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