Cocos (Keeling) Islands

§1. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Introduction

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.

§2. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Geography

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 kmē
  land: 14 kmē
  water: 0 kmē
  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

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
  highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources:
  fish

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

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

§3. Cocos (Keeling) Islands People

Population:
  628 (July 2006 est.)

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

Population growth rate:
  0% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  NA

Death rate:
  NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
  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: Cocos Islander(s)
  adjective: Cocos Islander

Ethnic groups:
  Europeans, Cocos Malays

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

Languages:
  Malay (Cocos dialect), English

Literacy:
  NA

§4. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Government

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

Dependency status:
  non-self governing 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:
  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

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

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

§5. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Economy

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

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

Agriculture - products:
  vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts

Industries:
  copra products and tourism

Exports:
  $NA

Exports - commodities:
  copra

Exports - partners:
  Australia (2004)

Imports:
  $NA

Imports - commodities:
  foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
  Australia (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA

Currency (code):
  Australian dollar (AUD)

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

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  287 (1992)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  note - analog cellular service available

Telephone system:
  general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 61-891; telephone, telex, and facsimile
    communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT
    satellite earth station

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004)

Television broadcast stations:
  NA

Internet country code:
  .cc

Internet users:
  NA

§7. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 15 km (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Port Refuge

§8. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Military

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

§9. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
