Christmas Island (2003) | Svalbard (2005) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Agriculture - products | NA | - |
Airports | 1 (2002) | 4 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 62,049 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
Area - comparative | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
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. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. | First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | The Settlement | Longyearbyen |
Climate | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds | arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year |
Coastline | 80 km | 3,587 km |
Constitution | NA | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Disputes - international | none | despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) |
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. 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, slated to begin operation in 2003. | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | 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: Murray Hill 361 m |
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000) |
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: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001) and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice |
Exports | $NA | $NA |
Exports - commodities | phosphate | - |
Exports - partners | Australia, NZ | - |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | - |
Flag description | 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 | the flag of Norway 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% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 10 30 S, 105 40 E | 78 00 N, 20 00 E |
Geography - note | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area |
Highways | total: 240 km
paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) |
total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Imports | $NA | $NA |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods | - |
Imports - partners | principally Australia | - |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Norway) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | - |
International organization participation | none | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court | - |
Labor force | NA | 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% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2001) |
Languages | English (official), Chinese, Malay | Norwegian, Russian |
Legal system | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law | NA |
Legislative branch | unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | NA | NA |
Location | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Arctic Region |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia | demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920 |
National holiday | NA | NA |
Nationality | noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
- |
Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic |
Natural resources | phosphate, beaches | coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | none | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 433 (July 2003 est.) | 2,701 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | -9% (2003 est.) | -0.02% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Flying Fish Cove | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | 24 km to serve phosphate mines | - |
Religions | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) | - |
Sex ratio | NA (2003 est.) | NA% |
Telephone system | general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | NA |
Television broadcast stations | NA | NA |
Terrain | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau | wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman (2003 est.) | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | NA% | - |
Waterways | none | - |