2020 Edition
factbook.json (GitHub)
Introduction
Background
Indonesian fishermen have long fished in the area around Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. British explorers were the first Europeans to see Cartier Island and Ashmore Reef in 1800 and 1811, respectively. American whalers frequently sailed by the islands in the 1850s and later settled to mine the phosphate deposits on Ashmore Reef, which were exhausted by 1891. The UK disputed US access to Ashmore Reef and formally annexed it in 1878. Cartier Island was annexed in 1909. In 1931, the UK transferred the islands to Australia, which accepted them in 1934 as part of Western Australia. In 1938, Australia transferred governance to the Northern Territory. During World War II, Cartier Island was used as a bombing range. In 1978, governance of Ashmore and Cartier Islands was moved to the federal government. Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island became marine reserves in 1983 and 2000 respectively. In 1974, Australia and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to allow Indonesian fishermen to continue fishing around the islands. The MOU also allows Indonesian fishermen to visit the graves of past fishermen, replenish their fresh water, and shelter in the West Island Lagoon of Ashmore Reef. In the 1990s, Indonesia challenged Australia’s claim to the islands, which was settled in a maritime boundary treaty in 1997. The islands were a popular first point of contact for migrants and refugees seeking to enter Australia, so in 2001, Australia declared the islands to be outside the Australian migration zone.
Geography
Area
- land
- 5 sq km
- total
- 5 sq km
- water
- 0 sq km
Area - comparative
about eight times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Climate
tropical
Coastline
74.1 km
Elevation
- highest point
- Cartier Island 5 m
- lowest point
- Indian Ocean 0 m
Geographic coordinates
12 25 S, 123 20 E
Geography - note
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000
Land boundaries
- total
- 0 km
Land use
- agricultural land
- 0% (2018 est.)
Location
Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island; Ashmore Reef is 840 km west of Darwin and 610 km north of Broome; Cartier Islet is 70 km east of Ashmore Reef
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
- contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- exclusive fishing zone
- 200 nm
- territorial sea
- 12 nm
Natural hazards
surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
Natural resources
fish
Terrain
low with sand and coral
People and Society
Population
- total
- no permanent inhabitants
Government
Citizenship
see Australia
Country name
- conventional long form
- Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
- conventional short form
- Ashmore and Cartier Islands
- etymology
- named after British Captain Samuel ASHMORE, who first sighted the island in 1811, and after the ship Cartier, from which the second island was discovered in 1800
Dependency status
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
Diplomatic representation from the US
- embassy
- none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Flag
the flag of Australia is used
Legal system
the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Environment
Environmental issues
illegal killing of protected wildlife; overfishing; sea-level rise, changes in sea temperature, and ocean acidification; marine debris