2003 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2003 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
none (territory of Australia)
Age structure
0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products
vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts
Airports
1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways
- total
- 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) Military Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Area
- land
- 14 sq km
- note
- includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
- total
- 14 sq km
- water
- 0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
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. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they 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. Geography Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Birth rate
NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget
- expenditures
- $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
- revenues
- $NA
Capital
West Island
Climate
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
Coastline
26 km
Constitution
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955
Country name
- conventional long form
- Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- conventional short form
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code
AUD
Death rate
NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external
$NA
Dependency status
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international
none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
Economy - overview
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.
Electricity - consumption
NA kWh
Electricity - production
NA kWh
Electricity - production by source
- fossil fuel
- NA%
- hydro
- NA%
- nuclear
- NA%
- other
- NA%
Elevation extremes
- highest point
- unnamed location 5 m
- lowest point
- Indian Ocean 0 m
Environment - current issues
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Ethnic groups
Europeans, Cocos Malays
Exchange rates
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)
Executive branch
- cabinet
- NA
- chief of state
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
- elections
- none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
- head of government
- Administrator (nonresident) William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)
Exports
$NA
Exports - commodities
copra
Exports - partners
Australia (1999)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June Communications Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Flag description
the flag of Australia is used Economy Cocos (Keeling) Islands
GDP
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture
- NA%
- industry
- NA%
- services
- NA%
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Geographic coordinates
12 30 S, 96 50 E
Geography - note
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation People Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Government type
NA
Highways
- paved
- NA km
- total
- 15 km
- unpaved
- NA km (2003)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share
- highest 10%
- NA%
- lowest 10%
- NA%
Imports
$NA
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs
Imports - partners
Australia (1999)
Independence
none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
copra products and tourism
Infant mortality rate
- female
- NA%
- male
- NA%
- total
- NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
International organization participation
none
Internet country code
.cc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet users
NA Transportation Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force
NA
Labor force - by occupation
the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
- arable land
- 0%
- other
- 100% (1998 est.)
- permanent crops
- 0%
Languages
Malay (Cocos dialect), English Government Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Legal system
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws
Legislative branch
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
Life expectancy at birth
- female
- NA years (2003 est.)
- male
- NA years
- total population
- NA years
Location
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
- exclusive fishing zone
- 200 NM
- territorial sea
- 12 NM
Merchant marine
none (2002 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force Transnational Issues Cocos (Keeling) Islands
National holiday
NA
Nationality
- adjective
- Cocos Islander
- noun
- Cocos Islander(s)
Natural hazards
cyclone season is October to April
Natural resources
fish
Net migration rate
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders
none
Political pressure groups and leaders
none
Population
630 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Population growth rate
0% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors
none; lagoon anchorage only
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)
Radios
300 (1992)
Railways
0 km
Religions
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)
Suffrage
NA
Telephone system
- domestic
- NA
- general assessment
- connected within Australia's telecommunication system
- international
- telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002)
Telephones - main lines in use
287 (1992)
Telephones - mobile cellular
NA
Television broadcast stations
NA
Televisions
NA
Terrain
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Total fertility rate
NA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
60% (2000 est.)
Waterways
none