CHRISTMAS ISLAND (Pacific Islands)

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Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, at latitude 10°30' south and longitude 105°40' east. It is approximately 380 km south of Java Head at the southern entrance to the Sunda Strait, approximately 1,350 km from Singapore and approximately 2,650 km from Perth. The nearest point of the Australian mainland is Northwest Cape which lies approximately 1,565 km to the south-east. The Island has an area of 135 sq. km.

The Island is the summit of a submarine mountain. It rises steeply to a central plateau dominated by stands of rainforest. The plateau reaches heights of up to 361 metres and consists mainly of limestone with layers of volcanic rock.

The Island's 80 km coastline is an almost continuous sea cliff, ranging in height up to 20 metres. There are some thirteen places where breaks in the cliff give way to shallow bays and small sand and coral beaches. The largest of these bays forms the Island's port at Flying Fish Cove.

The Island is surrounded by an encircling coral reef. There is virtually no coastal shelf and the sea plummets to a depth of about 5,000 metres within 200 metres of the shore.

The climate is tropical and temperatures range from 21°C to 32°C. Humidity is around 80-90% and south-east trade winds provide pleasant weather for most of the year. However, during the wet season between November and April, it is common for some storm activity to occur, producing a swell in seas around the Island. The average rainfall is 2,000 mm per annum.

Approximately 63% of the Island's 135 square kilometres is national park and the Island's close proximity to South East Asia and the equator has resulted in a diverse range of flora and fauna.

The Christmas Island National Park is managed by Parks Australia North - a division of Environment Australia.

There are about 200 species of native flowering plants on Christmas Island. Some 16 plant species are endemic. The distribution of plants on the Island can be related to soil depth, moisture retention and exposure to and distance from the sea. A dense rainforest has evolved in the deep soils of the plateau and on some terraces. The forests are dominated by 25 tree species. Ferns, orchids and vines flourish on the branches in the humid atmosphere beneath the canopy. The 135 species of flora include 16 of which can only be found on Christmas Island.

Red crabs are dotted around the forest floor all over Christmas Island and the annual red crab mass migration to the sea to spawn has been described by ecologists as one of the wonders of the natural world. This phenomenon takes place each year after the start of the wet season, synchronised with the cycle of the moon.