Cruising to the Cocos (Keeling) IslandsBackgroundThere are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. GeographyLocation: Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean,
southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka Coastline26 km Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 12 nm ClimateTropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year TerrainFlat, low-lying coral atolls Elevation extremesLowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m EconomyGrown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. TransportationAirports: 1 (2005) Sailing Specifics: Ports and terminalsPort Refuge Other Sailing Destinations in the RegionBahrain - Christmas Islands - Cocos Keeling - Comoros - Djibouti - Eritrea - India - Jordan - Kenya - Kuwait - Madagascar - Maldives - Mauritius - Mayotte - Mozambique - Oman - Pakistan - Qatar - Reunion Island - Saudi Arabia - Seychelles - Somalia - Sri Lanka - Sudan - Tanzania - United Arab Emirates - Yemen Further Reading |
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