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World > Asia > Cocos (Keeling) Islands
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Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Introduction:
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There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. From the 1820s to 1978, members of the CLUNIE-ROSS family controlled the islands and the copra produced from local coconuts. Annexed by the UK in 1857, the Cocos Islands 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.
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| Official name: |
Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
| Capital: |
name: West Island
geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 50 E
time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Government type: |
NA |
| Population: |
596 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
Malay (Cocos dialect), English |
| Official Currency: |
Australian Dollar (AUD)
Current Australian Dollar Exchange Rates
Historical Australian Dollar Exchange Rates
Chart Australian Dollar Exchange Rates |
| Currency code: |
AUD |
| Area: |
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
| Climate: |
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
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Map of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
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