Paracel Islands (2003) | Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2001) | |
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 (2002) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
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 | NA | about 24 times the size of The Mall in 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. | The islands were discovered in 1609, but 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 is split between the mostly Europeans on West Island and the Malays on Home Island. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | - | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | - | West Island |
Climate | tropical | pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate rainfall |
Coastline | 518 km | 2.6 km |
Constitution | - | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
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 | - | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
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. | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. |
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: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
Ethnic groups | - | Europeans, Cocos Malays |
Exchange rates | - | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator (non-resident) 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 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 | 16 30 N, 112 00 E | 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Geography - note | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group | two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
Highways | - | total:
15 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2001) |
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 | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 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 | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.) |
Languages | - | English, Malay |
Legal system | - | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (NA seats) |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
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, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | NA | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | occupied by China | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | - | NA |
Nationality | - | noun:
Cocos Islander(s) adjective: Cocos Islander |
Natural hazards | typhoons | cyclones may occur in the early months of the year |
Natural resources | none | 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 are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.) |
633 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | -0.21% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded | none; lagoon anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 300 (1992) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Sunni Muslim 57%, Christian 22%, other 21% (1981 est.) |
Suffrage | - | NA |
Telephone system | - | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | NA (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly low and flat | flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
Waterways | none | none |