Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2001) | Akrotiri (2007) | |
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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 | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | - |
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:
14 sq km land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The islands were discovered in 1609, but remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands is split between the mostly Europeans on West Island and the Malays on Home Island. | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | - |
Budget | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
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Capital | West Island | name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate rainfall | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
Coastline | 2.6 km | 56.3 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
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 UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
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 | - |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. |
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: unnamed location 5 m |
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Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | - |
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) | Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator (non-resident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) cabinet: NA 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: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $NA | - |
Exports - commodities | copra | - |
Exports - partners | Australia | - |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | - |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | the flag of the UK 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 | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 34 37 N, 32 58 E |
Geography - note | two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus |
Highways | total:
15 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2001) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Imports | $NA | - |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | - |
Imports - partners | Australia | - |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | copra products and tourism | - |
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; Magistrate's Court | - |
Labor force | NA | - |
Labor force - by occupation | the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.) |
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Languages | English, Malay | English, Greek |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus |
Legislative branch | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (NA seats) | - |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
- |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri Lanka | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Middle East |
Maritime claims | 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 | Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit |
National holiday | NA | - |
Nationality | noun:
Cocos Islander(s) adjective: Cocos Islander |
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Natural hazards | cyclones may occur in the early months of the year | - |
Natural resources | fish | - |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | - |
Political parties and leaders | none | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 633 (July 2001 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | -0.21% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | none; lagoon anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM NA, FM 1, shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
Radios | 300 (1992) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 57%, Christian 22%, other 21% (1981 est.) | - |
Suffrage | NA | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type |
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Telephones - main lines in use | NA (1999) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1999) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | - |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | - |
Waterways | none | - |