Map of Cocos Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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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 reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 14 km²
Land: 14 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
Comparative: about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 26 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 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
Extremes highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclone season is October to April

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


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Population: 574 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 0% (2006 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cocos Islander
Adjective: Cocos Islander

Ethnic groups: Europeans Cocos Malays

Languages: Malay (Cocos dialect) English

Religions: Sunni Muslim 80% other 20% (2002 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: NA

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

Net migration rate: NA

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

Total fertility rate: NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: West Island
Geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E
Time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (territory of Australia)

National holiday: Australia Day 26 January (1788)

Constitution: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992

Legal system: based upon the laws of Australia and local laws

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: NA

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
Head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)
Cabinet: NA
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia

Legislative branch
Elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: none

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territory of Australia)
From the us: none (territory of Australia)

Flag description: the flag of Australia is used

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $N/A

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: vegetables bananas pawpaws coconuts

Industries: copra products and tourism

Industrial production growth rate

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

Unemployment rate: 60% (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $N/A
Expenditures: $N/A

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $N/A
Commodities: copra
Partners: Australia (2004)

Imports: $N/A
Commodities: foodstuffs
Partners: Australia (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005) 1.3598 (2004) 1.5419 (2003) 1.8406 (2002) 1.9334 (2001)


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 287 (1992)
Mobile cellular: note - analog cellular service available

Telephone system
General assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .cc
Users: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2006)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2006)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 22 km
Paved: 10 km
Unpaved: 12 km (2006)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Port Refuge


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs