|
|
|
       
| |
|
|
Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other pages in this profile of the Cocos Islands:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
| |
Background |
Definition There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. From the 1820s to 1978, members of the CLUNIE-ROSS family controlled the islands and the copra produced from local coconuts. Annexed by the UK in 1857, the Cocos Islands 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. |
| |
Location |
Definition Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
Geographic coordinates |
Definition 12 30 S, 96 50 E |
Map references |
Definition Southeast Asia |
Area |
Definition - World rank and map total: 14 sq km land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
Area - comparative |
Definition about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Land boundaries |
Definition 0 km |
Coastline |
Definition 26 km |
Maritime claims |
Definition territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Climate |
Definition tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
Terrain |
Definition flat, low-lying coral atolls |
Elevation extremes |
Definition lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Natural resources |
Definition fish |
Land use |
Definition - World rank and map arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
Definition NA |
Natural hazards |
Definition cyclone season is October to April |
Environment - current issues |
Definition fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
Geography - note |
Definition islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |
|
Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |