Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, more than two thousand kilometers from the Australian city of Perth. Australia has owned the island since 1958. The island's proximity to the coasts of Indonesia and Australia has led to a dispute over ownership and control of the island between the two countries for fifty years. The island is surrounded by coral reefs that attract tourists with their unearthly beauty. No wonder they say that Christmas Island is the tropical paradise of Oceania.
History of Christmas Island
Land in the Indian Ocean was first sighted and documented on Christmas Day in the first half of the seventeenth century. IN late XVII century, a harbor appeared on the island, intended to supply the Cocos Islands with ships, which existed for one hundred and fifty years. And in the 19th century, important phosphate resources were discovered on the island, which immediately attracted the attention of large commercial companies, who convinced Great Britain to demand their possessions back.
After the end of World War II, Christmas Island became the object of Japan's expansionary ambitions to take over it. natural resources. After this incident, the island was under Australian control. IN last years The small island has been at the center of the immigration debate, with Asian refugees arriving here to settle in Australia. Recently, measures have been taken to restrict the entry of foreigners, but the results are rather contradictory.
Geographical location of Christmas Island
From a geological point of view, the island is the top of a sunken mountain, which over tens of millions of years turned into an underwater volcano. The heights of the central part of Christmas Island do not reach four hundred meters above sea level and are covered with dense tropical forest.
The island has an equatorial climate, so there is little rain throughout the year and a modest temperature range. However, the island is familiar with the concept of the “rainy season.” The first monsoon season begins from November to June, when rainfall is quite heavy due to the shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Less rain (on average 53 mm/month) in August, September and October. More high temperatures are achieved during the wet season, usually between March and April. From March to August the most best time for a holiday on the island when the minimum temperature is 22 degrees Celsius.
Christmas Island - Red Crab Island More than 60% of the island’s territory – national park. About one hundred million red crabs choose this site to lay their eggs every year. The hatching of red crab eggs in November is one of the most spectacular events in the world and attracts many tourists. In addition, Christmas Island attracts tourists with its beaches hidden in small bays, diving and the opportunity to swim with sharks in a designated area, which is open to visitors from November to April.
Most of the residents of Christmas Island live in small town Flying Fish Cove, which is its capital. The rest of the islanders live in villages and towns, among which it is worth highlighting: Pun Saan, Silver City and South Point.
One of the best ways To explore the entire island is to rent a jeep. During the excursion, tourists are amazed by the nature of the island: rainforests, colorful birds, secluded beaches, etc. Among the most famous beaches, it is worth mentioning Lilly Beach (in the east of the island), Dolly Beach, Ethel Beach, Greta Beach and Western White Beaches.
One of the main attractions of this tropical paradise is the Dales area. In this valley there are spring water sources, the streams of which gather into a beautiful waterfall.
Some countries on our planet contain territories that are actually outside the borders of the state. A striking example– Reunion Island, which is an overseas department of France, and is located 9400 km from Paris. So Australia is not only a continent and a separate country. The state also includes a small island far from its coast. This is Christmas Island. It is located in the eastern part Indian Ocean and is an Australian external territory.
Christmas Island on the map
- Geographic coordinates (-10.487955, 105.637330)
- The distance from the capital of Australia, Canberra, is approximately 5200 km in a straight line
- The nearest airport is located directly on the island in its northeastern part. It's called Christmas Island Airport.
- The coast of Java is 350 km
- The coast of Australia is about 1600 km
The island is of volcanic origin and is actually the summit ancient volcano. The coastal sandbank is located at a distance of 200 meters to 5 kilometers from the coast, then the depth increases sharply up to 5 km.
There is not a soul around for hundreds of kilometers. Christmas Island is one of the most secluded places on Earth.
Christmas Island in numbers
- Quite a curved coastline with a total length of about 139 km
- The dimensions of the island are approximately 18 by 17.5 km
- Area – 135 km 2
- The highest point of the island lies at an altitude of 361 meters above sea level
The capital is the town of Flying Fish Cove in the northern part of the island with a population of about 1,500 people (in total, just over 2,000 people live on the island). It is noteworthy that there are only about 600 Australian citizens. The main population is Chinese. There are almost 65% of them here. 20% are representatives of European races, 10% are Malays and 5% are Indians and representatives of other nationalities. The religious composition is also quite diverse and is mainly represented by Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Despite the fact that people on the island are of different religions, they live very friendly. Celebrate all holidays together christian christmas, and Chinese New Year, and Muslim Eid al-Adha. The main languages spoken are Chinese, Malay and English.
Christmas Island Climate
The island's climate is distinctly tropical, with classic dry and wet seasons. Humidity is high, about 80-90%. The average annual temperature is about 27 o C. Moreover, the differences between the seasons are minimal. The only difference is the amount of precipitation. In winter, during the rainy season, about 300 mm of precipitation falls here, but in summer this figure drops to 40-45 mm per month. General level precipitation per year exceeds 2100 mm.
The island got its name due to the fact that it was discovered in 1643 on Christmas Day. The first European to set foot on the island in 1688 was William Dampier, a navigator from Britain. Since 1900, the island has been part of british colony, but was occupied by Japan during the Second World War World War. Since 1958 it has been given to Australia and is managed by the Australian government.
In 1888, deposits of calcium pyrophosphate were found on the island. Since 1895, active mining began and a permanent population appeared. But in 1987, the deposits were depleted, and phosphate mining was stopped. Now the bulk of the island's income comes from tourism. Many cruise routes pass through Christmas Island.
The island is rich in flora and fauna. Dense tropical forests with ferns, grapevines and orchids cover most of the island. 18 plant species are endemic. flying foxes, the bats, many birds and several species of crabs inhabit the island.
Crab migration on Christmas Island
Most interesting feature this place, lost in the ocean, is an annual seasonal migration millions of red crabs.
Adults of this crab species have no natural enemies on the island (but the yellow crazy ant can attack young animals), so the population has grown to incredible sizes. Most of the time, red crabs live in forests and on the coast, but every year around November, natural instincts drive millions of individuals into coastal waters in order to lay eggs and reproduce. Scientists estimate that up to 100 million crabs migrate through Christmas Island per season. This phenomenon is recognized as one of the wonders of the world. Crab migration is given attention increased attention, both from tourists and from the authorities. Tourists are extremely interested in seeing this unique a natural phenomenon, and it is very important for authorities to protect migrating crabs during the breeding season. To do this, they even block roads and install special signs warning about migration. In some places, special crossings have been built for crabs, strikingly similar to traditional elevated pedestrian crossings.
The crab population density on the island is many times greater than the human population density. It is estimated that on average there are 3-5 crabs per 10 m2 on Christmas Island.
In addition to this natural phenomenon, travelers will be pleased with the beautiful beaches and rich natural world. There are a lot of fish in the coastal waters; you can spend time fishing.
Christmas Island video
Christmas Island is the flat top of a huge underwater volcano. Beyond the outer strip of reefs, which is within 200 meters from the coast, there are no longer coastal shoals; the bottom drops very sharply to a depth of approximately 5000 meters.
Christmas Island is a property in the eastern Indian Ocean.
One Hundred Years of Phosphate Prosperity
Phosphates were mined on the island for a hundred years. It seemed that the deposits were inexhaustible, but... Now, if they remember these times, it is only with sadness for what was lost.
Christmas Island is the top of an underwater mountain in the Indian Ocean with rocky cliffs up to 20 m high and a strip of razor-sharp reefs along the entire coast. Sources fresh water- several springs and underground streams.
In 1643, the island was discovered by William Mynors, captain of the English ship Royal Mary, who explored eastern section Indian Ocean on behalf of the British East India Company. Since this event happened on Christmas Day, the captain did not have to think long about the name for this piece of land in the ocean.
Exploration of the island was hampered by an almost impassable strip of reefs, and only in 1887 did the British captain John McPear on the ship Flying Fish find a convenient bay, which he named after own ship: Flying Fish Cove. A year later, an English expedition visited here, collecting a collection of local minerals, among which was a specimen of the purest phosphate. In 1888, she hastened to declare Christmas Island her property.
Before the outbreak of World War II, the development of phosphates on the island was carried out by the British colonial administration, which brought Chinese workers here. When the war began, the Japanese immediately occupied the island, whose phosphate deposits were a strategic raw material. But the Japanese failed to overcome the sabotage of the workers and repair the mining equipment, and phosphate development practically came to a standstill until the Japanese were expelled from the island.
In 1958, at the request of Australia, the island was transferred to its jurisdiction and received special status as an “external territory” as an extra-continental landmass.
last hope
Many migrants from countries South-East Asia risk their lives to get to Christmas Island.
The island's vegetation is tropical rainforests, mainly in the Christmas Island National Park, which occupies 63% of its total area. The forests suffered greatly during the period of phosphate mining, but now their area is slowly recovering. But tourism is thriving on the island, because by the will of fate it ended up on the main routes of luxury ocean liners.
