Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) | Anguilla (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 23.8% (male 1,569; female 1,523)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 4,641; female 4,385) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 396; female 494) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 3 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about half 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. | Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency. |
Birth rate | NA | 14.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: West Island
geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
The Valley |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds |
Coastline | 26 km | 61 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla |
Currency | - | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 5.46 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $8.8 million (1998) |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | overseas territory of the UK |
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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $3.5 million (1995) |
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. | Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector, has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector, which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather conditions. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 42.6 million kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m |
Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | black (predominant), mulatto, white |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) 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); represented by Governor Alan Eden HUCKLE (since 28 May 2004)
head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March 2000) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the House of Assembly elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | $NA | $2.6 million (1999) |
Exports - commodities | copra | lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum |
Exports - partners | Australia (2004) | UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $104 million (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 4%
industry: 18% services: 78% (1997 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $8,600 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 2.8% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 18 15 N, 63 10 W |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles |
Highways | - | total: 105 km
paved: 65 km unpaved: 40 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | $NA | $80.9 million (1999) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles |
Imports - partners | Australia (2004) | US, Puerto Rico, UK (2000) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 3.1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | copra products and tourism | tourism, boat building, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 21.91 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.72 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.3% |
International organization participation | none | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate), UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court | High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court) |
Labor force | NA | 6,049 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others | agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing 3%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, commerce 36%, services 29% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (2001) |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | English (official) |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) |
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 March 2000 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANA 3, AUM 2, ADP 1, independent 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 76.9 years
male: 73.99 years female: 79.91 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95% (1984 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | none |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Anguilla Day, 30 May |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan |
Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | fish | salt, fish, lobster |
Net migration rate | NA | 10.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]; The United Front or UF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA; Anguilla Patriotic Movement or APM [Quincy GUMBS]; Movement for Grassroots Democracy or MFGD [Joyce KENTISH, John BENJAMIN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 574 (July 2006 est.) | 13,008 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | 1.98% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Blowing Point, Road Bay |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | NA | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station |
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system international: country code - 1-264; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 287 (1992) | 6,200 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | note - analog cellular service available | 1,800 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone |
Total fertility rate | NA | 1.74 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | 6.7% (2001) |