Christmas Island

Quick Facts

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Capital

The Settlement

Government

Territory of Australia

Nationality

Christmas Islander

Population

1402 (Jul 2007 est.)

Languages

English, Chinese, Malay

Religions

Buddhism, Islam, Christianity

Currency

Australian Dollar (AUD)

Calling Code

+61

Time Zone

UTC+7

Introduction

The very first thing to learn about Christmas Island is that it is not the same Christmas Island which exists in Kiribati and which search engines will probably conjure up information about when you run a search for the island. Christmas Island is located due west of Australia's northenmost protrusions, directly south of Jakarta. It is in fact a territory of Australia, a fact which has made it a popular destination among asylum seekers willing to dare the voyage over from Indonesia.

Other aspects of its situation have made it popular among more ordinary travelling types. It is dominated by national park where (predictably) flora, fauna and ecotourists flourish. The island is the sole habitat of the creatively named Red Crab, so make sure you don't step on them - it'll hurt your feet... Divers are drawn to the island's steep drop-off and abundant marine life, while the gambling spirit will find the new casino a suitable place to dispose of ready cash.

Getting There

By Plane

Planes land at Christmas Island Airport (XCH), just southeast of The Settlement. National Jet Systems flies twice weekly in from Coco Islands and Perth.

There are also weekly flights from Singapore by Austasia Airlines (using SilkAir charter) and from Kuala Lumpur by Australian Indian Ocean Territories Airlines (using Malaysia Airlines charter).

External Links

• Christmas Island Shire - Official government website
• Christmas Island Tourism Association - Official tourism website