Background
A possession of the Clunies-Ross family from the early 19th century, the islands were brought under the British Empire in 1857 and were transferred to Australia on November 23, 1955. In 1978 Australia caused a form of purchase of the islands from the Clunies-Ross family and subsequently manufactured an identity for locals to whom it gave a degree of autonomy. The UN legalisms used paralleled similar ones used in territories passing to Indonesia in the 1960s and 1970s, though history has not revealed any parallel later complications.
Map references:Southeast Asia
Area: Area - comparative:about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:0 km
Coastline:2.6 km
Maritime claims:
Climate:pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate rainfall
Terrain:flat, low-lying coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
Natural resources:fish
Land use:
Irrigated land:NA km²
Natural hazards:
cyclones may occur in the early months of the year
Environment - current issues:
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Geography - note:
Two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation.
There is a Cocos Island or Isla del Coco in the Pacific Ocean that belongs to Costa Rica and not to be confused with these Cocos Islands.
Age structure:
Population growth rate:-0.21% (2000 est.)
Birth rate:NA births/1,000 population
Death rate:NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate:NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate:NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: Total fertility rate:NA children born/woman
Nationality: Ethnic groups:Europeans, Cocos Malays
Religions:Sunni Muslim 57%, Christian 22%, other 21% (1981 est.)
Languages:English, Malay
Data code:CK
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories
Government type:NA
Capital:West Island
Administrative divisions:none (territory of Australia)
Independence:none (territory of Australia)
National holiday:NA
Constitution:Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955
Legal system:based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Suffrage:NA
Executive branch:
Legislative branch:unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (NA seats)
Judicial branch:Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:none
International organization participation:none
Diplomatic representation in the US:none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:the flag of Australia is used
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate:NA%
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):NA%
Labor force:NA
Labor force - by occupation:
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage worker operations; tourism employs others
Budget:
Industries:copra products and tourism
Industrial production growth rate:NA%
Electricity - production:NA kWh
Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption:NA kWh
Electricity - exports:NA kWh
Electricity - imports:NA kWh
Agriculture - products:
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Exports:$NA
Exports - commodities:copra
Exports - partners:Australia
Imports:$NA
Imports - commodities:foodstuffs
Imports - partners:Australia
Debt - external:$NA
Economic aid - recipient:$NA
Currency:1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.5207 (January 2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995)
Fiscal year:1 July - 30 June
Telephones - mobile cellular:NA
Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)
Television broadcast stations:NA
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):2 (2000)
Country codes: CC
Highways:
Ports and harbors:none; lagoon anchorage only
Merchant marine:none (2002 est.)
Airports:1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
Information from the CIA World Factbook.Geography
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri Lanka
Geographic coordinates12 30 S, 96 50 E
total:14 km²
land:14 km²
water:0 km²
note:includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
exclusive fishing zone:200 nm
territorial sea:3 nm
lowest point:Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:unnamed location 5 m
arable land:0%
permanent crops:0%
permanent pastures:0%
forests and woodland:0%
other:100% (1993 est.)
Demographics
635 (July 2000 est.)
0-14 years:NA
15-64 years:NA
65 years and over:NA
total population:NA years
male:NA years
female:NA years
noun:Cocos Islander(s)
adjective:Cocos Islander
Government
Country name:
conventional long form:
Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form:
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government:Administrator (acting) Maureen ELLIS (since NA)
cabinet:NA
Elections:none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Economy
Overview
Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia.
agriculture:NA%
industry:NA%
services:NA%
lowest 10%:NA%
highest 10%:NA%
revenues:$NA
expenditures:$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
fossil fuel:NA%
hydro:NA%
nuclear:NA%
other:NA%
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:287 (1992)
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic:NA
international:
telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002)Transportation
Railways:0 km
total:15 km (2001)
paved:NA km
unpaved:NA km
total:1
1,524 to 2,437 m:1 (2002)Military
Note: Defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force.