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Compare Southern Ocean (2007) - Christmas Island (2001)
Compare Southern Ocean (2007) z Christmas Island (2001)
| Southern Ocean (2007) | Christmas Island (2001) | |
 |  | |
| 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 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | - | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 20.327 million sq km
note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies |
total:
135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of the US | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which promotes marine plant life, and which in turn allows for a greater abundance of animal life. In the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization decided to delimit the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary oceans by the US Government. | 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. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being restored, and 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 | sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | 17,968 km | 138.9 km |
| Constitution | - | Christmas Island Act of 1958 |
| Country name | - | 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 | - | 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 | Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), but Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assert claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in the Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersea ridges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land or maritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal claims exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
| Economy - overview | Fisheries in 2003-04 landed 136,262 metric tons, of which 87% (118,166 tons) was krill and 8% (11,182 tons) Patagonian toothfish, compared to 142,555 tons in 2002-03 of which 83% (117,728 tons) was krill and 12% (16,479 tons) Patagonian toothfish (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention of the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Southern Ocean area). International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish. In the 2004-05 Antarctic summer, 28,202 tourists, most of them seaborne (approximately 97%), visited the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, compared to 14,762 in 1999-2000. | 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 by union workers. With the support of the government, Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $34 million casino on Christmas Island, which opened in 1993. As of yearend 1999, gaming facilities at the casino were temporarily closed but were expected to reopen in early 2000. Another economic prospect is the possible location of a space-launching site on the island. |
| 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: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench
highest point: sea level 0 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
| Environment - current issues | increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish
note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries |
NA |
| Environment - international agreements | the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (regulates fishing)
note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence), which is in the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the north |
- |
| Ethnic groups | - | Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no indigenous population |
| 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 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 | - | 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 | 60 00 S, 90 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
| Geography - note | the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds | 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 | - | 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 |
| Land use | - | arable land:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% note: mainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park |
| Languages | - | English, 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 one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
| Location | body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
| Map references | Antarctic Region | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | - | contiguous zone:
12 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| National holiday | - | NA |
| Nationality | - | noun:
Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island |
| Natural hazards | huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 m thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
| Natural resources | probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fish | phosphate |
| Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
| Political parties and leaders | - | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
| Population | - | 2,771 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | 7.77% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Flying Fish Cove |
| Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 1,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 24 km to serve phosphate mines |
| Religions | - | Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991) |
| Telephone system | - | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service |
| Telephones - main lines in use | - | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | - | NA |
| Terrain | the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 m over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 m (the global mean is 133 m); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million sq km in March to about 18.8 million sq km in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
| Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
| Transportation - note | Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal | - |
| Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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