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Compare Christmas Island (2001) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)

Compare Christmas Island (2001) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)

 Christmas Island (2001)British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)
 Christmas IslandBritish Indian Ocean Territory
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 (2000 est.) 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)		 total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Area total:
135 sq km

land:
135 sq km

water:
0 sq km		 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
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Background 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. 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.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population -
Budget revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA		 -
Capital The Settlement -
Climate tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline 138.9 km 698 km
Constitution Christmas Island Act of 1958 -
Country name conventional long form:
Territory of Christmas Island

conventional short form:
Christmas Island		 conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
Currency Australian dollar (AUD) -
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population -
Debt - external $NA -
Dependency status territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of Australia) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US none (territory of Australia) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international none 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
Economic aid - recipient $NA -
Economy - overview 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. 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.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh NA kWh
Electricity - production NA kWh NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
NA%

hydro:
NA%

nuclear:
NA%

other:
NA%		 -
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Murray Hill 361 m		 lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 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), 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		 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
Exports $NA -
Exports - commodities phosphate -
Exports - partners Australia, NZ -
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June -
Flag description the flag of Australia is used 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
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 10 30 S, 105 40 E 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
Geography - note located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean 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
Highways 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 NA sq km 0 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:
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		 arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
Languages English, Chinese, Malay -
Legal system under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
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 Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references Southeast Asia Political Map of the World
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
12 NM

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM		 territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) -
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
National holiday NA -
Nationality noun:
Christmas Islander(s)

adjective:
Christmas Island		 -
Natural hazards the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard NA
Natural resources phosphate coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate NA migrant(s)/1,000 population -
Political parties and leaders none -
Political pressure groups and leaders none -
Population 2,771 (July 2001 est.) 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
Population below poverty line NA% -
Population growth rate 7.77% (2001 est.) -
Ports and harbors Flying Fish Cove -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 2, 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:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service		 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)
Telephones - main lines in use NA NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) -
Television broadcast stations NA 1 (1997)
Terrain steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman -
Unemployment rate NA% -
Waterways none -
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