SELECT EDITION
CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(10 fields)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet country code
.cc
Internet users
NA
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)
Radios
300 (1992)
Telephone system
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system domestic: NA international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002)
Telephones - main lines in use
287 (1992)
Telephones - mobile cellular
NA
Television broadcast stations
NA
Televisions
NA
◆ ECONOMY(30 fields)
Agriculture - products
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code
AUD
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
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.
Electricity - consumption
NA kWh
Electricity - production
NA kWh
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% other: NA% nuclear: NA%
Exchange rates
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)
Exports
$NA
Exports - commodities
copra
Exports - partners
Australia
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
GDP
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$NA
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs
Imports - partners
Australia
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
copra products and tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Labor force
NA
Labor force - by occupation
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
60% (2000 est.)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total: 14 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island water: 0 sq km land: 14 sq km
Area - comparative
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Climate
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
Coastline
26 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Environment - current issues
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Geographic coordinates
12 30 S, 96 50 E
Geography - note
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Location
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Natural hazards
cyclone season is October to April
Natural resources
fish
Terrain
flat, low-lying coral atolls
◆ GOVERNMENT(19 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (territory of Australia)
Capital
West Island
Constitution
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955
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 Transport and Regional Services
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia head of government: Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) cabinet: NA
Flag description
the flag of Australia is used
Government type
NA
Independence
none (territory of Australia)
International organization participation
none
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court
Legal system
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Legislative branch
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
National holiday
NA
Political parties and leaders
none
Political pressure groups and leaders
none
Suffrage
NA
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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.
◆ MILITARY(1 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force
◆ PEOPLE(16 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA%
Birth rate
NA births/1,000 population
Death rate
NA deaths/1,000 population
Ethnic groups
Europeans, Cocos Malays
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
NA deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Malay (Cocos dialect), English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Nationality
noun: Cocos Islander(s) adjective: Cocos Islander
Net migration rate
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Population
632 (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.22% (2002 est.)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)
Total fertility rate
NA children born/woman
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Disputes - international
none
◆ TRANSPORTATION(7 fields)
Airports
1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Highways
total: 15 km (2001) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Merchant marine
none (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors
none; lagoon anchorage only
Railways
0 km
Waterways
none