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