Country Profile: Coral Sea Islands

The Coral Sea Islands are a remote territory of Australia located in the Coral Sea, northeast of the Australian mainland. This collection of small islands and reefs spans an area of approximately 3 square kilometers, with no permanent inhabitants except for a small meteorological staff on Willis Island. Governed as a territory of Australia since 1969, these islands are primarily utilized for scientific and environmental monitoring, as much of the territory is designated as national marine reserves. The economy is minimal, largely influenced by the territory’s environmental capacities and conservation efforts.

Geography

The Coral Sea Islands are situated in Oceania, within the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia. They cover a total area of just 3 square kilometers, comprising various small islands and reefs scattered over a vast maritime territory of about 780,000 square kilometers. The climate is tropical, and the geography is predominantly made up of sand and coral reefs.

3 km: Total land area of the islands.
3,095 km: Length of the coastline.
200 nm: Exclusive fishing zone.
9 m: Highest point on Cato Island.
0%: Agricultural land use (2018 estimate).
100%: Other land use (2018 estimate).

People and Society

The Coral Sea Islands do not have a permanent resident population. The only human presence is a small team of meteorological staff residing on Willis Island, who monitor weather conditions and maintain the automated weather stations.

0: Permanent inhabitants.

Environment

The environment of the Coral Sea Islands faces challenges due to the lack of permanent freshwater resources and the impact of human activities like overfishing and coral mining. The territory is recognized for its biodiversity, serving as an important nesting area for various bird species and turtles.

0%: Agricultural land use (2018 estimate).
100%: Other land use (2018 estimate).

Government

The Coral Sea Islands are an Australian territory administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport. The territory follows the common law legal system of Australia, with the flag of Australia representing it.

1969: Year the islands became an Australian territory.
1997: Year the boundaries of the territory were extended.

Military and Security

Defense responsibilities for the Coral Sea Islands fall under the jurisdiction of Australia. The territory has no military forces of its own and relies on Australia for all aspects of national security and defense.

0: Independent military forces.

Key Metrics

Metric	Value	Note
Population	0	No permanent inhabitants
Area	3 sq km	Total land area
Coastline	3,095 km	Length of coastline
Exclusive fishing zone	200 nm	Fishing area
Highest point	9 m	Elevation on Cato Island
Agricultural land	0%	Land use as of 2018
Other land use	100%	Land use as of 2018
Defense	Australia	Security responsibility