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Cocos (Keeling) Islands

2025 Edition · 114 data fields

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Introduction

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 14 sq km
Note: note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
Total: 14 sq km
Water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 24 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year

Coastline

26 km

Continent

Oceania

Elevation

Highest point: South Point on South Island 9 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

12 30 S, 96 50 E

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

Land boundaries

Total: 0 km

Land use

Agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 0% (2018 est.)
Other: 100% (2018 est.)

Landlocked

Location

Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka

Map links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/nrGZrvWRGB4WHgDC9
OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/2184233

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

cyclone season is October to April

Natural resources

fish

Population distribution

only Home Island and West Island are populated

Subregion

Polynesia

Terrain

flat, low-lying coral atolls

Time zone

UTC-10:00
number of time zones: 1

People and Society

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.2%
15-64 years: 61.5%
65 years and over: 17.3% (2021)

Death rate

8.89 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Europeans, Cocos Malays

Languages

Languages: Malay (Cocos dialect) 68.8%, English 22.3%, unspecified 8.9%; note - data represent language spoken at home (2016 est.)
Major-language sample(s): Buku Fakta Dunia, sumber yang diperlukan untuk maklumat asas. (Malay) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
number of languages: 2

Median age

Total: 40 years (2021 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Cocos Islander
Noun: Cocos Islander(s)

Population

Female: 292
Male: 301
Total: 593 (2021 est.)

Religions

Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 75%, Anglican 3.5%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, none 12.9%, unspecified 6.3% (2016 est.)

Government

Capital

Geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 50 E
Name: West Island
Time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see Australia

Coat of arms

svg: https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/ck.svg

Constitution

History: 23 November 1955 (Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955)

Country name

alternative spellings: CK, Kūki 'Āirani
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
FIFA code: COK
local long form (eng): Cook Islands

Dependency status

non-self-governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities & Regional Development

Diplomatic representation from the US

Embassy: none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territory of Australia)

Executive branch

Cabinet: NA
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)
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
Head of government: Administrator Farzian ZAINAL (since 11 May 2023)

Flag

the flag of Australia is used

Flag description

The flag of the Cook Islands is blue with the UK flag in the canton and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars centered in the fly.

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/ck.svg

Government type

non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia

Independence

none (territory of Australia)

International organization participation

none

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

Electoral system: plurality/majority
Expected date of next election: October 2025
Legislative structure: unicameral
Legislature name: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council
Most recent election date: 10/21/2023
Number of seats: 7 (directly elected)
Percentage of women in chamber: 16.7%
Scope of elections: partial renewal
Term in office: 4 years

National holiday

Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788)

Political parties