Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of 
The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis
 
 Match 53   DB Rec# - 55,800  Dataset-WOFACT
 
Source        :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 
Source key    :CI 
Program       :WORLD FACTBOOK 
Program key   :CI WOFACT 
Update sched. :Annually         
ID number     :CI WOFACT 052              
Title         :CHRISTMAS ISLAND 
Data type     :TEXT 
End year      :1994
Date of record:02/16/1994
Keywords 3    : 
| CHRISTMAS ISLAND 
Text          : 
CHRISTMAS ISLAND 
Affiliation: (territory of Australia) 
 
GEOGRAPHY 
Location: in the Indian Ocean, between Australia and Indonesia 
 
Map references: Southeast Asia 
 
Area: 
 
total area: 135 km2 
 
land area: 135 km2 
 
comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC 
 
Land boundaries: 0 km 
 
Coastline: 138.9 km 
 
contiguous zone: 12 nm 
 
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm 
 
territorial sea: 3 nm 
 
International disputes: none 
 
Climate: tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds 
 
Terrain: steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau 
 
Natural resources: phosphate 
 
Land use: 
 
arable land: 0% 
 
permanent crops: 0% 
 
forest and woodland: 0% 
 
other: 100% 
 
Irrigated land: NA km2 
 
Environment: almost completely surrounded by a reef 
 
Note: located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean 
 
PEOPLE 
Population: 1,685 (July 1993 est.) 
 
Population growth rate: -2.44% (1993 est.) 
 
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population 
 
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population 
 
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population 
 
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births 
 
Life expectancy at birth: 
 
total population: NA years 
 
male: NA years 
 
female: NA years 
 
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman 
 
Nationality: 
 
noun: Christmas Islander(s) 
 
adjective: Christmas Island 
 
Ethnic divisions: Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no 
indigenous population 
 
Religions: Buddhist 36.1%, Muslim 25.4%, Christian 17.7% (Roman Catholic 
8.2%, Church of England 3.2%, Presbyterian 0.9%, Uniting Church 0.4%, 
Methodist 0.2%, Baptist 0.1%, and other 4.7%), none 12.7%, unknown 4.6%, other 
3.5% (1981) 
 
Languages: English 
 
total population: NA% 
 
male: NA% 
 
female: NA% 
 
Labor force: NA 
 
by occupation: all workers are employees of the Phosphate Mining Company 
GOVERNMENT 
Names: 
 
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island 
 
conventional short form: Christmas Island 
 
Digraph: KT 
 
Type: territory of Australia 
 
Capital: The Settlement 
 
Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia) 
 
Independence: none (territory of Australia) 
 
Constitution: Christmas Island Act of 1958 
 
Legal system: under the authority of the governor general of Australia 
 
National holiday: NA 
 
Political parties and leaders: none 
 
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general of Australia, 
administrator, Advisory Council (cabinet) 
 
Legislative branch: none 
 
Judicial branch: none 
 
Leaders: 
 
Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) 
 
Head of Government: Administrator M. J. GRIMES (since NA) 
 
Member of: none 
 
Diplomatic representation in US: none (territory of Australia) 
 
US diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia) 
 
Flag: the flag of Australia is used 
 
ECONOMY 
Overview: Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic 
activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine as no 
longer economically viable. Plans have been under way to reopen the mine and 
also to build a casino and hotel to develop tourism, with a possible opening 
date during the first half of 1992. 
 
National product: GDP $NA 
 
National product real growth rate: NA% 
 
National product per capita: $NA 
 
Unemployment rate: NA% 
 
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of 
$NA 
 
Exports: $NA 
 
commodities: phosphate 
 
partners: Australia, NZ 
 
Imports: $NA 
 
commodities: consumer goods 
 
partners: principally Australia 
 
External debt: $NA 
 
Industrial production: growth rate NA% 
 
Electricity: 11,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 17,800 kWh per 
capita (1990) 
 
Industries: phosphate extraction (near depletion) 
 
Agriculture: NA 
 
Economic aid: none 
 
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 
 
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 
1.3600 (1992), 1.2836 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988) 
 
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June 
 
COMMUNICATIONS 
Highways: adequate road system 
 
Ports: Flying Fish Cove 
 
Airports: 
 
total: 1 
 
useable: 1 
 
with permanent-surface runways: 1 
 
with runways over 3,659 m: 0 
 
with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 
 
with runways 1,220-2,439: 1 
 
Telecommunications: 4,000 radios (1982); broadcasting stations - 1 AM, 1 TV 
Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia 
 
 
 
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This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 produced by the United States
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK CD-ROM,
July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries 
Local Filename: WF940051.TXT