Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) | French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
- |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | - |
Airports | 1 (2006) | none |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
- |
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:
7,781 sq km land: 7,781 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware |
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. | The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840. |
Birth rate | NA | - |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
- |
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) |
- |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | antarctic |
Coastline | 26 km | 1,232 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form:
Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | - |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by High Commissioner of the Republic Brigitte GIRARDIN (since 25 March 1998), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | none | "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US |
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. | Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 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 - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | - |
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 |
- |
Exports | $NA | - |
Exports - commodities | copra | - |
Exports - partners | Australia (2004) | - |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | - |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | the flag of France is used |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 43 00 S, 67 00 E |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean |
Imports | $NA | - |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | - |
Imports - partners | Australia (2004) | - |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | - |
Industries | copra products and tourism | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
- |
International organization participation | none | - |
Irrigated land | NA | 0 sq km (1993) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court | - |
Labor force | NA | - |
Labor force - by occupation | note: 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% (2005) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | - |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
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) |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
- |
Literacy | NA | - |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | south of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land" |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Antarctic Region |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
74 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,024,194 GRT/5,255,703 DWT ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 5, chemical tanker 9, container 11, liquefied gas 7, petroleum tanker 23, roll on/roll off 12 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: France 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | - |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
- |
Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes |
Natural resources | fish | fish, crayfish |
Net migration rate | NA | - |
Political parties and leaders | none | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 574 (July 2006 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants (July 2001 est.)
note: in 1997, there were about 100 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January) |
Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) | - |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | - |
Suffrage | NA | - |
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 |
- |
Telephones - main lines in use | 287 (1992) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | note - analog cellular service available | - |
Television broadcast stations | NA | - |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | volcanic |
Total fertility rate | NA | - |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | - |
Waterways | - | none |