Coral Sea Islands (2008) | Coral Sea Islands (2005) | |
Background | Scattered over more than three-quarters of a million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. | Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
Executive branch | administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department | administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2001) |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station on Willis Island (July 2007 est.) |
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |