Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Flag
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are one of Australia's territories
Capital	West Island
Official languages	English (de facto)
Government	Federal constitutional monarchy
- Queen	Elizabeth II
- Administrator	Neil Lucas
Territory of Australia
- Annexed by British Empire	1857
- Transferred to Australian control	1955
Area
- Total	14 km² 5.3 sq mi
- Water (%)	0
Population
- 2004 estimate	628
- Density	n/a/km² n/a/sq mi
Currency	Australian dollar (AUD)
Internet TLD	.cc
Calling code	+61 891

The Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia. There are two atolls and twenty-seven coral islands in the group. The islands are located in the Indian Ocean, about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri Lanka, at 12°07′S 96°54′E. The geographical location and history of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands has resulted in the development of a small society of people with unique customs and traditions. This isolation has also assured a virtually pristine coral atoll ecosystem and unique or rare floral and faunal habitats. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands were visited by Charles Darwin after which he developed his Coral Atoll formation theory. They share part of their name with Cocos Island off the coast of Costa Rica and Cocos Island off the souther tip of Guam.

Geography

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands consist of two flat, low-lying coral atolls located 2,768 km (1720 mi) north-west of Perth, 3,685 km (2,290 mi) due west of Darwin, and approximately 1,000 km (621 mi) south-west of Java and Sumatra. The nearest landmass is Christmas Island which lies approximately 900 km (560 mi) to the West-North West. The total area of the Cocos (Keeling )Islands is approximately 14.2 km² (5.4 sq. mi), 2.6 km (1.6 mi) of coastline, a highest elevation of 9 m (30 ft) and thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation. Both of the atolls conform to the classic horseshoe formation and are by the prevailing winds. Mudflats are usually found on the lagoon side, while the ocean side usually has coral sand beaches. After a visit to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Charles Darwin developed his coral atoll formation theory. There are no rivers or lakes on either atoll; fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs.

Cocos (Keeling) Island is located on almost exactly the opposite side of the globe as Cocos Island, Costa Rica.

North Keeling Island is an atoll consisting of just one C-shaped island, a nearly closed atoll ring with a small opening into the lagoon, about 50 m (165 ft) wide, on the East side. The island measures 1.1 km² (272 acres) in land area and is uninhabited. The lagoon is about 0.5 km² (124 acres). North Keeling Island and the surrounding sea to 1.5 km from shore form the Pulu Keeling National Park, established on 12 December 1995.

South Keeling Islands is an atoll consisting of twenty-six individual islets forming an incomplete atoll ring, with a total land area of 13.1 km² (5.1 sq mi). Only Home Island and West Island are populated. The South Keeling Islands are approximately 75 kms South from North Keeling Island.

Table of the islets of the South Keeling Islands, with areas, numbered islets clockwise starting in the north:

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Map of South Keeling Islands

Number	Malay name	English name	Area
1	Pulo Luar	Horsburgh Island	1,04
2	Pulo Tikus	Direction Island	0,34
3	Pulo Pasir	Workhouse Island	0,00
4	Pulo Beras	Prison Island	0,02
5	N.A.	Button Islets	0,00
7	Pulo Gangsa	N.A.	<0,01
8	Pulo Selma	Home Island	0,95
9	Pulo Ampang Kechil	Scaevola Islet	<0,01
10	Pulo Ampang	N.A.	0,06
11	Pulo Wa-idas	Ampang Minor	0,02
12	Pulo Blekok	N.A.	0,03
13	Pulo Kembang	N.A.	0,04
14	Pulo Cheplok	Gooseberry Island	<0,01
15	Pulo Pandan	Misery Island	0,24
16	Pulo Siput	Goat Island	0,10
17	Pulo Jambatan	N.A.	<0,01
18	Pulo Labu	N.A.	0,04
19	Pulo Atas	South Island	3,63
20	Pulo Kelapa Satu	N.A.	0,02
21	Pulo Blan	East Cay	0,03
22	Pulo Blan Madar	Burial Island	0,03
23	Pulo Maria	West Cay	0,01
24	Pulo Kambling	?Turtle Island	<0,01
25	Pulo Panjang	West Island	6,23
26	Pulo Wak Bangka	?Turtle Island	0,22

The islands with zero areas have vanished.

