use:

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at
2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper),
and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian
territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island
broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times
since, the most recent being in 2005

People
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Population:

uninhabited

Government
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
abbreviation: HIMI

Dependency status:

territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian
Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment, Water,
Heritage and the Arts

Legal system:

the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Flag description:

the flag of Australia is used

Economy
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Economy - overview:

The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the Australian
Government allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters.

Communications
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Internet country code:

.hm

Transportation
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Ports and terminals:

none; offshore anchorage only

Military
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts
fisheries patrols

Transnational Issues
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Holy See (Vatican City)

Introduction
Holy See (Vatican City)

Background:

Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula
for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many
of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of
Ita