Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Background
British sea captain William KEELING discovered the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1609, and they were named for their coconut trees in 1622. Some maps began referring to them as the Keeling Islands in 1703. In 1825, Scottish trader John CLUNIES-ROSS was trying to get to Christmas Island but was blown off course and landed on Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The next year, a British trader hired CLUNIES-ROSS's brother to bring slaves and a harem of Malay women to create the first permanent settlement on the island. By the 1830s, the Clunies-Ross family had firmly established themselves as the leaders of the islands, and they ruled Cocos (Keeling) Islands in a feudal style until 1978. The UK annexed the islands in 1857 and administered them from Ceylon after 1878 and from Singapore after 1886. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands hosted a cable relaying station and was attacked by the Germans in World War I. The Japanese similarly attacked the islands in World War II. The UK transferred the islands to Australia in 1955, when they were officially named the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and in 1978, Australia bought all the land held by the Clunies-Ross family, ending their control of the islands. In a referendum in 1984, most islanders voted to integrate with Australia, and Western Australian laws have applied on the islands since 1992.
Area
Coastline
26 km
Elevation
Geographic coordinates
Geography - note
there are 27 coral islands in the group; apart from North Keeling Island, which lies 30 km north of the main group, the islands form a horseshoe-shaped atoll around a lagoon
Irrigated land
NA
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Location
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
cyclone season is October to April
Natural resources
Terrain
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Age structure
Death rate
Ethnic groups
Languages
Median age
total: 40 years (2021 est.)
Nationality
noun: Cocos Islander(s) adjective: Cocos Islander
Population distribution
only Home Island and West Island are populated
Population
- breakdown
- {"male":{"value":301,"unit":"people","formatted":"301","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":292,"unit":"people","formatted":"292","name":"Female Population"}}
- meta
- {"year":2021}
Religions
Climate
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
Environmental issues
limited freshwater resources; illegal fishing
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 100% (2018 est.)
Capital
- name
- West Island
- geo
- {"lat":-12.1667,"lng":96.8333}
- timezone
- {"difference":"UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)","note":null,"dst":null}
- meta
- {}
Citizenship
see Australia
Constitution
history: 23 November 1955 (Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955)
Country name
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands etymology: the name refers to the abundant coconut trees on the islands and to English Captain William KEELING, the first European to sight the islands in 1609
Dependency status
non-self-governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities & Regional Development
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia General Sam MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024) head of government: Administrator Farzian ZAINAL (since 11 May 2023) cabinet: NA election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Australian prime minister; administrator appointed by the governor-general for a 2-year term and represents the monarch and Australia
Flag
the flag of Australia is used
Government type
non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia
Independence
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): under the terms of the Territorial Law Reform Act 1992, Western Australia provides court services as needed for the island including the Supreme Court and subordinate courts (District Court, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Children's Court, and Coroners' Court)
Legal system
common law based on the Australian model
Legislative branch
legislature name: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 7 (directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: partial renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 10/21/2023 percentage of women in chamber: 16.7% expected date of next election: October 2025
National anthem(s)
title: "Advance Australia Fair" lyrics/music: Peter Dodds McCORMICK history: national anthem, as an Australian territory _____ title: "God Save the King" lyrics/music: unknown history: royal anthem, as an Australian territory
National holiday
Political parties
none
Suffrage
18 years of age
Agricultural products
Exchange rates
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 1.515 (2024 est.) 1.505 (2023 est.) 1.442 (2022 est.) 1.331 (2021 est.) 1.453 (2020 est.)
Exports - commodities
Exports - partners
Imports - commodities
Imports - partners
Industries
Broadcast media
1 local radio station staffed by community volunteers; satellite broadcasts of several Australian radio and TV stations available (2017)
Internet country code
.cc
Internet users
percent of population: 13.4% (2021 est.)
Airports
1 (2025)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of Australia