1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
antarctic
Coastline
101.9 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Contiguous zone
12 nm;
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploration;
Environment
primarily used as research stations
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Note
located 4,100 km southwest of Australia in the southern Indian Ocean
Terrain
Heard Island--bleak and mountainous, with an extinct volcano; McDonald Islands--small and rocky
Territorial sea
3 nm
Total area
412 km2; land area: 412 km2
People and Society
Population
uninhabited
Government
Long-form name
Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Type
territory of Australia administered by the Antarctic Division of the Department of Science in Canberra (Australia)
Economy
Overview
no economic activity
Communications
Ports
none; offshore anchorage only
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of Australia