Area3 km²
Introduction
Background
The Coral Sea Islands, which are distributed over a wide area, were initially mapped in 1803; however, their small size rendered them unsuitable for sustained human settlement. In the 1870s and 1880s, there were efforts to mine guano, yet these initiatives were quickly discontinued. In 1969, the islands were designated as an Australian territory, with the borders being expanded in 1997. Since 1921, a limited meteorological team has been stationed on the Willis Islets, and various other islands are equipped with unmanned weather monitoring stations, beacons, and lighthouses. A significant portion of this territory is included within national marine conservation reserves.
Geography
Area
land
3 sq km less than
water
0 sq km
total
3 sq km less than
Climate
tropical
Terrain
coral and sandy reefs along with islands (cays)
Land use
other
100% (2018 est.)
agricultural land
0% (2018 est.)
Location
Oceania, located in the Coral Sea, to the northeast of Australia
Coastline
3,095 km
Elevation
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
unnamed location on Cato Island 9 m
Map references
Oceania
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
3 nm
exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
intermittent tropical cyclones
Geography - note
a crucial nesting habitat for turtles and birds
Natural resources
fish
Area - comparative
roughly four times larger than the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
18 00 S, 152 00 E
People & Society
Population
total
no permanent inhabitants
Environment
Climate
tropical
Land use
other
100% (2018 est.)
agricultural land
0% (2018 est.)
Environmental issues
lack of sustainable freshwater sources; harmful actions encompass coral extraction and certain fishing methods (overfishing, blast fishing)
Government
Flag
the Australian flag is in use
Citizenship
see Australia
Country name
etymology
self-descriptive name to reflect the islands' position in the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia
conventional long form
Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form
Coral Sea Islands
Legal system
Australia operates under a common law framework
Dependency status
region of Australia; overseen from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
none (territory of Australia)
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military & Security
Military - note
The duty of defense rests with Australia.
