Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Cocos (Keeling) Islands 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.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Information

• Population: 629 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Cocos Islander(s) adjective: Cocos Islander
• Location:: Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
• Religions:: Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.)
• Ethnic Groups:: Europeans, Cocos Malays
• Land Boundaries:: 0 km
• Area: total: 14 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island water: 0 sq km land: 14 sq km
• Coast Line: 26 km
• Climate: tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
• Terrain: flat, low-lying coral atolls
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
• Natural Resources: fish
• Highways: total: 15 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2003)
• Railways:
• Ports & Harbours: none; lagoon anchorage only
• Airports: 1 (2003 est.)