Geography of Christmas Islands – The Ultimate Free Guide 2021
Learn facts and Geography of Christmas Islands including Major Geographical Features, Natural resources, Region, area, Capital, Border countries, rivers in Samoa.
- Christmas Island, officially known as the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name.
- It is located in the Indian Ocean, around 350 kilometres south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 km north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland. It lies 2,600 km northwest of Perth and 1,327 km south of Singapore.
- It has an area of 135 square kilometres.
- The majority living in settlements on the northern tip of the island. The main settlement is Flying Fish Cove. Historically, Asian Australians of Chinese, Malay, and Indian descent formed the majority of the population.
- in Christmas Island Several languages are in use, including English, Malay, and various Chinese dialects. Islam and Buddhism are major religions on the island.
- The first European to sight the island was Richard Rowe of the Thomas in 1615. The island was later named on Christmas Day 1643 by Captain William Mynors but only settled in the late 19th century
- Christmas Island is situated at the peak of a basalt volcanic seamount which arose from the ocean floor in the Eocene era about 60 million years ago, when the ocean eroded cliffs from uplifts, forming steep terraces and cliffs at the central plateau.
Geography of Christmas Islands
Sovereign state:
Australia
Area:
135 km2
Capital:
Flying Fish Cove
Population:
1,843
Bordering Countries:
Christmas Island’s nearest neighbour is Indonesia, Its second-nearest neighbour is the Cocos Islands.
Total Size:
52 sq mi
Geographical Coordinates:
10°25′18″S 105°40′41″E
World Region or Continent:
Oceania
Geographical High Point:
361 m
Geographical Lowest Point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
Climate:
- Christmas Island lies near the southern edge of the equatorial region. It has a tropical monsoon climate and temperatures vary little throughout the year.
- The highest temperature is usually around 29 °C in March and April, while the lowest temperature is 23 °C and occurs in August. There is a dry season from July to October with only occasional showers.
- The wet season is between November and June and includes monsoons, with downpours of rain at random times of the day.
- Tropical cyclones also occur in the wet season, bringing very strong winds, rain and enormous seas.
Major Settlements:
- Drumsite.
- Flying Fish Cove
- Poon Saan.
- Silver City.
Terrain:
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Natural Resources:
- Phosphate,
- Beaches
Major Geographical Features:
Biomes & Ecosystems:
- Tropical rainforest covers most of Christmas Island, and fauna includes large numbers of seabirds, small reptiles, land crabs, and insects.
Topography:
- The island is the summit of a submarine mountain, which rises steeply from sea level to a central plateau.
- The plateau reaches heights of up to 361 metres and consists mainly of limestone and layers of volcanic rock. Surrounding the island is a narrow tropical reef which plunges steeply to the ocean floor.
Oceans:
Indian Ocean
See Also:
