World Trivia | 50 facts about Christmas Island

There are many places in the world, that their names can catch the attention of a possible traveller. One of these places is the Christmas Island.

So, we are about to learn more about this festive island: the Christmas Island.

1. The Territory of Christmas Island is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name.
2. Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean.
3. It is located around 350 kilometres (220 mi) south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 kilometres (960 mi) north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland.
4. It has an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi).
5. Christmas Island had a population of 1,843 residents as of 2016, the majority of whom live in settlements on the northern tip of the island.
6. The main settlement is Flying Fish Cove. Historically, Asian Australians of Chinese, Malay, and Indian descent have collectively formed the majority of the population.
7. Today, around two-thirds of the island’s population is estimated to have Malaysian Chinese or Singaporean Chinese origin.
8. Several languages are in use, including English, Malay, and various Chinese dialects.
9. The official one is considered English.
10. Islam and Buddhism are major religions on the island.
11. The religion question in the Australian census is optional and 28% of the population do not declare their religious belief, if any.
12. The first European to sight the island was Richard Rowe of the Thomas in 1615.
13. The island was later named on Christmas Day (25 December) 1643 by Captain William Mynors but only settled in the late 19th century.
14. The first attempt at exploring the island was in 1857 by the crew of the Amethyst.
15. They tried to reach the summit of the island but found the cliffs impassable.
16. Its geographic isolation and history of minimal human disturbance has led to a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna, which is of interest to scientists and naturalists.
17. The majority (63%) of the island is included in the Christmas Island National Park.
18. So, around 2/3 of the island is a national park.
19. Phosphate, deposited originally as guano, has been mined on the island since 1899.
20. Christmas Island was formed around 60 million years ago.
21. It was formed after a basalt volcanic seamount (an underwater mountain) rose 5,000 metres from the ocean floor!
22. There are an estimated 45 million red crabs living on the island!
23. They migrate each year from the centre of the island to the beaches to breed.
24. They can be seen travelling in droves!
25. Christmas Island is also home to several other species of crab.
26. This includes the largest species in the world, the coconut crab, which can weigh up to 4.1kg and measure an incredible 1m long!
27. Christmas Island’s population was 1,530 in 2014.
28. The total land area of Christmas Island is 52 square miles (135 square kilometres).
29. It’s a bit larger than… Bristol, UK.
30. Residents here are known as Christmas Islanders!
31. The capital is Flying Fish Cove.
32. It had a population of 500 in 2013.
33. Christmas Islanders enjoy a tropical climate with a dry season from May to November.
34. This is followed by a rainy season from December to April.
35. The heat and humidity in the Christmas Island is moderated by trade winds.
36. From the outbreak of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II in December 1941, Christmas Island was a target for Japanese occupation.
37. This happened because of its rich phosphate deposits.
38. A naval gun was installed under a British officer and four NCOs and 27 Indian soldiers.
39. The first attack was carried out on 20 January 1942, by Japanese submarine I-59, which torpedoed a Norwegian freighter, the Eidsvold.
40. The vessel drifted and eventually sank off West White Beach.
41. Most of the European and Asian staff and their families were evacuated to Perth.
42. Christmas Island has 80 kilometres (50 mi) of shoreline.
43. Despite the large shoreline, only small parts of the shoreline are easily accessible.
44. The island’s perimeter is embodied by sharp cliff faces, making many of the island’s beaches difficult to get to.
45. Some of the easily accessible beaches include Flying Fish Cove (main beach), Lily Beach, Ethel Beach, and Isabel Beach.
46. On the other side the more difficult beaches to access include Greta Beach, Dolly Beach, Winifred Beach, Merrial Beach, and West White Beach, which all require a vehicle with four wheel drive and a difficult walk through dense rainforest.
47. Christmas Island is a non-self-governing external territory of Australia, as of March 2019 administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities .
48. The legal system is under the authority of the Governor-General of Australia and Australian law.
49. In early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag. The winning design was adopted as the informal flag of the territory for over a decade, and in 2002 it was made the official flag of Christmas Island.
50. The flag of Christmas Island consists of a green and blue background. The colors are intended to represent the land and sea respectively. The Southern Cross constellation appears in the bottom left of the flag in the same manner as it appears on the flag of Australia. In the top right there is a golden bosun bird

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