Geography of Christmas Island

Location:\nSoutheastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia\n Geographic coordinates:\n10 30 S, 105 40 E Map references:\nSoutheast Asia Area:\n
total:\n135 km²\n
land:\n135 km²\n
water:\n0 km² Area - comparative:\nabout 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries:\n0 km Coastline:\n138.9 km Maritime claims:\n
contiguous zone:\n12 nm\n
exclusive fishing zone:\n200 nm\n
territorial sea:\n3 nm Climate:\ntropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds Terrain:\nsteep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau Elevation extremes:\n
lowest point:\nIndian Ocean 0 m\n
highest point:\nMurray Hill 361 m Natural resources:\nphosphate Land use:\n
arable land:\nNA%\n
permanent crops:\nNA%\n
permanent pastures:\nNA%\n
forests and woodland:\nNA%\n
other:\nNA%\n
note:\nmainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park Irrigated land:\nNA km² Natural hazards:\nthe narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard Environment - current issues:\nNA Geography - note:\nLocated along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean. This island is a quadrilateral with\nhollowed sides, about 12 miles in\ngreatest length and 9 in extreme\nbreadth. The island is in the eastern\npart of the Indian Ocean, and is probably the\nonly tropical island that had never been inhabited by man. The island is the flat summit of a submarine mountain nore than\n15000 feet high, the depth of the platform from which it rises being about 14000 feet and its height above the sea\nbeing upwards of 1000 feet.

See also : Christmas Island