Climate

File:Prison Island.jpg

Prison Island.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands' climate is tropical with temperatures ranges of between 23°C-29°C and humidity ranges of 65%-90% with a mean of 75%. Annual rainfall averages approximately 2000 mm with ranges from 840 mm and 3,290 mm , mostly during the cyclone season between December to April. Cyclones pose a constant threat to the vegetation and wildlife of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In April 2001, Cyclone Walter passed directly over the islands and destroyed 61 per cent of the canopy and 14 per cent of the trees.

Flora & Fauna

Because the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are isolated from any continent, wind or pelagic drift, flight or animal carriage must have been responsible for the colonisation of the islands by plants and animals. Biologists have long been fascinated by the origins and developments of the flora and fauna on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and similarly isolated islands in the western and central Indian ocean including the Maldives and the Farquhar Group. All have evolved in isolation through the combined effects of subsidence, coral growth and vulcanism.

Most of the natural forests in the South Keeling Islands have been replaced with coconut plantations or other introduced species, while the vegetation on North Keeling Island is still indicative of the flora that naturally evolved throughout the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands have recorded sixty-one plant species with one endemic sub-species (Pandanus tectorius cocosensis). Seven of these species are found only on North Keeling Island. The vegetation of North Keeling Island is dominated by pisonia forest (Pisonia grandis), coconut forest (Cocos nucifera), octopus bush (Argusia argentea) shrublands, tea shrub (Pemphis acidula) thickets and finally open grassy areas.

The fauna of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands emanates from a number of locations similar to the originations of the flora. Although no mammals exist on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, there are numerous small invertebrates, many species of seabirds and the forest floor supports land crabs.

Replacement of the naturally occuring forests from the South Keeling Island with the coconut plantations has resulted in the elimination of mnost birds from the southern atoll. Even today, very few birds remain on South Keeling Island. North Keeling Island still supports large numbers of birds, probably due to its isolation and the absence of feral predators as rats have never colonised the island.

Approximately sixty species of birds have been recorded on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, with twenty-four recently seen on North Keeling Island. Fifteen of these twenty-four species breed on the island. All species recorded from North Keeling Island are protected by the EPBC Act, being listed threatened species (critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable), listed migratory species or listed marine species under the Act.

North Keeling Island is the only seabird breeding colony within a radius of 975 kilometres and is therefore one of the few remaining near-pristine tropical islands. North Keeling's range of seabird species is unrivaled by any other Indian Ocean island and is therefore the focal bird habitat within a huge expanse of the central-eastern Indian Ocean. The health of many of the island's seabird species is largely unknown. Many other Indian Ocean islands' seabird populations have seen significant declines over the last 100 years, so careful management is required to avoid a similar decline.

The most numerous seabird on North Keeling Island is the red-footed booby (Sula sula). The current population is estimated at approximately 30,000 breeding pairs. This makes it one of the most important and largest colony of red-footed boobies in the world and one of the few populations not threatened by feral animals and habitat destruction .

Least and great frigate birds, (Fregata ariel) and (F. minor), also occur on the island in large numbers, with a population estimated at 3,000 breeding pairs of least frigate birds, and a smaller number of great frigate birds. The Cocos buff-banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis andrewsi), is the only endemic bird in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

The gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris, is the only commonly recorded terrestrial reptile on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

File:Cocos Horn eyed crab.jpg

Horn-eyed Ghost Crab.

