Christmas Island (2007) | Indonesia (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | 27 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta*; note - the province of Irian Jaya may have been divided into two new provinces - Central Irian Jaya and West Irian Jaya; with the implementation of decentralization on 1 January 2001, the 357 districts (regencies) may become the key administrative units
note: following the 30 August 1999 provincial referendum for independence which was overwhelmingly approved by the people of Timor Timur and the October 1999 concurrence of Indonesia's national legislature, the name East Timor was adopted as a provisional name for the political entity formerly known as Propinsi Timor Timur; East Timor is under UN administration pending its formal independence |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
0-14 years:
30.26% (male 35,144,702; female 33,973,879) 15-64 years: 65.11% (male 74,273,519; female 74,458,291) 65 years and over: 4.63% (male 4,641,816; female 5,945,663) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | NA | rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 453 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total:
136 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 39 914 to 1,523 m: 44 under 914 m: 37 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
317 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 283 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
1,919,440 sq km land: 1,826,440 sq km water: 93,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than three times the size of Texas |
Background | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began 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. | The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Current issues include: implementing IMF-mandated reforms of the banking sector, effecting a transition to a popularly elected government after four decades of authoritarianism, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, holding the military accountable for human rights violations, and resolving growing separatist pressures in Aceh and Irian Jaya. On 30 August 1999 a provincial referendum for independence was overwhelmingly approved by the people of Timor Timur. Concurrence followed by Indonesia's national legislature, and the name East Timor was provisionally adopted. The independent status of East Timor - now under UN administration - has yet to be formally established. |
Birth rate | NA | 22.26 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues:
$26 billion expenditures: $30 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: The Settlement
geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Jakarta |
Climate | tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
Coastline | 138.9 km | 54,716 km |
Constitution | Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
conventional long form:
Republic of Indonesia conventional short form: Indonesia local long form: Republik Indonesia local short form: Indonesia former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies |
Currency | - | Indonesian rupiah (IDR) |
Death rate | NA | 6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $144 billion (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Robert GELBARD embassy: Jalan Merdeka Selatan 4-5, Jakarta 10110 mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, APO AP 96520 telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000 FAX: [62] (21) 3435-9922 consulate(s) general: Surabaya |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission:
Ambassador DORODJATUN Kuntjoro-Jakti chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 775-5200 FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco |
Disputes - international | none | Sipadan and Ligitan Islands in dispute with Malaysia |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $43 billion from IMF program and other official external financing (1997-2000) |
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, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future. | Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, faces severe economic problems, stemming from secessionist movements and the low level of security in the regions, the lack of reliable legal recourse in contract disputes, corruption, weaknesses in the banking system, and strained relations with the IMF. Investor confidence will remain low and few new jobs will be created under these circumstances. Growth of 4.8% in 2000 is not sustainable, being attributable to favorable short-term factors, including high world oil prices, a surge in nonoil exports, and increased domestic demand for consumer durables. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 73.167 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | - | 78.674 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
80.36% hydro: 14.63% nuclear: 0% other: 5.01% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m |
Environment - current issues | loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining | deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26% |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) | Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 10,000 (January 2001), 8,421.8 (2000), 7,855.2 (1999), 10,013.6 (1998), 2,909.4 (1997), 2,342.3 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
chief of state:
President Abdurrahman WAHID (since 20 October 1999) and Vice President MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri (since 21 October 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Abdurrahman WAHID (since 20 October 1999) and Vice President MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri (since 21 October 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected separately by the 700-member People's Consultative Assembly or MPR for five-year terms; election last held 20 and 21 October 1999 (next to be held by NA 2004) election results: Abdurrahman WAHID elected president, receiving 373 votes to 313 votes for MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri elected vice president, defeating Hamzah HAZ; vote totals NA note: the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) includes the House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR) plus 200 indirectly selected members; it meets every five years to elect the president and vice president and to approve the broad outlines of national policy |
Exports | $NA | $64.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | phosphate | oil and gas, plywood, textiles, rubber |
Exports - partners | Australia, NZ (2006) | Japan 21%, US 14%, Singapore 10%, South Korea 7%, Netherlands 3%, Australia 3%, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan (1999 est.) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year; note - previously was 1 April - 31 March, but starting with 2001, has been changed to calendar year |
