 |
|
| Geography |
| Islands
are thickly covered with coconut palms and other
vegetation; site of a World War I naval battle
in November 1914 between the Australian light
cruiser HMAS Sydney and the German raider SMS
Emden; after being heavily damaged in the
engagement, the Emden was beached by her captain
on North Keeling Island. |
| Location: |
Southeastern Asia,
group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest
of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to
Sri Lanka |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
12 30 S, 96 50 E |
| Area: |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West
Island and Home Island
Size comparison: about 24 times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
|
| Land
Boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
26 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical with high
humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds
for about nine months of the year |
| Terrain: |
flat, low-lying
coral atolls |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
| Natural
resources: |
fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005) |
| Irrigated
land: |
NA |
| Natural
hazards: |
cyclone season is
October to April |
| Current
Environment Issues: |
fresh water
resources are limited to rainwater accumulations
in natural underground reservoirs |
| ^Back
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| People |
| Population: |
596 (July 2009
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2009 est.) |
| Median
age: |
|
| Population
growth rate: |
0% (2009 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
NA (2008 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
NA (2008 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
NA (2009 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
|
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
NA (2008 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun: Cocos
Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Europeans, Cocos
Malays |
| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim 80%,
other 20% (2002 est.) |
| Languages: |
Malay (Cocos
dialect), English |
| Literacy: |
NA |
| ^Back
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| Government |
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
| Government
type: |
NA |
| Capital: |
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: |
none (territory of
Australia) |
| Independence: |
none (territory of
Australia) |
| National
holiday: |
Australia Day, 26
January (1788) |
| Constitution: |
Cocos (Keeling)
Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as
amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of
1992 |
| Legal
system: |
based upon the
laws of Australia and local laws |
| Suffrage: |
NA |
| Executive
branch: |
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: the monarch is hereditary;
administrator appointed by the governor general
of Australia and represents the monarch and
Australia |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling)
Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the
members standing for election; last held in May
2007 (next to be held in May 2009) |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court;
Magistrate's Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
The Cocos Islands
Youth Support Centre |
| International
organization participation: |
none |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (territory of
Australia) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (territory of
Australia) |
| ^Back
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| Economy |
| 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): |
$NA |
| GDP
(official exchange rate): |
|
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
|
| GDP
- per capita (PPP): |
|
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
|
| Labor
force: |
NA |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
note: the Cocos
Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs
construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage
workers; tourism employs others |
| Unemployment
rate: |
60% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
|
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
|
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
|
| Budget: |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
| Agriculture
- products: |
vegetables,
bananas, pawpaws, coconuts |
| Industries: |
copra products and
tourism |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
|
| Exports: |
$NA |
| Exports
- commodities: |
copra |
| Imports: |
$NA |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs |
| Debt
- external: |
|
| Currency
(code): |
Australian dollar
(AUD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Australian dollars
(AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137
(2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598
(2004) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| ^Back
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| Communications |
| Telephones
in use: |
287 (1992) |
| Cellular
Phones in use: |
|
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
connected within Australia's telecommunication
system; a local mobile-cellular network is in
operation
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61; telephone,
telex, and facsimile communications with
Australia and elsewhere via satellite; satellite
earth station - 1 (Intelsat) (2001) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 2,
shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
4 (2007) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cc |
| Internet
hosts: |
|
| Internet
users: |
NA |
| ^Back
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| Transportation |
| Airports: |
1 (2007) |
| Airports
(paved runways): |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
| Roadways: |
total: 22 km
paved: 10 km
unpaved: 12 km (2006) |
| Ports
and terminals: |
Port Refuge |
| ^Back
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| Military |
| Defense
is the responsibility of Australia; the
territory has a five-person police force |