CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Christmas Island


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!| Background:
 * Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: 135 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Murray Hill 361 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
 * 10 30 S, 105 40 E
 * Southeast Asia
 * total: 135 sq km
 * about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 80 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April
 * steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
 * lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
 * phosphate, beaches
 * arable land: 0%
 * NA sq km
 * the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
 * NA
 * located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: !| Infant mortality rate: male: NA female: NA (2004 est.) !| Life expectancy at birth: female: NA years (2004 est.) male: NA years !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Christmas Island !| Ethnic groups: note: no indigenous population (2001) !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: !| People - note:
 * 396 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: NA
 * -9% (2004 est.)
 * NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * NA (2004 est.)
 * total: NA
 * total population: NA years
 * NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * noun: Christmas Islander(s)
 * Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
 * Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
 * English (official), Chinese, Malay
 * NA
 * The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1508 as of the 2001 Census
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Christmas Island !| Dependency status: !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Executive branch: head of government: Administrator Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia !| Legislative branch: election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2005) !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: !| Diplomatic representation from the US: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
 * territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
 * NA
 * The Settlement
 * none (territory of Australia)
 * none (territory of Australia)
 * Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
 * NA
 * under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
 * chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
 * unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
 * Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
 * none
 * none
 * none
 * none (territory of Australia)
 * none (territory of Australia)
 * the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: NA services: NA !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in mid-2004
 * purchasing power parity - NA
 * NA
 * purchasing power parity - NA
 * agriculture: NA
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * revenues: NA
 * NA
 * tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
 * NA
 * NA kWh
 * NA kWh
 * NA
 * phosphate
 * Australia, NZ
 * NA
 * consumer goods
 * principally Australia
 * NA
 * NA
 * Australian dollar (AUD)
 * AUD
 * Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999)
 * 1 July - 30 June
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * NA
 * NA
 * general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
 * AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
 * 1,000 (1997)
 * NA
 * 600 (1997)
 * .cx
 * 2 (2000)
 * NA
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!| Highways: paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) !| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * total: 240 km
 * Flying Fish Cove
 * 1 (2003 est.)
 * total: 1
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!| Military - note:
 * defense is the responsibility of Australia
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