Coral Sea Islands
Code: CR | Region: Australia Oceania
Introduction
Background
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The widely scattered Coral Sea Islands were first charted in 1803, but they were too small to host permanent human habitation. The 1870s and 1880s saw attempts at guano mining, but these were soon abandoned. The islands became an Australian territory in 1969, and the boundaries were extended in 1997. A small meteorological staff has operated on the Willis Islets since 1921, and several other islands host unmanned weather stations, beacons, and lighthouses. Much of the territory lies within national marine nature reserves.
Geography
Location
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Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates
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18 00 S, 152 00 E
Map references
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Oceania
Area
total
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3 sq km less than
land
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3 sq km less than
water
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0 sq km
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<strong>note:</strong> includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km (300,000 sq mi), with the Willis Islets the most important
Area - comparative
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about four times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
total
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0 km
Coastline
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3,095 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
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3 nm
exclusive fishing zone
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200 nm
Climate
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tropical
Terrain
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sand and coral reefs and islands (cays)
Elevation
highest point
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unnamed location on Cato Island 9 m
lowest point
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Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources
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fish
Land use
agricultural land
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0% (2018 est.)
other
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100% (2018 est.)
Natural hazards
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occasional tropical cyclones
Geography - note
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important nesting area for birds and turtles
People and Society
Population
total
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no permanent inhabitants
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<strong>note:</strong> Willis Island is inhabited by meteorological staff
Environment
Environmental issues
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no permanent freshwater resources; damaging activities include coral mining, fishing practices (overfishing, blast fishing)
Climate
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tropical
Land use
agricultural land
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0% (2018 est.)
other
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100% (2018 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form
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Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form
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Coral Sea Islands
etymology
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self-descriptive name to reflect the islands' position in the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia
Dependency status
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territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
Legal system
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the common law system of Australia applies
Citizenship
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see Australia
Diplomatic representation in the US
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none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
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none (territory of Australia)
Flag
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the flag of Australia is used
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military and Security
Military - note
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defense is the responsibility of Australia