The island is inhabited mainly by descendants of Chinese and Malay workers; there has never been an indigenous population, and the current population is steadily declining: due to the depletion of phosphorite reserves, people are losing their jobs and leaving for Australia. The people live here in harmony: they celebrate Chinese together New Year, Christian Christmas and Muslim Eid al-Adha.
After the Australian government became convinced that industrial reserves of phosphate were depleted, the mines were closed in 1987. Local workers protested, set up their own phosphate mining company, and mining has continued since 1991, although reserves are virtually exhausted.
Most big problem The islands became illegal migration from the countries of Southeast Asia (mainly from). On fragile boats, refugees reached the island and immediately demanded refugee status. After several incidents where hundreds of people died on the reefs from crashed boats, Australia immediately removed Christmas Island from the Australian migration zone, and refugees can no longer claim the right to remain in Australia. Also, several immigration quarantine camps have appeared on the island, which have become a headache for the authorities and residents of the island: refugees constantly violate local laws. Nevertheless, the construction and maintenance of camps became one of the sectors of the island economy.
Attractions of Christmas Island
Natural:
■ Christmas Island National Park.
■ Lost Lake Caves, Daniel Roy, Ray Bishop and Full Ahead.
■ Ramsar Creek.
■ Tropical rainforest of the Valley.
■ Hugh Dale Falls.
■ Lily, Ethel, Greta, Dolly, Winifred, West White and Martin Point beaches.
Other:
■ Former mining community of South Point.
■ Despite the fact that the island was included in English and Dutch navigational guides, it appeared on the map for the first time only in 1666, in the publication of the famous hereditary Dutch cartographer Pieter Hus.
■ From 1890 to 1910, phosphate mining on Christmas Island was led by engineer John Davis Murray. For his tough temper and indiscriminate methods of managing hired workers, Murray earned the nickname King of Christmas Island: everyone on the island was afraid of his heavy hand.
■ The official symbol of Christmas Island, as depicted on the island's flag, is the white-tailed chaise bird, whose favorite prey is the cuttlefish.
■ During the red crab migration season, roads on the island are closed and warnings are posted: “Road closed. Red crab migration. No traffic beyond this sign."
General information
Location: eastern Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia.
Administrative affiliation: external territory of Australia.
Capital: Flying Fish Cove -1020 people. (2014).
Languages: English (official), Chinese, Malay, Bahasa (Indonesian dialect).
Ethnic composition: Chinese - 70%, Europeans - 20%, Malays - 10% (2001).
Religions: Buddhism - 36%, Islam - 25%, Christianity - 18%, others - 21% (1997).
Currency: Australian dollar.
Nearest airport: Flying Fish Cove International Airport.
Numbers
Area: 135 km2.
Population: 1530 people. (2014).
Coastline length: 138.9 km.
Maximum length: 19 km.
Maximum width: 14.5 km.
Highest point: Moray Hill (361 m).
Total height of the seamount: 4500 m.
Distance: 360 km south of Jakarta (Indonesia), 2600 km northwest of Perth (Australia).
Economy
Minerals: phosphates (almost exhausted).
Sea port.
Marine fishing.
Maintenance of quarantine camps. Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.
Map of Christmas Island.
Christmas Island is a fairly small island in the northeastern Indian Ocean, which is located northwest of the coast of Australia and southwest of (Indonesia). The name was given to the island by its discoverer, as it was discovered on Christmas Day.
Christmas Island is part of the Australian External Territories and is a possession of Australia, despite this the island has recently had its own flag and coat of arms.
Story.
Christmas Island was discovered in 1643 on the day of the Nativity of the Lord (Catholic) by a British expedition led by William Minors, who gave the name to the island.
At the end of 1688, people first landed on the island (before its discovery the island was uninhabited) under the command of the Englishman William Dampier, who was the first to write a description of the island.
In 1877, one of the English expeditions discovered phosphate deposits on the island, which led to the annexation of the island by Great Britain in 1888 and its further colonization and settlement; it was in this year that the first British settlers founded the port city of Settlement, which is currently the administrative center islands. In 1990, industrial mining of phosphates and timber harvesting from local forests began on the island, which was sent to the island for processing.
In 1900, the island was part of the colonial possessions of Singapore, and in 1958 it was transferred to the administration of the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1997, Christmas Island and the island received the status of the Australian Indian Ocean Territory.
