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TERRITORY PORTRAIT · THE WORLD ATLAS
Christmas Island
Find its place in the atlas, explore connected regions and follow the stories as they grow.
Find on the world mapIllustration: The Landlore · AI-generated, imagined landscape; not a view of Christmas Island.
AT A GLANCE
Christmas Island in facts
- CapitalFlying Fish Cove
- Population1,6922021
- Area135 km²about three-quarters the size of Washington, D.C
- CurrencyAustralian dollar
All geographic & statistical details (26)
- Density
- 13 people per km²
- Official name
- Territory of Christmas Island
- Government
- non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia
- World region
- Oceania · Australia and New Zealand
- Official language
- English
- People are called
- Christmas Islanders
- Founded
- 1958
- Drives on the
- left
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 139 km
- Topographic elevation profile
- Murray Hill, Christmas Island 361 m
- Natural resources
- phosphate, beaches
- 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
- Median age
- 38 years (2021 est.)
- Land use
- Agricultural 0% · Other 100%
- Ethnic groups
- Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% (2001)
- Religions
- Muslim 19.4%, Buddhist 18.3%, Roman Catholic 8.8%, Protestant 6.5% (includes Anglican 3.6%, Uniting Church 1.2%, other 1.7%), other Christian 3.3%, other 0.6%, none 15.3%, unspecified 27.7% (2016 est.)
- Railways & airports
- 18 km of rail · 1 airports
- Internet domain
- .cx
- ISO & UN codes
- CX · CXR · M49 162
- Official website
- shire.gov.cx (opens in a new tab)
- Name origin
- Named by English Captain William Mynors for the day of its rediscovery, Christmas Day (25 December 1643); Europeans had sighted the island as early as 1615
- Names in other languages
- Isola di Natale, Weihnachtsinsel, île Christmas, Остров Рождества, Острів Різдва, クリスマス島
+ 21 moreShow less
Wyspa Bożego Narodzenia, جزيرة عيد الميلاد, ক্রিসমাস দ্বীপমালা, Isla de Navidad, جزیره کریسمس, ક્રિસમસ દ્વીપ, क्रिसमस द्वीप, Pulau Natal, ಕ್ರಿಸ್ಮಸ್ ದ್ವೀಪ, 크리스마스섬, ക്രിസ്തുമസ് ദ്വീപ്, Kersteiland, ਕ੍ਰਿਸਮਸ ਟਾਪੂ, Ilha Christmas, கிறிஸ்துமசு தீவு, క్రిస్టమస్ దీవి, เกาะคริสต์มาส, Christmas Adası (I), جزیرہ کرسمس, Đảo Giáng Sinh, 聖誕島 - Time zone
- UTC+7
- Capital location
- 10.4°S, 105.7°E
Facts: Wikidata Q31063 and the CIA World Factbook (public domain: geography, demographics, borders, coastline and symbols), retrieved 1 November 2026. Figures can change; check the source for the latest.
The flag and symbols of Christmas Island
The flag
Territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper left to lower right; the upper triangle is green with a yellow silhouette of the golden bosun bird; the lower triangle is blue and shows the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia; a centered yellow disk displays a green outline of the island.
National animals and emblems
Golden Bosun Bird
Motto
“Advance Australia Fair”National anthem
"God Save the King"
unknown
Recording: Peter Dawson / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
National day
Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788)
Independence
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description and meaning, colours, symbols, anthem details, national day and independence: CIA World Factbook (public domain). Coat of arms, motto and recording: Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (credited above). Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), retrieved 1 November 2026.
Discover Christmas Island
This is a sourced directory entry. A researched regional chronicle and verified location photography are in preparation.
Australian external territory
Australian territorial association: Australia. Status & relationship source ↗
A CLOSER LOOK
0 entriesExplore the regions
Explore the first-order regions in this GeoNames snapshot. Local names and levels vary.
No named first-order entries are available for this place in the selected export. Local administrative structures may still exist.
Names and immediate parent assignments: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0, 28 October 2026. Unspecified code 00 excluded. This is not an exhaustive list of districts, counties or municipalities. Photographs are credited individually beneath each image; one pictured place does not represent every landscape in its region.
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Directory: UN M49 countries or areas, with 193 UN members, 2 observers and 53 other areas. Subdivisions: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0; filtered to this catalogue. Flags/symbols: flag-icons (MIT). Snapshot: 28 October 2026. Geographic groups are statistical. Associated-country links describe the cited relationship and do not settle sovereignty claims.
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