Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) | Norfolk Island (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 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:
34.6 sq km land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.2 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. | Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. |
Birth rate | NA | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues:
$4.6 million expenditures: $4.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93) |
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) |
Kingston |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 26 km | 32 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form:
Territory of Norfolk Island conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $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. | Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | NA |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) |
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); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Anthony J. MESSNER (since 4 August 1997) head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Ronald Coane NOBBS (since 23 February 2000) cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the Administrator elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years; election last held 23 February 2000 (next to be held by March 2003) election results: Ronald Coane NOBBS elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA% |
Exports | $NA | $1.5 million (f.o.b., FY91/92) |
Exports - commodities | copra | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados |
Exports - partners | Australia (2004) | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 29 02 S, 167 57 E |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | - |
Highways | - | total:
80 km paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $NA | $17.9 million (c.i.f., FY91/92) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | NA |
Imports - partners | Australia (2004) | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | copra products and tourism | tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
NA deaths/1,000 live births |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
International organization participation | none | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions |
Labor force | NA | 1,395 (1991 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others | tourism NA%, subsistence agriculture NA% |
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: 25% forests and woodland: 0% other: 75% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island 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 Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 23 February 2000 (next to be held by March 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | NA | - |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Pitcairners Arrival Day, 8 June (1856) |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
noun:
Norfolk Islander(s) adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | typhoons (especially May to July) |
Natural resources | fish | fish |
Net migration rate | NA | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | none | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | none |
Population | 574 (July 2006 est.) | 1,879 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | -0.71% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 2,500 (1996) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | Anglican 39%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 16.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.4%, none 9.2%, unknown 16.9%, other 2.4% (1986) |
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:
adequate domestic: NA international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 287 (1992) | 1,087 (1983) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | note - analog cellular service available | 0 (1983) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998) |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains |
Total fertility rate | NA | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | - | none |