Total area: 135 km2
land area: 135 km2

Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 138.9 km

Maritime claims:

Contiguous zone: 12 nm;

Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds

Terrain: steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau

Natural resources: phosphate

Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other

Environment: almost completely surrounded by a reef

Note: located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean

NOTE: The information regarding Christmas Island on this page is re-published from the 1990 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Christmas Island Geography 1990 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Christmas Island Geography 1990 should be addressed to the CIA.