Christmas Island
Afghan people smuggler jailed in Indonesia
Feb 20, 2013 04:59 EST
An Afghan man who helped organise an Australia-bound boat trip on which 90 asylum seekers drowned was sentenced Wednesday to six years' jail in Indonesia for people-smuggling.
Indonesia detains 26 Australia-bound asylum seekers
Feb 19, 2013 03:39 EST
Indonesian police have arrested 26 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who were stranded after their boat hit a reef as they tried to reach Australia's Christmas Island, an official said Tuesday.
New Zealand strikes refugee deal with Australia
Feb 08, 2013 23:21 EST
New Zealand is to accept 150 refugees a year from Australia, Prime Minister John Key said on Saturday, to ease pressure on Canberra which is grappling with a surge in boatpeople heading to the region.
Memories haunt sole survivor of asylum boat tragedy
Jan 22, 2013 03:54 EST
The image of his fellow passengers slowly succumbing to Indonesia's unforgiving waters is one that Habibullah -- the Afghan sole survivor of an asylum-seeker boat tragedy -- will never shake off.
People-smuggler jailed for 14 years in Australia
Oct 22, 2012 03:48 EDT
An Iranian-born man was jailed for 14 years on Monday for organising at least four people-smuggling boats from Indonesia to Australia, including an ill-fated vessel which crashed, killing 50 people.
Australia defends PNG refugee plan despite UN concern
Oct 12, 2012 03:06 EDT
Australia on Friday said it was on track to send asylum-seekers to impoverished Papua New Guinea despite the United Nations raising concerns about the country's ability to handle refugees.
Indonesia arrests 97 Australia-bound migrants
Oct 09, 2012 14:01 EDT
Indonesian police have arrested 80 Pakistanis and 17 Afghans stranded after their boat hit a reef as they tried to reach Australia's Christmas Island, an official said Tuesday.
More Sri Lankans go home rather than face Nauru: Australia
Sep 29, 2012 03:08 EDT
Two men who were sent from Australia to the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru are among a group of 28 Sri Lankans who dropped their asylum claims and are returning home, the government said Saturday.
S. Lanka boatpeople choose return over Australia asylum
Sep 22, 2012 03:34 EDT
A group of Sri Lankans have chosen to return to their homeland rather than apply for asylum in Australia, where they faced being sent to a Pacific island for processing, the government said Saturday.
Sri Lankan boatpeople choose return over Australia asylum
Sep 22, 2012 02:40 EDT
A group of Sri Lankans have chosen to return to their homeland rather than apply for asylum in Australia, where they faced being sent to a Pacific island for processing, the government said Saturday.
First Australia asylum-seekers taken to Nauru
Sep 14, 2012 02:47 EDT
The first planeload of asylum-seekers sent to the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru arrived on Friday as part of Canberra's tough new stance on tackling a record influx of boatpeople.
Australian families reach out to boatpeople
Sep 09, 2012 06:55 EDT
After 22 days on a boat fleeing Sri Lanka and more than five months in detention, asylum-seeker Jeevan Nanthakumar recently unpacked his suitcases in the home of an Australian pensioner couple.
Asylum seekers refuse to leave boat in Indonesia
Sep 07, 2012 12:09 EDT
More than 50 Australia-bound asylum seekers from Sri Lanka have refused to leave their boat after it was found stranded off Indonesia's Sumatra island a week ago, officials said Friday.
Hopes fade for more survivors from Indonesia asylum boat
Aug 30, 2012 20:50 EDT
The search was to resume Friday for more survivors from an asylum-seeker boat that disappeared off the Indonesian coast, but hopes were rapidly fading with a crucial rescue window closing.
55 found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat
Aug 30, 2012 08:46 EDT
Rescuers plucked 55 survivors from the ocean on Thursday, more than a day after an asylum-seeker boat heading for Australia disappeared off the Indonesian coast with 150 people aboard.
22 found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat
Aug 30, 2012 04:54 EDT
Rescuers plucked 22 survivors from the ocean on Thursday, more than a day after an asylum-seeker boat heading for Australia disappeared off the Indonesian coast with 150 people including children aboard.
Six found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat
Aug 30, 2012 04:01 EDT
Six people were plucked alive from the ocean by a cargo ship and other survivors were spotted Thursday, a day after an asylum-seeker boat disappeared off the Indonesian coast with 150 people aboard.
Six found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat
Aug 29, 2012 22:00 EDT
Six people were plucked alive from the ocean by a cargo ship Thursday after an asylum-seeker boat went missing off the Indonesian coast, but there was no sign of up to 144 others on board.
Indonesia abandons search for asylum-seeker boat
Aug 29, 2012 04:46 EDT
Rescuers have abandoned a search for a boat carrying an estimated 150 asylum seekers reported sinking in Indonesia's Sunda Strait after failing to find the vessel, an official said Wednesday.
Asylum-seeker boat sinking off Indonesia: official
Aug 29, 2012 02:56 EDT
An asylum-seeker boat carrying an estimated 150 people was sinking in Indonesia's Sunda Strait, Indonesia's rescue agency said Wednesday.
Facts from the Wikipedia page:
| Territory of Christmas Island | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Anthem: Advance Australia Fair | ||||
| Capital (and largest city) | Flying Fish Cove ("The Settlement") | |||
| Official languages | English (de facto) | |||
| Ethnic groups | 70% Chinese, 20% European, 10% Malay | |||
| Demonym | Christmas Islanders | |||
| Government | Federal constitutional monarchy | |||
| - | Queen of Australia | Elizabeth II | ||
| - | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia | Quentin Bryce | ||
| - | Administrator | Brian Lacy | ||
| - | Shire President | Gordon Thompson | ||
| Territory of Australia | ||||
| - | Sovereignty transferred to Australia | 1957 | ||
| Area | ||||
| - | Total | 135 km2 52 sq mi | ||
| - | Water (%) | 0 | ||
| Population | ||||
| - | 2009 estimate | 1,402[1] (n/a) | ||
| - | Density | 10.39/km2 (n/a) 26.96/sq mi | ||
| Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | |||
| Time zone | (UTC+7) | |||
| Internet TLD | .cx | |||
| Calling code | 61 | |||
