Introduction
Background
The widely scattered islands were first charted in 1803, but they were too small to host any permanent human habitation. The 1870s and 1880s, saw attempts at guano mining, but these were soon abandoned. The islands became an Australian territory in 1969 and its boundaries were extended in 1997. A small meteorological staff has operated on the Willis Islets since 1921, and several other islands host unmanned weather stations, beacons, and lighthouses. Much of the territory lies within marine national nature reserves.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
Location
Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates
18 00 S, 152 00 E
Map references
Oceania
Area
total: 3 sq km less than
land: 3 sq km less than
water: 0 sq km
note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km (300,000 sq mi) with the Willis Islets the most important
comparison ranking: total 253
Area - comparative
about four times the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
3,095 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical
Terrain
sand and coral reefs and islands (cays)
Elevation
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 9 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)
other: 100% (2018 est.)
Natural hazards
occasional tropical cyclones
Geography - note
important nesting area for birds and turtles
People and Society
Population
(July 2021 est.) no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of four at the meteorological station on Willis Island
Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: NA
youth dependency ratio: NA
elderly dependency ratio: NA
potential support ratio: NA
Population growth rate
(2021 est.)
Net migration rate
(2021 est.)
Total fertility rate
(2021 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
Environment
Environment - current issues
no permanent freshwater resources; damaging activities include coral mining, destructive fishing practices (overfishing, blast fishing)
Climate
tropical
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)
other: 100% (2018 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands
etymology: self-descriptive name to reflect the islands' position in the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia
Dependency status
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
Legal system
the common law legal system of Australia applies where applicable
Citizenship
see Australia
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (territory of Australia)
Flag description
the flag of Australia is used
Communications
Communications - note
automatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs relay data to the mainland
Transportation
Ports and terminals
none; offshore anchorage only
Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of Australia