Norfolk Island (2005) | Christmas Island (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry | NA |
Airports | 1 (2004 est.) | 1 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 34.6 sq km
land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began 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 | NA |
Budget | revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $20 million, including capital expenditures of $2 million (FY99/00) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
Capital | Kingston | name: The Settlement
geographic coordinates: 18 44 N, 64 19 W time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation | tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season (December to April) |
Coastline | 32 km | 138.9 km |
Constitution | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 | Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
Death rate | NA | NA |
Debt - external | NA | - |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
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 | 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. | 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 the near future. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining |
Ethnic groups | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)
head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001) 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 20 Ocotber 2004 (next to be held by December 2007) election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - 17.2% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY99/00) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados | phosphate |
Exports - partners | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe | Australia, NZ (2004) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - NA | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | - |
Geographic coordinates | 29 02 S, 167 57 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
Geography - note | most of the 32-km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
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) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | NA | consumer goods |
Imports - partners | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe | principally Australia (2004) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | - |
Industries | tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA | - |
International organization participation | UPU | none |
Irrigated land | NA | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | 1,345 | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | tourism 90%, subsistence agriculture 10% | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005) |
Languages | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian | English (official), Chinese, Malay |
Legal system | 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 | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian 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 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties) |
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 in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | NA | NA |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856) | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
Nationality | noun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
Natural hazards | typhoons (especially May to July) | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | fish | phosphate, beaches |
Net migration rate | NA | NA |
Political parties and leaders | none | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | none |
Population | 1,828 (July 2005 est.) | 1,493 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | - |
Population growth rate | -0.01% (2005 est.) | 0% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006) |
Religions | Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.3%, none 18.1% (2001 census) | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
Sex ratio | NA | NA |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - one INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (2005) | 0; note - TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia (2006) |
Terrain | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
Total fertility rate | NA | NA |
Unemployment rate | 0% | - |