Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands is a territory of Australia. There are 27 coral islands in the group. The islands are located in the Indian Ocean of Indonesia, about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri Lanka (12 30 S, 96 50 E).
History
Captain William Keeling discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. A possession of the Clunies-Ross family from the early 19th century, the islands were brought under the British Empire in 1857 and were transferred to Australia on November 23, 1955. In 1978 Australia caused a form of purchase of the islands from the Clunies-Ross family and subsequently manufactured an identity for locals to whom it gave a degree of autonomy. The UN legalisms used paralleled/similar ones used in territories passing to Indonesia in the 1960s and 1970s, though history has not revealed any parallel later complications.
Geography
The Cocos islands consist of two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation. (There is a Cocos Island or Isla del Coco in the Pacific Ocean that belongs to Costa Rica and not to be confused with these Cocos Islands.) These flat, low-lying coral atolls have an area of 14 kmò and 2.6 km of coastline. The elevation ranges from sea level to 5 m. The climate is pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year and with moderate rainfall. Cyclones may occur in the early months of the year.
The only natural resource is fish and no agriculture exists on the island. Fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Demographics
There are 629 inhabitants of the islands, as of 2004. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. They speak Malay (Cocos dialect) and English. 80% of Cocos Islanders are Sunni Muslim.
Government
The capital is West Island. Governance of the islands is based on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 and depends heavily on the laws of Australia. The islands are administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories, with a non-resident administrator appointed by the Governor-General. There also exists unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council with 7 seats. Elections are held every two years with half the members standing for election.
Economy
Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. 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.
The Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage worker operations. Tourism employs others/
The islands are connected within Australia's telecommunication system. The internet TLD is .cc. There is one paved airport and a lagoon anchorage.
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