Christmas Island – Galapagos of the Indian Ocean

Christmas Island, home of the migrating Red Crabs and endangered Abbott Booby birds, is a place of natural wonder and contradictions.

Christmas Island has long been known as the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”, but it is a place full of contradictions.

Today this remote, rugged outpost of Australia is as likely to grab the headlines for its controversial phosphate mining and immigration centre as it is for the island’s extraordinary fauna and flora.

Christmas Island is so called because it was discovered on 25th December 1643 by Captain William Mynors aboard the ship Royal Mary. But it wasn’t settled until 1888 when it was declared a British Colony.

Tropical rainforest

It is an isolated territory 2600km north of Perth and on the fringes of Asia. It’s tropical rainforest supports a unique environment with many rare and endangered species.

Annual Red Crab migration

Land crabs and seabirds are the most noticeable animals on the island. It has been called the “crabbiest place in the world” due to its unrivalled diversity of crabs. The annual mass migration of breeding Red Crabs from the rainforest, down to the ocean and back, has been described by ecologists as one of the wonders for the natural world.

Other crabs that have been hunted nearly to extinction also survive in abundance here. The Robber or Coconut Crabs that grow to the size of footballs scuttle undisturbed across the rainforest floor.

Endangered “prehistoric-looking” birds

High in the canopy of the rainforest is the last known nesting place of the endangered “prehistoric-looking” Abbott Booby. Also on the endangered list, the Christmas Island Frigatebirds soar with effortless grace on rising air steams. Hovering closer to the cliffs, is one of the world’s biggest colonies of the large, curious Brown Boobies that have no fear of humans.

Phosphate mining

However the economy of this tiny island has long relied on the mining of phosphate, a fertiliser, which is exported around the world. As a result about a quarter of the island’s tropical rainforest has been cleared threatening the survival of some of these rare species. Action has been taken during the last ten years to ban new mining, to rejuvenate areas of the rainforest and to encourage eco-tourism.

Immigration Centre

Today it’s the Federal Government’s immigration centre that is tarnishing the island’s reputation. The controversial centre was opened in 2008 and now the number of asylum-seekers being held outnumbers the local population.

The Australian Human Rights Commission said in its 2010 report on the detention centre that: “the increase in numbers has led to overcrowding and a significant deterioration in conditions for many people”.

The States of Australia

The Australian continent has six states and two territories.

The State of New South Wales

New South Wales is the most populous state and its capital city is Sydney. New South Wales is located on the east coast of Australia.

Sydney is situated on Port Jackson or Sydney Harbour. The Sydney basin occupies a large area bounded by the sea to the east, and the Blue Mountains to the west. Sydney is the oldest city in Australia and New South Wales was the first settlement.

The Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the home of the nation’s capital, Canberra. It is located south of New South Wales and north of Victoria. The reason for the establishment of the territory is that both Sydney and Melbourne wanted to be the capital of Australia, so a compromise was reached by establishing a new city between the two.

The ACT is home to Federal Parliament, embassies of various countries and the Governor General of Australia.

The State of Victoria

Victoria is located to the south of New South Wales. It is a small state in area but has a large population. The capital of Victoria is Melbourne which is Australia’s second most populous city.

Melbourne is located on the Yarra River and has a port called Port Melbourne. It is well known for its trams and sport and is often called the cultural capital of Australia

The State of Tasmania

Tasmania is an island to the south of mainland Australia. It is the smallest state and is known as the apple isle. The capital of Tasmania is Hobart which is located on the Derwent River.

Tasmania was the home of green politics in Australia and has a well regarded and well protected wilderness area.

The State of Queensland

Queensland is in the north east of Australia. It is a large state that is well known for mining and agriculture. The capital city of Queensland is Brisbane which is located on the Brisbane River.

The northern part of Queensland is the home of the Great Barrier Reef and it has a sparse population including many indigenous people.

The State of South Australia

South Australia is to the west of Victoria and south west of New South Wales. The capital of South Australia is Adelaide and it is located on the River Torrens.

South Australia is very close to the desert regions of Australia and is known for mining. Adelaide is often called the city of churches and the Adelaide Hills have been the inspiration for many Australian artists.

The Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is to the north of South Australia. It has two cities, Alice Springs and Darwin. Alice Springs is famous for being near Uluru or (Ayres Rock).

The Northern Territory has a high indigenous population and many areas which are restricted to indigenous access only.

The State of Western Australia

Western Australia is on the west coast of Australia, its capital is Perth. The Swan River flows through the city. Western Australia is a large state with a growing population. It is well known for its mining industries and is the home to some of the largest mines in the Southern Hemisphere. Much of Western Australia is desert.

Australia is a very large country with a small number of cities primarily located on the coast line. It has a small of population of approximately 22 million who mainly live in the capital cities.