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  Cocos (Keeling) Islands
(territory of Australia)
 
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This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. From the 1820s to 1978, members of the CLUNIE-ROSS family controlled the islands and the copra produced from local coconuts. Annexed by the UK in 1857, the Cocos Islands were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island.
   Geography    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
12 30 S, 96 50 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Southeast Asia
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
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:
Definition Field Listing
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
26 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fish
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
cyclone season is October to April
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
   People    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
596 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Europeans, Cocos Malays
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Malay (Cocos dialect), English
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
NA
   Government    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: West Island
geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 50 E
time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of Australia)
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of Australia)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
none
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
the flag of Australia is used
   Economy    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
60% (2000 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
copra products and tourism
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
copra
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Australia (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Australia (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Australian dollar (AUD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 July - 30 June
   Communications    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
287 (1992)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.cc
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 22 km
paved: 10 km
unpaved: 12 km (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Port Refuge
   Military    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force
   Transnational Issues    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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