|
Home
World
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua Barbuda
Arctic Ocean
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Ashmore Cartier Isle
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Baker Island
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bassas da India
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Rep
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
Cocos
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo Republic
Cook Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Europa Island
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Antarctic Lands
Gabon
Gambia
Gaza Strip
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard McDonald Isle
Honduras
Hong Kong
Howland Island
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jarvis Island
Jersey
Johnston Atoll
Jordan
Juan de Nova Island
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingman Reef
Kiribati
Jan Mayen
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Midway Islands
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Navassa Island
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
N Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Palau
Palmyra Atoll
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
St Helena
St Kitts Nevis
St Lucia
St Pierre Miquelon
St Vincent Grenadines
Samoa
Sandwich Islands
San Marino
Sao Tome Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
S Ocean
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad Tobago
Tromelin Island
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
Wake Island
Wallis and Futuna
West Bank
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
The islands were discovered
in 1609, but 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 is split between the mostly
Europeans on West Island and the Malays on Home Island. |
| Location: |
Southeastern Asia, group of
islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about one-half of the
way from Australia to Sri Lanka |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
12 30 S, 96 50 E |
| Map
references: |
Southeast Asia |
| 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 |
| Area
- comparative: |
about 24 times the size of
The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
| 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: |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.) |
| 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 |
| Population: |
633 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.21% (2001 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 population:
NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
NA children born/woman |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun: Cocos
Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Europeans, Cocos Malays |
| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim 57%, Christian
22%, other 21% (1981 est.) |
| Languages: |
English, Malay |
| 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 the
Environment, Sport, and Territories |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Independence: |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Constitution: |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act
of 1955 |
| Legal
system: |
based upon the laws of
Australia and local laws |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the
Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (non-resident) William
Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)
cabinet: NA
elections: none; 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 (NA 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
- 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. |
| 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 - by occupation: |
the Cocos Islands Cooperative
Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage
workers; tourism employs others |
| 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%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
NA kWh |
| Agriculture
- products: |
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws,
coconuts |
| Exports
- commodities: |
copra |
| Exports
- partners: |
Australia |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
Australia |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Australian dollars per US
dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888
(1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
NA (1999) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
0 (1999) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
NA
domestic: NA
international: telephone, telex, and facsimile
communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite
earth station of NA type |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
0 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cc |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 15 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (2001) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
none; lagoon anchorage only |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the responsibility
of Australia |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
