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Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008) - Christmas Island (2002)
Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008) z Christmas Island (2002)
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008) | Christmas Island (2002) | |
 |  | |
| 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 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
| Area | total: 3,903 sq km
land: 3,903 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Rhode Island | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island. | 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 |
| Budget | - | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
| Capital | - | The Settlement |
| Climate | variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | NA km | 80 km |
| Constitution | - | NA |
| Country name | conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
conventional short form: none abbreviation: SGSSI |
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
| Currency | - | Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
| Debt - external | - | $NA |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina) | none (territory of Australia) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina) | none (territory of Australia) |
| Disputes - international | Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
| Economy - overview | Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly. | 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, slated to begin operation in 2003. |
| 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: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
| Ethnic groups | - | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
| Exchange rates | - | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) |
| Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) 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 | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land) | 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 | 54 30 S, 37 00 W | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
| Geography - note | the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
| Highways | - | total: 140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry)
paved: 30 km unpaved: 110 km (1999) |
| 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 | - | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
| 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 | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
| Labor force | - | NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.) |
| Languages | - | English (official), Chinese, Malay |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court | 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 one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2002) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
| Literacy | - | NA |
| Location | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
| Map references | Antarctic Region | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
contiguous zone: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | none (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| National holiday | - | NA |
| Nationality | - | noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
| Natural hazards | the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
| Natural resources | fish | phosphate, beaches |
| 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: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001 replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited |
474 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | -9% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Flying Fish Cove |
| Radio broadcast stations | 0 (2003) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 1,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 24 km to serve phosphate mines |
| Religions | - | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
| Sex ratio | - | NA |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: 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 (2003) | NA |
| Terrain | most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
| Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
| Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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