Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Christmas Island (2008)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Christmas Island (2008)

	Paracel Islands (2003)	Christmas Island (2008)

Administrative divisions	-	none (territory of Australia)
Age structure	-	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products	-	NA
Airports	1 (2002)	1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: NA sq km land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	NA	about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Background	The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.	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
Budget	-	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Capital	-	name: The Settlement geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical	tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Coastline	518 km	138.9 km
Constitution	-	Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands	conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island
Death rate	-	NA
Dependency status	-	non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international	occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA
Economy - overview	China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.	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, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future.
Elevation extremes	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 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	-	Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001)
Exchange rates	-	Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
Executive branch	-	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	-	$NA
Exports - commodities	-	phosphate
Exports - partners	-	Australia, NZ (2006)
Fiscal year	-	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	-	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 note: the flag of Australia is used for official purposes
Geographic coordinates	16 30 N, 112 00 E	10 30 S, 105 40 E
Geography - note	composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group	located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Imports	-	$NA
Imports - commodities	-	consumer goods
Imports - partners	-	principally Australia (2006)
Independence	-	none (territory of Australia)
Industries	-	tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate	-	total: NA male: NA female: NA
International organization participation	-	none
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	NA
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force	-	NA
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
Languages	-	English (official), Chinese, Malay
Legal system	-	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 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy	-	NA
Location	Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines	Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references	Southeast Asia	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	NA	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Military - note	occupied by China	defense is the responsibility of Australia
National holiday	-	Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality	-	noun: Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards	typhoons	the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources	none	phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate	-	NA
Political parties and leaders	-	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	none
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)	1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.)
Population growth rate	-	0% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded	-
Radio broadcast stations	-	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006)
Religions	-	Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Sex ratio	-	NA
Telephone system	-	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 - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)
Telephones - main lines in use	-	NA
Television broadcast stations	-	0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006)
Terrain	mostly low and flat	steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate	-	NA
Waterways	none	-

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