Dhekelia (2004) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | - | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
Airports | - | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
Area - comparative | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovreignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers in total: Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | - | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | Episkopi; located in Akrotiri | West Island |
Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Coastline | - | 26 km |
Constitution | - | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
Country name | conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia |
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | - | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. | 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. |
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 |
Environment - current issues | netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
Ethnic groups | - | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | - | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Maj. Gen. Peter Tomas Clayton PEARSON (since 9 May 2003) note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) 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 |
Fiscal year | - | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | the flag of Australia is used |
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 | 34 59 N, 33 45 E | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Geography - note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Highways | - | total: 15 km (2001)
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $NA |
Imports - commodities | - | foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | - | Australia |
Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | copra products and 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 | - | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | - | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | - | the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others |
Land boundaries | - | 0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | - | Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats) |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Location | on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | Middle East | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | - | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | includes Dheklia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force |
National holiday | - | NA |
Nationality | - | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
Natural hazards | - | cyclone season is October to April |
Natural resources | - | fish |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | no indigenous personnel
note: approximately 2,200 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both the bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
632 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | -0.22% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none; lagoon anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
Radios | - | 300 (1992) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | - | NA |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 287 (1992) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | NA |
Television broadcast stations | - | NA |
Terrain | - | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | - | 60% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |