Cocos (Keeling) Islands Geography
LocationSoutheastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka
Geographic coordinates
12 30 S, 96 50 E
Area
total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
Area - comparative
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
26 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year
Terrain
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources
fish
Land use
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Natural hazards
cyclone season is October to April
Environment - current issues
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs
Geography - note
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