During World War II, the island made intensive preparations to repel an attack from Japan, especially after the surrender of Singapore. Artillery bunkers for coastal batteries were erected on the island and a military airfield was built. But it was difficult to resist Japanese aggression and the island was captured in 1942 Japanese troops, which held him almost until the surrender of Japan.
In 2001, the Australian government, with the assistance of Russia, began construction of a cosmodrome on the island, but two years later the work was curtailed and the project was frozen.
Bay on south coast Christmas Island.
Origin and geography of the island.
Geographic coordinates of Christmas Island: 10°29′00″ S. w. 105°38′00″ E. d.
The total land area of the island is approximately 135 square kilometers with a total coastline length of about 80 kilometers.
By origin, many experts classify Christmas Island as volcanic; they believe that the island was formed as a result of the eruption of an ancient underwater volcano and is its surface part.
The highest point of the island is small mountain Murray, rising 361 meters above sea level.
The relief of the island in the coastal areas is flat; in the depths there are hills in the form of a plateau, 200-300 meters high. There are three plateaus on the island: North, South and Toms Ridge. The island has the shape of an almost regular trefoil, the coastline bends in such a way that the island has almost no convenient deep-water bays and bays, but the coastal waters have a small number of narrow reefs, which does not complicate navigation and approach to the island from the sea. There is practically no island shelf here. The soils on the island are volcanic and limestone, which is not conducive to agricultural development.
Flying Fish Bay in the north is acuteBayva.
Climate.
The climate of Christmas Island is tropical with a fairly large amount of precipitation in the form of rain for these latitudes, which falls here on average about 2000 millimeters per year, with the wettest months of the year being March and April. The average annual temperature is about 25-27 °C; it is also worth noting that the air temperature does not have significant differences depending on the time of year. Between the end of December and the beginning of April, the monsoon season begins; it is at this time that the likelihood of cyclones and typhoons or simply strong winds is greatest.
Population.
The population of Christmas Island is approximately 1400-1500 people. Immigrants from Australia and Europe make up about a third of total number. The rest of the population are emigrants from China and the Indonesian islands, some of them illegal immigrants, who reached the island by escaping by boat from their homelands. Due to this category, the number of people living on the island is constantly increasing. Official and state language, naturally, is English.
The administrative center of the island is the town of Settlement, which in English means a town or settlement; another name appears on maps - Flying Fish Cove. About a third of the island's total population lives here. You can also note the town of South Point, located in the south of the island at a distance of eighteen kilometers from administrative center and connected to it by an old railway.
The main wealth of the island was previously phosphates, the reserves of which were depleted by the end of the last century. Therefore in this moment The main source of income for the local budget is tourism and the tourist services sector.
According to the Christmas Island Act, passed in 1958 by the Australian Parliament and, in fact, the island's constitution, the main governing body is an administrator appointed by the Governor-General of Australia. Legislature on the island belongs to the Island Council, consisting of 9 members. Monetary unit, currently in circulation, is the Australian dollar, equal to one hundred cents.
Flora and fauna.
The natural isolation of the island from the continental world and the limited influence of man on its ecosystem leads to the fact that the island flora and fauna have been preserved in an almost pristine natural state. At the moment, about 60% of the total area of the island is occupied by the territory of the Australian national park. Quite significant areas of unique monsoon forest have been preserved in this territory.
Without exaggeration, the annual migration of red crabs can be considered one of the wonders of the world. Participates in migration from the monsoon forest towards the coast great amount crabs (according to some estimates, their number exceeds 100 million individuals). At this time, crabs are everywhere on the island, they fill the roads, streets, houses, and after a while their offspring migrate in the opposite direction.
Migration of crabs.
More than 25 species of land and seabirds, some of them are rare and are under state protection.
The coastal waters are home to a huge number of fish, most of of which it is commercial. Large marine animals such as whales and sharks are also found here.
Tourism.
As noted earlier, after the cessation of phosphate mining, tourism became the prevailing industry National economy islands. Quite a lot has been done here to develop it. There is an airfield on the island, which is proudly called international airport. There are reasons for this, because in addition to planes from Australia landing here aircraft from Indonesia and Malaysia. Although the island does not have very convenient deep-water bays, there are still some shallow-water small coves. For example, the bay in the north of the island, not far from the administrative center, is adapted to receive tourist yachts.
