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.

Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
12 30 S, 96 50 E
Southeast Asia
total: 14 sq km ; land: 14 sq km ; water: 0 sq km ; note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
0 km
26 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
flat, low-lying coral atolls
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m ; highest point: unnamed location 5 m
fish
arable land: 0% ; permanent crops: 0% ; other: 100% (2005)
NA


cyclone season is October to April
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs

islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
596 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: NA ; 15-64 years: NA ; 65 years and over: NA

0% (2007 est.)
NA
NA
NA

total: NA ; male: NA ; female: NA
total population: NA ; male: NA ; female: NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
noun: Cocos Islander(s) ; adjective: Cocos Islander
Europeans, Cocos Malays
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)
Malay (Cocos dialect), English
NA


conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands ; conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA
name: West Island ; geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 50 E ; time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
none (territory of Australia)

none (territory of Australia)
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
NA
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general ; head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) ; cabinet: NA ; elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats) ; elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court
none
none
none
the flag of Australia is used
none (territory of Australia)
none (territory of Australia)
non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services




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.
$NA




NA
note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others
60% (2000 est.)





revenues: $NA ; expenditures: $NA

vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
copra products and tourism


fossil fuel: NA ; hydro: NA ; nuclear: NA ; other: NA














$NA
copra
Australia (2006)
$NA
Australia (2006)






Australian dollar (AUD)
AUD
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
1 July - 30 June
$NA
287 (1992)

general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system ; domestic: NA ; international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station (2001)
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004)
300 (1992)
NA
NA
.cc

2 (2000)
NA

1 (2007)
total: 1 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)




total: 22 km ; paved: 10 km ; unpaved: 12 km (2006)


Port Refuge







defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force
none



