Christmas Island (2001) | Indian Ocean (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
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Agriculture - products | NA | - |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
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Area | total:
135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 68.556 million sq km
note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies |
Area - comparative | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC | about 5.5 times the size of the US |
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. | The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | - |
Budget | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
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Capital | The Settlement | - |
Climate | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds | northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean |
Coastline | 138.9 km | 66,526 km |
Constitution | Christmas Island Act of 1958 | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island |
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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 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Disputes - international | none | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) |
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. | The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea |
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 |
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Exports | $NA | - |
Exports - commodities | phosphate | - |
Exports - partners | Australia, NZ | - |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | - |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | - |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $NA | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $NA | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 10 30 S, 105 40 E | 20 00 S, 80 00 E |
Geography - note | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean | major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait |
Highways | total:
140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry) paved: 30 km unpaved: 110 km (1999) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
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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 | - |
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 | - |
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 |
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Languages | English, Chinese, Malay | - |
Legal system | 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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
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Location | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia | body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Political Map of the World |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
12 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
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Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia | - |
National holiday | NA | - |
Nationality | noun:
Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island |
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Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches |
Natural resources | phosphate | oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules |
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.) | - |
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) | - |
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 |
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Telephones - main lines in use | NA | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1999) | - |
Television broadcast stations | NA | - |
Terrain | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau | surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | - |
Unemployment rate | NA% | - |
Waterways | none | - |