Crabs are the most prominent and visible inhabitants of the forest floor and beach fringe. The Pisonia forest hosts the little nipper, Geograpsus grayi. The robber crab, Birgus latro, is occasionally observed but was more abundant prior to harvesting by Cocos-Malays. The red hermit crab, Coenobita perlata, the purple hermit crab, C. brevimana, and the tawny hermit crab, C. rugosa are still present in large numbers. The land crab, Cardisoma carnifex, is common in the saltmarsh and on the fringes of the lagoon. The Christmas Island red crab, Gecarcoidea natalis, and the yellow nipper, Geograpsus crinipes, are also common. Horn-eyed ghost crabs, Ocypode ceratophthalma, are prevalent on the north-western beaches and Grapsus tenuicrustatis is common to the rocky coastal sections.

Both atolls feature a near intact coral atoll ecosystem with the outer reef slopes descending to the sea floor. Marine life recorded in the areas around the two atolls include over 500 species of fish, 100 hard corals, 600 species of mollusks, 200 species of crustaceans and nearly 100 species of echinoderms.

Protected Areas

In December 1995, the Commonwealth of Australia proclaimed the portions of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as the Pulu Keeling National Park. The National Park includes island of North Keeling Island, and the marine area surrounding the island to a distance of 1.5 km (0.9 mi). "Pulu" is a Cocos-Malay word meaning island.

The isolation of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands has left much of the environment in its mostly natural state. Pulu Keeling National Park contains an intact coral atoll ecosystem. Various human causes have resulted in the widespread global decline of similar coral island habitats and their associated reefs. Conservation and protection of the the Pulu Keeling National Park and its wildlife, is therefore internationally critical. Because of its evolution in isolation, the environment of the Pulu Keeling National Park is of significant interest to biologists and significant studies of island biogeography continue.

An internationally recognised seabird rookery is located on North Keeling Island and the Ramsar Convention lists an internationally important wetland on the island. One of the world's largest remaining populations of the red-footed booby, (Sula sula) is supported in the National Park. It also supports the endemic Cocos buff-banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis andrewsi), robber crabs (Birgus latro), the Cocos angelfish (Centropyge joculator), Green turtles, and Chelonia mydas. Three of the world's six marine turtle species visit Pulu Keeling National Park's water occasionally.

History

Captain William Keeling was the first European to see the islands, in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the nineteenth century when they became a possession of the Clunies-Ross Family. Slaves were brought to work the coconut plantation from Indonesia, the Cape of Good Hope and East Asia by Alexander Hare who had taken part in Stamford Raffles' takeover of Java in 1811.

In 1805, James Horsburgh, a British hydrographer named them the Cocos-Keeling Islands and named one of the islands after himself. In 1825, a Scottish merchant seaman , Captain John Clunies-Ross, landed briefly on the islands after visiting the East Indies. He had intended to investigate the possibility of establishing a settlement on Christmas Island, however bad weather prevented forced him to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Clunies-Ross, who had also served under Raffles in the takeover, set up a compound and Hare's severely mistreated slaves soon escaped to work under better conditions for Clunies-Ross.

On April 1 1836, HMS Beagle under Captain Robert FitzRoy arrived to take soundings establishing the profile of the atoll. To the young naturalist Charles Darwin, who was on the ship, the results supported a theory he had developed of how atolls formed. He studied the natural history of the islands and collected specimens. His assistant Syms Covington noted that "an Englishman (he was of course Scottish)and HIS family, with about sixty or seventy Mulattos from the Cape of Good Hope, live on one of the islands. Captain Ross, the governor, is now absent at the Cape."

The islands were annexed to the British Empire in 1857. In 1867, their administration was placed under the Straits Settlements, which included Penang, Malacca and Singapore. Queen Victoria granted the islands in perpetuity to the Clunies-Ross family in 1886. The Cocos Islands under the Clunies-Ross family have been cited as an example of a nineteenth century micronation.

On November 9, 1914, the islands became the site of the Battle of Cocos, one of the first naval battles of World War I. The telegraph station on Direction Island, a vital link between the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, was attacked by the German light cruiser SMS Emden, which was then in turn destroyed by the Australian cruiser, HMAS Sydney .

