ssion administered from French Polynesia
by High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT; note--may have
become a dependency of French Polynesia

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: only economic activity is a tuna fishing station

_*_Communications
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of France
_%_
_@_Cocos (Keeling) Islands
(territory of Australia)
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 14 km2; land area: 14 km2; main islands are West Island
and Home Island

_#_Comparative area: about 24 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC

_#_Land boundaries: none

_#_Coastline: 42.6 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 3 nm

_#_Climate: pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about
nine months of the year; moderate rainfall

_#_Terrain: flat, low-lying coral atolls

_#_Natural resources: fish

_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

_#_Environment: two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms
and other vegetation

_#_Note: located 1,070 km southwest of Sumatra (Indonesia) in the
Indian Ocean about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka

_*_People
_#_Population: 684 (July 1991), growth rate NEGL% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Cocos Islander(s); adjective--Cocos Islander(s)

_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly Europeans on West Island and Cocos Malays
on Home Island

_#_Religion: almost all Sunni Muslims

_#_Language: English

_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

_#_Labor force: NA

_#_Organized labor: none

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands

_#_Type: territory of Australia

_#_Capital: West Island

_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)

_#_Independence: none (territory of Australia)

_#_Constitution: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955

_#_Legal system: based upon the laws of Australia and local laws

_#_National holiday: NA

_#_Executive