Cocos Islands — map and facts

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an Australian external territory located in the eastern Indian Ocean, approximately 2,750 kilometres northwest of Perth. The territory consists of two atolls: North Keeling, an uninhabited national park, and South Keeling, a group of 27 small coral islands forming a horseshoe-shaped lagoon. The main inhabited islands are Direction Island, Home Island, and West Island. The total population is approximately 600 people, divided between the Cocos Malay community, descendants of workers brought to the islands by the Clunies-Ross family, and a smaller Australian mainland community. The islands are administered by the Australian government through the Indian Ocean Territories Administration, with the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands serving as the local government. The territory uses Australian currency and law. The economy is based on tourism, coconut products, and Australian government funding. The islands are known for exceptional snorkelling, diving, and kitesurfing conditions, drawing visitors seeking remote, unspoiled tropical beauty.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands comprise two separate atolls rising from the deep floor of the Indian Ocean. North Keeling Atoll is a near-complete ring of coral reef enclosing a shallow lagoon and forms the Pulu Keeling National Park, providing critical nesting habitat for seabirds including the red-footed booby and frigatebird. South Keeling Atoll, the main inhabited group, consists of 27 small, low-lying coral islands covered with coconut palms and native vegetation. The highest point reaches only a few metres above sea level, rendering the territory particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise. The lagoon of South Keeling measures approximately 26 square kilometres and offers sheltered, crystal-clear waters of extraordinary marine biodiversity. The surrounding reef systems host over 500 species of fish and diverse coral formations. The total land area of the territory is only about 14 square kilometres. The climate is tropical, warm year-round with two seasons defined by monsoon winds, and the islands are occasionally affected by tropical cyclones tracking through the eastern Indian Ocean.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands were first sighted by English captain William Keeling in 1609 during a voyage for the East India Company, becoming one of the earliest recorded European encounters with this part of the Indian Ocean. The islands remained largely uninhabited until 1826, when Alexander Hare, a British merchant, established a settlement with a workforce of Malay labourers. Shortly after, John Clunies-Ross arrived and founded a competing settlement, eventually gaining control of the islands. The Clunies-Ross family would dominate the territory for nearly 150 years, operating the islands as a private fiefdom centred on copra production, paying workers in a private currency known as the plastic rupee. Britain formally annexed the islands in 1857, and they were later incorporated into the Straits Settlements. In 1955, the islands were transferred to Australian jurisdiction. A 1978 United Nations review and a 1984 referendum resulted in the Cocos Malay community voting for integration with Australia, ending Clunies-Ross family ownership when Australia purchased their remaining interests in 1978.