Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Location
Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Geographic coordinates
10 30 S, 105 40 E
Map references
Southeast Asia
Area
total
135 sq km
land
135 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
138.9 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Climate
tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Terrain
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point
Murray Hill 361 m
Natural resources
phosphate, beaches
Land use
arable land
0%
permanent crops
0%
other
100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
Irrigated land
NA
Natural hazards
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues
loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining
Geography - note
located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Population
1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
NA
15-64 years
NA
65 years and over
NA
Population growth rate
0% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
NA
Death rate
NA
Net migration rate
NA
Sex ratio
NA
Infant mortality rate
total
NA
male
NA
female
NA
Life expectancy at birth
total population
NA
male
NA
female
NA
Total fertility rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Christmas Islander(s)
adjective
Christmas Island
Ethnic groups
Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001)
Religions
Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Languages
English (official), Chinese, Malay
Literacy
NA
Country name
conventional long form
Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form
Christmas Island
Dependency status
non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Government type
NA
Capital
name
The Settlement
geographic coordinates
18 44 N, 64 19 W
time difference
UTC+7 (12 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
Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Legal system
under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Executive branch
chief of state
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government
Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)
elections
none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Legislative branch
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)
territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes
Economy - overview
Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$NA
Labor force
NA
Budget
revenues
$NA
expenditures
$NA
Agriculture - products
NA
Industries
tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
NA
hydro
NA
nuclear
NA
other
NA
Exports
$NA
Exports - commodities
phosphate
Exports - partners
Australia, NZ (2006)
Imports
$NA
Imports - commodities
consumer goods
Imports - partners
principally Australia (2006)
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
Currency (code)
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code
AUD
Exchange rates
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Telephones - main lines in use
NA
Telephone system
general assessment
service provided by the Australian network
domestic
GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005
international
country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006)
Radios
1,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006)
