| CIA Background Information |
Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. | |
Location: Christmas Island is Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia See Map
Capital: name: The Settlement
geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Currency (Code): Australian dollar (AUD) ...More
Area: total: 135 sq km , land: 135 sq km , water: 0 sq km ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)
Area Comparison: about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m , highest point: Murray Hill 361 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)
Population: 1,402 (July 2007 est.)
Unemployment: 4% unemployment in urban areas; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas (2007 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001)
Religion: Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Languages: English (official), Chinese, Malay
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