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Compare Christmas Island (2003) - Tuvalu (2008)

Compare Christmas Island (2003) z Tuvalu (2008)

 Christmas Island (2003)Tuvalu (2008)
 Christmas IslandTuvalu
Administrative divisions none (territory of Australia) none
Age structure 0-14 years: NA%


15-64 years: NA%


65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 29.8% (male 1,821/female 1,752)


15-64 years: 65.2% (male 3,808/female 4,006)


65 years and over: 5% (male 227/female 378) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products NA coconuts; fish
Airports 1 (2002) 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
-
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Area total: 135 sq km


land: 135 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 26 sq km


land: 26 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC 0.1 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. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 22.43 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues: $22.78 million


expenditures: $14.23 million (2002)
Capital The Settlement name: Funafuti


geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E


time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet
Climate tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Coastline 80 km 24 km
Constitution NA 1 October 1978
Country name conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island


conventional short form: Christmas Island
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Tuvalu


local long form: none


local short form: Tuvalu


former: Ellice Islands


note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
Currency Australian dollar (AUD) -
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 7 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $NA $NA
Dependency status territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of Australia) the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Diplomatic representation in the US none (territory of Australia) Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $13 million; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US (1999 est.)
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. Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this fund grew from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US Government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. Tuvalu derives around $1.5 million per year from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and income from overseas investments.
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: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Environment - current issues NA since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%


note: no indigenous population (2001)
Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
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); represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)


head of government: Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August 2006)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 14 August 2006 (next to be held following parliamentary elections in 2010)


election results: Apisai IELEMIA elected Prime Minister in a Parliamentary election on 14 August 2006
Exports $NA $1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities phosphate copra, fish
Exports - partners Australia, NZ Germany 60.5%, Italy 20.1%, Fiji 6.9% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June calendar year
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 light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
GDP purchasing power parity - $NA -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture: 16.6%


industry: 27.2%


services: 56.2% (2002)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA -
GDP - real growth rate NA% 1.2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 30 S, 105 40 E 8 00 S, 178 00 E
Geography - note located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the 9 coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
Highways total: 240 km


paved: 30 km


unpaved: 210 km (2000)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports $NA $9.186 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities consumer goods food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Imports - partners principally Australia Fiji 46.1%, Japan 18.9%, China 18.2%, Australia 7.7%, NZ 4.1% (2006)
Independence none (territory of Australia) 1 October 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) fishing, tourism, copra
Infant mortality rate total: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
total: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.64 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 16.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 3.9% (2005 est.)
International organization participation none ACP, ADB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km NA
Judicial branch Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Labor force NA 3,615 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
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: 66.67%


other: 33.33% (2005)
Languages English (official), Chinese, Malay Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
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
unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 3 August 2006 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years (2003 est.)
total population: 68.63 years


male: 66.38 years


female: 70.99 years (2007 est.)
Literacy NA NA
Location Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references Southeast Asia Oceania
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 12 NM


exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) total: 74 ships (1000 GRT or over) 568,759 GRT/928,697 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 45, chemical tanker 5, container 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 61 (China 25, Hong Kong 10, Kenya 1, Maldives 1, Romania 1, Russia 4, Singapore 13, Thailand 1, Turkey 1, US 1, Vietnam 3) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia -
Military branches - no regular military forces; Police Force
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA
National holiday NA Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Nationality noun: Christmas Islander(s)


adjective: Christmas Island
noun: Tuvaluan(s)


adjective: Tuvaluan
Natural hazards the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level
Natural resources phosphate, beaches fish
Net migration rate NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders none there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders none none
Population 433 (July 2003 est.) 11,992 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate -9% (2003 est.) 1.543% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Flying Fish Cove -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways 24 km to serve phosphate mines -
Religions Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Sex ratio NA (2003 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.039 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.601 male(s)/female


total population: 0.954 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
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: serves particular needs for internal communications


domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands


international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite
Telephones - main lines in use NA 900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 1,300 (2005)
Television broadcast stations NA 0 (2004)
Terrain steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.96 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways none -
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