Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Christmas Islander(s), adjective—Christmas Island
Ethnic divisions: 61% Chinese, 25% Malay, 11% European, 3% other; no indigenous population
Religion: NA
Language: English
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA; all workers are employees of the Phosphate Mining
Company of Christmas Island, Ltd.
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: Territory of Christmas Island
Type: territory of Australia
Capital: The Settlement
Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
Constitution: Christmas Island Act of 1958
Legal system: under the authority of the governor general of Australia
National holiday: NA
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Advisory Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: none
Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government—Administrator AD TAYLOR (since NA)
Communists: none
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
Flag: the flag of Australia is used
- Economy Overview: Phosphate mining is the only significant economic activity, but in November 1987 the Australian Government announced that the mine would be closed because of labor unrest. Plans are under way to build a casino and hotel to develop tourism.
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of
$NA
Exports: $NA; commodities—phosphate; partners—Australia, NZ
Imports: $NA; commodities—NA; partners—NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 11,000 kW capacity; 38 million kWh produced, 16,680 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Agriculture: NA
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar
($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications
Ports: Flying Fish Cove
Airports: 1 usable with permanent-surface runway 1,220–2,439 m
Telecommunications: 4,000 radios (1982)
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia
——————————————————————————
Country: Clipperton Island
(French possession)
- Geography
Total area: undetermined
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 11.1 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical
Terrain: coral atoll
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other (coral)
Environment: reef about 8 km in circumference
Note: located 1,120 km southwest of Mexico in the North Pacific Ocean
- People
Population: uninhabited
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: French possession administered by High Commissioner of the
Republic Jean MONTPEZAT, resident in French Polynesia
- Economy
Overview: no economic activity
- Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
——————————————————————————
Country: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
(territory of Australia)
- Geography
Total area: 14 km2; land area: 14 km2; main islands are West Island and
Home Island
Comparative area: about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 42.6 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate rainfall
Terrain: flat, low-lying coral atolls
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
Note: located 1,070 km southwest of Sumatra (Indonesia) in the
Indian Ocean about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka
- People
Population: 670 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life