Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2003) | Bouvet Island (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | - |
Airports | 1 (2002) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
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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: 58.5 sq km
land: 58.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William Keeling discovered the islands in 1609, but they 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 generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. | This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825 when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since 1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the island. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
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Capital | West Island | - |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | antarctic |
Coastline | 26 km | 29.6 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island |
Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police from Oslo |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. | no economic activity; declared a nature reserve |
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 |
lowest point: South Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Olav Peak 935 m |
Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | NA |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | - |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) 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 |
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Exports | $NA | - |
Exports - commodities | copra | - |
Exports - partners | Australia (1999) | - |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | - |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | the flag of Norway 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 | 54 26 S, 3 24 E |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve |
Highways | total: 15 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003) |
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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 | foodstuffs | - |
Imports - partners | Australia (1999) | - |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | copra products and tourism | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | - |
International organization participation | none | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
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 | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (93% ice) (1998 est.) |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | - |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats) | - |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.) |
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Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | Southern Africa, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Antarctic Region |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 4 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force | defense is the responsibility of Norway |
National holiday | NA | - |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
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Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | NA |
Natural resources | fish | none |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | none | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 630 (July 2003 est.) | uninhabited (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0% (2003 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | none; lagoon anchorage only | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | - |
Suffrage | NA | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 287 (1992) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | - |
Television broadcast stations | NA | - |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman (2003 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | - |
Waterways | none | none |