Coral Sea Islands (2004) | Norfolk Island (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | - | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
Airports | - | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: less than 3 sq km
land: less than 3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most important |
total:
34.6 sq km land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. | 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 births/1,000 population |
Budget | - | revenues:
$4.6 million expenditures: $4.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93) |
Capital | - | Kingston |
Climate | tropical | subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 3,095 km | 32 km |
Constitution | - | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands |
conventional long form:
Territory of Norfolk Island conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | 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 |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
Environment - current issues | no permanent fresh water resources | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians |
Exchange rates | - | 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 | administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | 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 | - | $1.5 million (f.o.b., FY91/92) |
Exports - commodities | - | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados |
Exports - partners | - | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
Fiscal year | - | 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 | 18 00 S, 152 00 E | 29 02 S, 167 57 E |
Geography - note | important nesting area for birds and turtles | - |
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 | - | $17.9 million (c.i.f., FY91/92) |
Imports - commodities | - | NA |
Imports - partners | - | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism |
Infant mortality rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 live births |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
International organization participation | - | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions |
Labor force | - | 1,395 (1991 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | tourism NA%, subsistence agriculture NA% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2001) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 0% other: 75% (1993 est.) |
Languages | - | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian |
Legal system | the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply | 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 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 years male: NA years female: NA years |
Location | Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 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; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | - | Pitcairners Arrival Day, 8 June (1856) |
Nationality | - | noun:
Norfolk Islander(s) adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
Natural hazards | occasional tropical cyclones | typhoons (especially May to July) |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station (2004 est.) |
1,879 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | -0.71% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 2,500 (1996) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | 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 | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment:
adequate domestic: NA international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 1,087 (1983) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (1983) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998) |
Terrain | sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays) | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
Waterways | - | none |