| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long
form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
| Capital: |
West Island |
| Location: |
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
12 30 S, 96 50 E |
| Area: |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
| Area
Comparative: |
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Land
Boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
26 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
| Terrain: |
flat, low-lying coral atolls |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
fish |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
NA |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
none (territory of Australia) |
| Independence |
none (territory of Australia) |
| National
Holiday: |
Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
| Constitution: |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 |
| Legal
System; |
based upon the laws of Australia and local laws |
| Suffrage |
NA |
| Executive
Branch: |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003)
cabinet: NA
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
| Legislative
Branch: |
unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held NA |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
none |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
628 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
| Median age: |
|
| Nationality: |
noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
| Ethnic groups: |
Europeans, Cocos Malays |
| Religions: |
Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) |
| Languages: |
Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
287 (1992) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
note - analog cellular service available |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61-891; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type (2002) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
NA |
| Internet country
code: |
.cc |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
NA |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 15 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (2003) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
none; lagoon anchorage only |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
|
| Heliports: |
|
