1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
antarctic
Coastline
101.9 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
primarily used as research stations
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm
Note
located 4,100 km southwest of Australia in the southern Indian Ocean
Terrain
Heard Island--bleak and mountainous, with an extinct volcano; McDonald Islands--small and rocky
Total area
412 km2; land area: 412 km2
People and Society
Population
uninhabited
Government
Long-form name
Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Type
territory of Australia administered by the Antarctic Division of the Department of Science in Canberra (Australia)
Economy
Overview
no economic activity
Communications
Ports
none; offshore anchorage only
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of Australia _%_