There is, without a doubt, a lot to see on the island. These include coastal caves, waterfalls in the central regions of the island, mountain plateaus, wartime coastal battery bunkers, and an unfinished spaceport. From the steep cliffs of the coast you can watch whales and sharks, which come quite close to the island.
On the coast of the island there are also a great many sandy beaches, such as Greta Beach, Doli Beach, Lily Beach, West White Beach and many others. Besides passive rest There is also something for lovers of diving and snorkeling.
South coast of Christmas Island.
Located in the waters of the Indian Ocean and is an external territory Australia. It is located more than 2,000 km from the Australian city of Perth and 500 km from the Indonesian Jakarta. The island coast abounds with sheer cliffs, and high point is Murray Hill, over 360 meters high. Almost 65% of the island's surface is occupied by a national park.
Peculiarities
In its own way external form this exotic piece of land resembles a dog with short tail, and its main advantages are considered to be wealth underwater world and a huge amount rare birds, arriving here for the winter. Christmas Island is of volcanic origin, with springs and small rivers serving as sources of drinking water. Mangroves grow along the coast, and closer to the central part of the land, the surface is covered with ferns and tropical vegetation. The main natural resources here for a long time There were deposits of phosphates, which, however, were already close to complete depletion. Local residents are mainly engaged in fishing, as well as in the tourism sector. The ethnic composition is represented mainly by people from Southeast Asia, while there are very few Europeans and Australians. In this regard, the main religion is Buddhism, although there are Muslims, Hindus, and adherents of Christianity. Migration has increased dramatically in recent years due to limited growth opportunities, low average living standards and isolation from the mainland.
general information
The area of Christmas Island is about 134 square meters. km, and the population is less than 1,600 people. However, there are no indigenous people here. Official language is English, but due to the wide Asian representation, Chinese and Malay are common. National currency- Australian dollar. Local time is 4 hours ahead of Moscow. Time zone UTC+7. Changing clocks to daylight saving time winter time not produced on the island. Telephone code +61.
A brief excursion into history
For Europe, Christmas Island was discovered by the British navigator and adventure lover William Dampier, who visited it in 1688. 200 years later the territory was colonized by the British, and turn of the 19th century and XX centuries the island became part of the English colony - Singapore. By mutual consent, between the British and Australian authorities, in 1958 it passed to Australia, whose representative is called here the administrator and is vested with full executive powers.
Climate
The island has a tropical climate, with big amount precipitation and periodic storms and hurricanes. The average air temperature throughout the year fluctuates around +22 - +28 degrees. The rainy season runs from December to April, so the best time to travel is from May to October. However, before departure, it is recommended to check the weather forecast for the coming days, since climatic conditions in this region The Indian Ocean is full of surprises.
Visa and customs regulations
To enter Australia's territorial possessions, a visa is required, which can be obtained from any Australian embassy. Customs rules and requirements comply with generally accepted international standards.
How to get there
The local island airport accepts flights from Australia and New Zealand. You can also fly to Christmas Island from Indonesia by boarding a plane in the city of Denpasar, Bali. Also, there is only one here sea port, where cruise ships periodically moor at the pier.
Transport
Within the territory of the island local residents travel by car and bicycle. Railway, built in 1914, connects Flying Fish Cove and a place called South Point.
Thanks to its remote location, Christmas Island serves as a real paradise for travelers who want to escape from everyday worries and spend a couple of weeks away from civilization, alone with nature. Despite the flight distance, the difficulties of the journey and the impressive financial costs, this secluded piece of land is an excellent opportunity to appreciate the true beauty surrounding nature. Unique Marine life, mysterious caves and dense tropical forests, do not leave true connoisseurs of adventure indifferent, and the not too well-developed tourist infrastructure and the lack of some comfort cannot prevent them from fully enjoying all the advantages wildlife this exotic island.
The capital of the Australian Territory is Flying Fish Cove, also known as the Settlement, which means "settlement". It was this city that became the first settlement on the island, founded by the British at the end of the last century. Almost a third of the total population lives here, and tourists come here to enjoy diving in the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and take a yacht trip along the picturesque coasts. Not far from Flying Fish Cove is the only airport on Christmas Island, and a little to the southeast lies locality Silver City with its low-rise aluminum buildings. In the central part of the island is the Christmas Island National Park, spread over an area equal to two-thirds of the total territory. Beaches suitable for swimming include Winifred Beach, West White Beach, Martin Point, Lily Beach and Dolly Beach. You can sunbathe nicely on them and swim in the cleanest clear water.
