Countries Southeast Asia Christmas Island 1990 edition Christmas Island
🇨🇽 territory of Australia · Independence none (territory of Australia)
Christmas Island as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 62 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
Each field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
Capital The Settlement
Area 135 km2
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Geography 14 fields
Land use share of 135 km2
arable land 0% in all · permanent crops 0% in all · meadows and pastures 0% in all
Total area 135 km2
land area: 135 km2 Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline 138.9 km
land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 3 nm
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
almost completely surrounded by a reef
located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
People 14 fields
Population 2,278
(July 1990) , growth rate 0.0% (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Chinese 61% Malay 25% European 11%
no indigenous population
NA births/1,000 population (1990)
NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
NA years male, NA years female (1990)
NA children born/woman (1990)
noun--Christmas Islander(s), adjective--Christmas Island
NA; all workers are employees of the Phosphate Mining Company of Christmas Island, Ltd.
Government Territory of Australia
14 fields Territory of Christmas Island
none (territory of Australia)
none (territory of Australia)
Christmas Island Act of 1958
under the authority of the governor general of Australia
British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Advisory Council (cabinet)
none Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Head of Government--Administrator A. D. TAYLOR (since NA)
none (territory of Australia)
the flag of Australia is used
Economy Phosphate mining is the only significant economic activity, but in November 1987 the Australian Government announced that the mine would be closed because of labor unrest.
16 fields Phosphate mining is the only significant economic activity, but in November 1987 the Australian Government announced that the mine would be closed because of labor unrest. Plans are under way to build a casino and hotel to develop tourism.
$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
$NA; commodities--phosphate; partners--Australia, NZ $NA; commodities--NA; partners--NA 11,000 kW capacity; 38 million kWh produced, 16,680 kWh per capita (1989)
phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990) , 1.2618 (1989) , 1.2752 (1988) , 1.4267 (1987) , 1.4905 (1986) , 1.4269 (1985)
Communications 3 fields
1 usable with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Defense Forces 1 field
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Christmas Island.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/christmas-island/1990.