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Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
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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.
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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. 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. |
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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 references |
Southeast Asia |
Area |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |