Background: These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Recent geological explorations have indicated promising petroleum formations.
Area Total: 5 km² Land: 5 km²; includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island Comparative: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC