Overview
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
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka
- Total Area
- 14 sq km
- Climate
- tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
- Terrain
- flat, low-lying coral atolls
- Natural Resources
- fish
- Coastline
- 26 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 593 (2021 est.)
- Religions
- Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 75%, Anglican 3.5%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, none 12.9%, unspecified 6.3% (2016 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Europeans, Cocos Malays
Government
- Government Type
- non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia
- Capital
- West Island
- Independence
- none (territory of Australia)
- Constitution
- 23 November 1955 (Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955)
- Legal System
- common law based on the Australian model
- Executive Branch
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia General Sam MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024)
Economy
- Major Industries
- copra products, tourism