Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) | Martinique (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas department of France) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 23% (male 49,261; female 47,843)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 140,616; female 141,460) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 19,274; female 23,823) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 2 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
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: 1,100 sq km
land: 1,060 sq km water: 40 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly more than six 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. | Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation. |
Birth rate | NA | 15.37 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $900 million
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $140 million (1996) (1996) |
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) |
Fort-de-France |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid |
Coastline | 26 km | 350 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form: Department of Martinique
conventional short form: Martinique local long form: Departement de la Martinique local short form: Martinique |
Currency | - | euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $180 million (1994) (1994) |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | overseas department of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas department of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas department of France) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $NA; note - substantial annual aid from France |
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. | The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism, which employs more than 11,000 people, has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 1.046 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | - | 1.125 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m |
Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | NA |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5% |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) |
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: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995); Prefect Michel CADOT (since 21 June 2000)
head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils |
Exports | $NA | $250 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Exports - commodities | copra | refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples |
Exports - partners | Australia (2004) | France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (1997) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | a light blue background is divided into four quadrants by a white cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white snake; the flag of France is used for official occasions |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $4.39 billion (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 6%
industry: 11% services: 83% (1997 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 14 40 N, 61 00 W |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants |
Highways | - | total: 2,105 km (2000)
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe |
Imports | $NA | $2 billion c.i.f. (1997) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods |
Imports - partners | Australia (2004) | France 62%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 4%, Italy 4%, US 3% (1997) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas department of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | copra products and tourism | construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
7.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3.9% (1990) (1990) |
International organization participation | none | FZ, WCL, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel |
Labor force | NA | 170,000 (1997) (1997) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others | agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1997) (1997) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 9.43%
permanent crops: 11.32% other: 79.25% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | French, Creole patois |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | French legal system |
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 General Council or Conseil General (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Assembly or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Assembly - last held on 15 March 1998 (next to be held by March 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; note - the PPM won a plurality; Regional Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR-UDF 14, MIM 13, PPM 7, left parties 4, PMS 3 note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 2001 (next to be held September 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPM 2; Martinique also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, PMS 1, MIM 1, left-wing candidate 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 78.56 years
male: 79.19 years female: 77.92 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93% male: 92% female: 93% (1982 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural)
adjective: Martiniquais |
Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years) |
Natural resources | fish | coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land |
Net migration rate | NA | -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Pierre SUEDILLE]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Camille DARSIERES]; note - may no longer be in existence; Martinique Socialist Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats and Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP |
Population | 574 (July 2006 est.) | 422,277 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | 0.89% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Fort-de-France, La Trinite |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 82,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km (2002) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 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: domestic facilities are adequate
domestic: NA international: microwave radio relay to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 287 (1992) | 170,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | note - analog cellular service available | 15,000 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano |
Total fertility rate | NA | 1.79 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | 27.2% (1998) (1998) |
Waterways | - | none |