Dhekelia (2008) | Christmas Island (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | NA |
Airports | - | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC |
Background | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia); located in Akrotiri
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
The Settlement |
Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April |
Coastline | 27.5 km | 80 km |
Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document | NA |
Country name | conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia |
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | - | NA |
Dependency status | a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | territory of Australia; administered 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. | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in mid-2004 |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | - | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
Environment - current issues | netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
Exchange rates | Cypriot pounds per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense 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 Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | - | NA |
Exports - commodities | - | phosphate |
Exports - partners | - | Australia, NZ |
Fiscal year | - | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory |
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 | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
Geography - note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
Highways | - | total: 240 km
paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | - | NA |
Imports - commodities | - | consumer goods |
Imports - partners | - | principally Australia |
Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA |
Industries | none | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA |
International organization participation | - | none |
Irrigated land | - | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | - | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | - | NA |
Land boundaries | total: 103 km (approximately)
border countries: Cyprus 103 km (approximately) |
0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001) |
Languages | English, Greek | English (official), Chinese, Malay |
Legal system | the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | - | NA |
Location | on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
Map references | Middle East | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | - | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
Nationality | - | noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
Natural hazards | - | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | - | phosphate, beaches |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
People - note | - | The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1508 as of the 2001 Census |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK Based Contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents | 396 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | - | -9% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Flying Fish Cove |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Religions | - | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
Sex ratio | - | NA (2004 est.) |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) | NA |
Terrain | - | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | NA |