Christmas Island Geography
LocationSoutheastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Geographic coordinates
10 30 S, 105 40 E
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
80 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April
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%
note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001)
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Natural hazards
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues
NA
Geography - note
located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