During World War II, the cable station was once again a vital link. Allied planners noted that the islands might be seized as a base for enemy German raider cruisers operating in the Indian Ocean. Following Japan's entry into the war, Japanese forces occupied neighbouring islands. To avoid drawing their attention to the Cocos cable station and its islands' garrison, the seaplane anchorage between Direction and Horsburgh Islands was not used. Radio transmitters were also kept silent, except in emergencies.

After the Fall of Singapore in 1942, the islands were administered from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and West and Direction Islands were placed under Allied military administration. The islands' garrison initially consisted of a platoon from the British Army's King's African Rifles, located on Horsburgh Island, with 2 × 6 in (152 mm) guns to cover the anchorage. The local inhabitants all lived on Home Island. Despite the importance of the islands as a communication centre, the Japanese made no attempt either to raid or to occupy them and contented themselves with sending over a reconnaissance aircraft about once a month.

On the night of 8-9 May 1942, fifteen members of the garrison, from the Ceylon Defence Force mutinied, under the leadership of Gratien Fernando. The mutineers were said to have been provoked by the attitude of their British officers, and were also supposedly inspired by anti-imperialist beliefs. They attempted to take control of the gun battery on the islands.

The Cocos Islands Mutiny was crushed, although they killed one non-mutinous soldier and wounded one officer. Seven of the mutineers were sentenced to death at a trial which was later alleged to have been improperly conducted. Four of the sentences were commuted, but three men were executed, including Fernando. These were to be the only British Commonwealth soldiers to be executed for mutiny during the Second World War.

On December 25 1942, the Japanese submarine I-166 bombarded the islands but caused no damage.

Later in the war two airstrips were built and three bomber squadrons were moved to the islands to conduct raids against Japanese targets in South East Asia and to provide support during the reinvasion of Malaya and reconquest of Singapore. In July 1945, No. 99 and No. 356 RAF squadrons arrived on West Island and brought with them a daily newspaper called Atoll which contained news of what was happening in the outside world. Run by airmen in their off-duty hours, it achieved fame when dropped by Liberator bombers on POW camps over the heads of the Japanese guards. In 1946 the administration of the islands reverted to Singapore.

On November 23 1955, the islands were transferred to Australian control under the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955. In the 1970s, Australian government dissatisfaction with the Clunies-Ross feudal style of rule of the island increased. In 1978, Australia forced the family to sell the islands for the sum of AU$6,250,000, using the threat of compulsory acquisition. By agreement the family retained ownership of Oceania House, their home on the island.

On April 6, 1984 the Cocos community overwhelmingly voted to integrate with Australia after the Australian Government had made commitments to raise services and standards of living to a level equivalent to those on the Australian mainland. The United Nations supervised this Act of Self Determination. The Australian Government also gave a commitment to respect the traditions, cultures and religious beliefs of the people of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Government

Unofficial flag of Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Cocos (Keeling) Islands is a non-self governing territory of Australia, administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS). The legal system is under the authority of the Governor General of Australia and Australian law. An Administrator (Neil Lucas, as of 28 January 2006) appointed by the Governor-General of Australia represents the monarch and Australia.

The Australian Government provides Commonwealth-level government services through the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Administration and DOTARS. Together with Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, forms the Australian Government's Indian Ocean Territories (IOT).

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955, administered by the Australian Federal Government's Department of Transport and Regional Services on behalf of the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, provides the legislative basis for the Territory's administrative, legislative and judicial system. The Minister is responsible for the State-level services in the Territory.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands' residents who are Australian citizens also vote in Commonwealth (federal) elections. Cocos (Keeling) Islands' residents are represented in the House of Representatives through the Northern Territory electorate of Lingiari and in the Senate by Northern Territory Senators.

The capital of the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands is West Island while the largest settlement is the village of Bantam (Home Island).

State Government

There is no State Government; instead, state government type services are provided by contractors and departments of the Western Australian Government, with the costs met by the Australian (Commonwealth) Government.

Local Government

The Shire of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (SOCKI) is responsible for the provision of local government services to the Islands. The Shire Council has the same responsibilities as a local government on the Australian mainland. A unicameral council with 7 seats provides local government services and is elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Elections are held every two years, with half the members standing for election.

The unofficial flag of Cocos (Keeling) Islands has a green background with a yellow Southern Cross (as on the Australian flag), a palm trtee and a yellow crescent. The flag was reportedly designed by Office of the Island's Administrator in early 2003.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are responsible for providing police services to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The importation or firearms or ammunition to the Cocos (Keeling)Islands are prohibited without a permit. In addition to the normal police functions the AFP carry out other duties including immigration, quarrantine, customs processing of aircraft, visiting ships and yachts; and co-ordination of emergency operations.

Economy

Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. 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 but growing tourist industry.

The Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage worker operations. Tourism employs others. The unemployment rate was estimated at 60% in 2000.

Demographics

The 2001 Census lists a population 621. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island (est. pop. 120) and the ethnic Malays on Home Island (est. pop. 500). A Cocos dialect of Malay and English are the main languages spoken and 80% of Cocos Islanders are Sunni Muslim.

The population of Home Island is mostly comprised of the Cocos Malay community. These are descendants from the people brought to the Islands in the 19th century from Malaya, East Africa, China, Java, India and Ceylon. They are predominantly of the Islamic faith and speak a local variant of Malay known as Cocos Malay. The Cocos Malay community has been isolated for nearly all of the 160 years they have lived on the Islands. It is only since the Australian Government's purchase of the majority of Mr Clunies Ross' remaining interests in the Islands in 1978 that the Cocos Malays have had extensive contact with the West Island community and mainland Australia. At the time of the Act of Self Determination in 1984 the Australian Government gave a commitment to the Cocos Malay people to respect their religious beliefs traditions and culture.

The population of West Island is about 130 and mainly comprises employees of various government departments, contractors and their families, usually on short term postings. There are however, a growing number of people basing themselves permanently on West Island and operating a range of small businesses.

Education

Education services are provided on Cocos (Keeling) Islands by the Education Department of Western Australia. There are 2 campuses, one on Home Island and the other on West Island. Pre-primary to Year 10 classes are provided. The schools offer a vigorous bilingual program with tuition in both Cocos Malay and English.

Culture

The first settlers of the islands were brought by Alexander Hare and were predominately Malay with some Papuans, Chinese, Africans and Indians. These people originated from such places as Bali, Bima, Celebes, Nmadura, Sumbawa, Timor, Sumatra, Pasir-Kutai, Malacca, Penang, Batavia and Cerebon. They were mostly Muslim and spoke Malay. The Cocos-Malay dialect spoken today reflects the diverse origins of the people, their history and the sporadic contact with outsiders.

Today’s Cocos society is reflects a strong family loyalty, a deepening sommitment to the Muslim faith and their unique version of the old Malay language of the East Indies. Their society has developed isolated from external politics. Relatively few outsiders have lived among them and very little has been recorded of their traditions and cultural practices.

Despite the diversity of their origins, the Cocos Malay people achieved an identity of their own within one generation. The “Cocos-born” lived separately and had their own mosques, leaders and ceremonies.

Some English-Scottish traditions have been assimilated into the current day Cocos Malay cultural practices and certain food, dances and musical stlyes have a western influence. The Cocos Malay people have shown a remarkable ability to adapt during their relatively short social history. They are adept at blending new cultural elements with their own traditions. They celebrate a large number of occasions throughout the year including welcomes, house blessings, remembrances of deceased relatives, boat launchings, Koran readings and other family events. Their largest annual celebration is Hari Raya Puasa, the day that marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

External links

• Atoll Research Bulletin vol. 403
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands Tourism website
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands entry from the CIA World Factbook
• Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Noel Crusz, The Cocos Islands mutiny, Reviewed by: PETER STANLEY, Principal Historian, Australian War Memorial
• History of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Areas of individual islets
• The man who lost a 'coral kingdom'

Countries and territories of Oceania

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