Paracel Islands (2003) | Norfolk Island (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2002) | 1 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 34.6 sq km
land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | about 0.2 times 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. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | NA |
Budget | - | revenues: $4.6 million
expenditures: $4.8 million; including capital expenditures of $2 million (FY99/00) |
Capital | - | name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 518 km | 32 km |
Constitution | - | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of 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. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | - | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesian |
Exchange rates | - | 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 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007) election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - 17.2% |
Exports | - | $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92) |
Exports - commodities | - | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados |
Exports - partners | - | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2004) |
Fiscal year | - | 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 |
Geographic coordinates | 16 30 N, 112 00 E | 29 02 S, 167 57 E |
Geography - note | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group | 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 |
Imports | - | $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92) |
Imports - commodities | - | NA |
Imports - partners | - | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2004) |
Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
Industries | - | tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
International organization participation | - | UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions |
Labor force | - | 1,345 |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 10%
industry and services: 90% |
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% (2005) |
Languages | - | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian |
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 |
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) |
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 | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | NA | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | occupied by China | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | - | Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856) |
Nationality | - | noun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
Natural hazards | typhoons | typhoons (especially May to July) |
Natural resources | none | fish |
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.) |
1,828 (July 2006 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | -0.01% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded | - |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) |
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) |
Sex ratio | - | 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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (2005) |
Terrain | mostly low and flat | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains |
Total fertility rate | - | NA |
Unemployment rate | - | 0% |
Waterways | none | - |