Christmas Island

Country	Christmas Island
Flag
Capital	name: The Settlement geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Population	1,402 (July 2009 est.)
GMT	+7
Location	Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Area	total: 135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km
Ethnic groups	Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001)
Religions	Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Languages	English (official), Chinese, Malay
Government type	NA
National holiday	Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Constitution	Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Legal system	under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Background	Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Internet country code	.cx