Cocos (Keeling) Islands | |
|---|---|
| Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands Pulu Kokos (Keeling) (Cocos Islands Malay) Wilayah Kepulauan Cocos (Keeling) (Malay) | |
| Motto: | |
| Anthem: "Advance Australia Fair" | |
_Islands&sq=&lang=&file=File:Australia_on_the_globe_(Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands_special)_(Southeast_Asia_centered).svg) Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (circled in red) | |
| Sovereign state |  Australia |
| Annexed by the United Kingdom | 1857 |
| Transferred from Singapore to Australia | 23 November 1955 |
| Capital | West Island 12°11′13″S 96°49′42″E / 12.18694°S 96.82833°E |
| Largest village | Bantam (Home Island) |
| Official languages | None |
| Spoken languages | |
| Government | Directly administered dependency |
• Monarch | Charles III |
| Sam Mostyn | |
| Farzian Zainal[1] | |
| Aindil Minkom | |
| Parliament of Australia | |
• Senate | represented by Northern Territory senators |
| included in the Division of Lingiari | |
| Area | |
• Total | 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 0 |
| Highest elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population | |
• 2021 census | 593[2] (not ranked) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2010 estimate |
• Total | US$11,012,550[3] (not ranked) |
• Per capita | $18,570.91 (not ranked) |
| Currency | Australian dollar (AU$) (AUD) |
| Time zone | UTC+06:30 |
| Driving side | left[4] |
| Calling code | +61 891 |
| Postcode | WA 6799 |
| ISO 3166 code | CC |
| Internet TLD | .cc |
_Islands&sq=&lang=&file=File:Flag_of_the_Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands.svg)
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Cocos Islands Malay: Pulu Kokos [Keeling]), officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (/ˈkoʊkəs/;[5][6] Cocos Islands Malay: Pulu Kokos [Keeling]), are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and relatively close to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The territory's dual name (official since the islands' incorporation into Australia in 1955) reflects that the islands have historically been known as either the Cocos Islands or the Keeling Islands.
The territory consists of two atolls made up of 27 coral islands, of which only two – West Island and Home Island – are inhabited. The population of around 600 people consists mainly of Cocos Malays, who mostly practise Sunni Islam and speak a dialect of Malay as their first language.[7] The territory is administered by the Australian federal government's Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts as an Australian external territory and together with Christmas Island (which is about 960 kilometres (600 mi) to the east) forms the Australian Indian Ocean Territories administrative grouping. However, the islanders do have a degree of self-government through the local shire council. Many public services – including health, education, and policing – are provided by the state of Western Australia, and Western Australian law applies except where the federal government has determined otherwise. The territory also uses Western Australian postcodes.
The islands were discovered in 1609 by the British sea captain William Keeling, but no settlement occurred until the early 19th century. One of the first settlers was John Clunies-Ross, a Scottish merchant; much of the island's current population is descended from the Malay workers he brought in to work his copra plantation. The Clunies-Ross family ruled the islands as a private fiefdom for almost 150 years, with the head of the family usually recognised as resident magistrate. The British annexed the islands in 1857, and for the next century they were administered from either Ceylon or Singapore. The territory was transferred to Australia in 1955, although until 1979 virtually all of the territory's real estate still belonged to the Clunies-Ross family.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "RDA Appointments".
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
censuswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Lundy, Kate (2010). "Chapter 3: The economic environment of the Indian Ocean Territories". Inquiry into the changing economic environment in the Indian Ocean Territories (PDF). Parliament House, Canberra ACT: Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-642-79276-1.
- ^ "List of left- & right-driving countries".
- ^ "COCOS ISLANDS | Meaning & Definition for UK English | Lexico.com". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ Cocos Keeling Islands (11 February 2021). "Cocos Keeling Islands - Destination WA 2020 - Motorised Canoe Safari". YouTube. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Cocos (Keeling) Islands". The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2012.