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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) - Christmas Island (2004)
Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) z Christmas Island (2004)
| British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) | Christmas Island (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | NA |
| Airports | 1 (2007) | 1 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 54,400 sq km
land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | about three-quarters 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. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
| Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
| Capital | - | The Settlement |
| Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April |
| Coastline | 698 km | 80 km |
| Constitution | - | NA |
| 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 (2004 est.) |
| 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 by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
| 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 including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
| Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed 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 native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. | 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 mid-2004 |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | NA kWh |
| 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 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
| Exchange rates | - | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia 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 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 | 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; 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 | - | 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; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
| Geography - note | archipelago of 55 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: 240 km
paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) |
| 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 | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 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 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 four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | - | NA |
| 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 |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| 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 | - | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
| 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, beaches |
| Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| People - note | - | The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1508 as of the 2001 Census |
| 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 November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia |
396 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA |
| Population growth rate | - | -9% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Flying Fish Cove |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Religions | - | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
| Sex ratio | - | NA (2004 est.) |
| 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: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | NA | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA |
| Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
| Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | NA |
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