Flag description | territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $654 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
21% industry: 35% services: 44% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 4.8% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 10 30 S, 105 40 E | 5 00 S, 120 00 E |
Geography - note | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean | archipelago of 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean |
Heliports | - | 4 (2000 est.) |
Highways | - | total:
342,700 km paved: 158,670 km unpaved: 184,030 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
3.6% highest 10%: 30.3% (1996) |
Illicit drugs | - | illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; possible growing role as transshipment point for Golden Triangle heroin |
Imports | $NA | $40.4 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods | machinery and equipment; chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | principally Australia (2006) | Japan 12%, US 12%, Singapore 10%, Germany 6%, Australia 6%, South Korea 6%, Taiwan, China (1999 est.) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | 17 August 1945 (proclaimed independence; on 27 December 1949, Indonesia became legally independent from the Netherlands) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 7.5% (2000 est.) |
Industries | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) | petroleum and natural gas; textiles, apparel, and footwear; mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood; rubber; food; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
40.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 9% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | none | APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 24 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 45,970 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court | Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature) |
Labor force | NA | 99 million (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 45%, industry 16%, services 39% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
2,602 km border countries: Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005) |
arable land:
10% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 62% other: 14% (1993 est.) |
Languages | English (official), Chinese, Malay | Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese |
Legal system | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law | based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
unicameral House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (500 seats; 462 elected by popular vote, 38 are appointed military representatives; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 June 1999 (next to be held NA June 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - PDI-P 37.4%, Golkar 20.9%, PKB 17.4%, PPP 10.7%, PAN 7.3%, PBB 1.8%, other 4.5%; seats by party - PDI-P 154, Golkar 120, PPP 58, PKB 51, PAN 35, PBB 14, other 30 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population:
68.27 years male: 65.9 years female: 70.75 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78% (1995 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia | Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
609 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,698,157 GRT/3,723,933 DWT ships by type: bulk 36, cargo 357, chemical tanker 10, container 25, liquefied gas 3, livestock carrier 1, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 14, petroleum tanker 117, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 15, short-sea passenger 8, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 5 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia | - |
Military branches | - | Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines
note: as of 1 July 2000, the National Police became an independent organization that reports directly to the president |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $1 billion (FY98/99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.3% (FY98/99) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
64,046,049 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
37,418,755 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
2,263,706 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Independence Day, 17 August (1945) |
Nationality | noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
noun:
Indonesian(s) adjective: Indonesian |
Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes |
Natural resources | phosphate, beaches | petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver |
Net migration rate | NA | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 2,505 km; petroleum products 456 km; natural gas 1,703 km (1989) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA, chairman]; Development Unity Party or PPP (federation of former Islamic parties) [Hamzah HAZ, chairman]; Federation of Functional Groups or Golkar [Akbar TANJUNG, general chairman]; Indonesia Democracy Party or PDI (federation of former Nationalist and Christian Parties) [Budi HARDJONO, chairman]; Indonesia Democracy Party-Struggle or PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri, chairperson]; National Awakening Party or PKB [Matori Abdul DJALIL, chairman]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Amien RAIS, chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.) | 228,437,870 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 20% (1998) |
Population growth rate | 0% (2007 est.) | 1.6% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Makassar, Palembang, Semarang, Surabaya |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006) | AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998) |
Radios | - | 31.5 million (1997) |
Railways | - | total:
6,458 km narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (101 km electrified; 101 km double track); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (1995) |
Religions | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) | Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998) |
Sex ratio | NA | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age |
Telephone system | general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005) |
general assessment:
domestic service fair, international service good domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net; domestic satellite communications system international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 5,588,310 (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 1.07 million (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006) | 41 (1999) |
Terrain | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau | mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains |
Total fertility rate | NA | 2.58 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 15%-20% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | - | 21,579 km total
note: Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km |