Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Introduction Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Background:
There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William Keeling
discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until
the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they 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


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

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 14 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 14 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
26 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
cyclone season is October to April

Environment - current issues:
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in
natural underground reservoirs

Geography - note:
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation

People Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Population:
630 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)

Population growth rate:
0% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (2003 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

Government Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services

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:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Australian governor general
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and
Australia
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard
TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)
cabinet: NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups 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

Economy Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Economy - overview:
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 - real growth rate:
NA%

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Labor force:
NA

Labor force - by occupation:
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction
workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others

Unemployment rate:
60% (2000 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries:
copra products and tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
other: NA%
nuclear: NA%

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts

Exports:
$NA

Exports - commodities:
copra

Exports - partners:
Australia (1999)

Imports:
$NA

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Australia (1999)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA

Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:
AUD

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001),
1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Telephones - main lines in use:
287 (1992)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
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)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)

Radios:
300 (1992)

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.cc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 15 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (2003)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none; lagoon anchorage only

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Military Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have
a five-person police force

Transnational Issues Cocos (Keeling) Islands


Disputes - international:
none