Christmas Island Geography 2007

Location:
Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
10 30 S, 105 40 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
138.9 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m

Natural resources:
phosphate, beaches

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard

Environment - current issues:
loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining