Australia’s ‘Galapagos’, also known as Christmas Island, is a remote island in the Indian Ocean.This island is a remarkable natural wonder, and its name alone makes us want to know more about it! In this article, we will uncover all the interesting things about this island, from its enormous red crab population to uncommon birds that inhabit the national park, beaches that are oh so wonderfully deserted, and its connection to the world war.You must have heard the name of Christmas Island in the news over the years for different reasons: one of the prominent reasons for the island featuring in news reports is that Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean is the offshore processing center for asylum seekers looking to enter the Australian mainland. Any asylum seekers trying to enter Australia through the water route are kept at the Island till their applications have been processed and reviewed. If the asylum application is approved, the individuals are allowed to enter the mainland, if not, they will be deported back to their native countries.It is located around 1000 mi (1609.3 km) off the coast of Western Australia. This unusual island in the Indian Ocean should be on your travel bucket due to its rich culture and history. It is sure to make your vacation unforgettable. Keep reading if you are curious to find out more about this exquisite island native to Australia!After reading about this Australian territory, also check facts about Australia and Australian Christmas facts.Fun Facts About Christmas IslandThe beautiful island sits atop a basalt volcanic seamount that was formed around 60 million ‘years ago after it rose 16,500 ft (5,029.2 m) from the ocean. The island is ancient in every sense of the word! The official currency of Christmas Island is the Australian dollar.Interestingly, Christmas Island is closer to Indonesia than Australia due to it not being located in Australia’s mainland territory but in its external territory.Remember to not touch a stranger’s head as on this island that gesture is considered very intimate. The island was named Christmas Island by Captain William Mynors of the Royal Mary which was a vessel of the East India Company vessel when he sailed past it on Christmas day in 1643. However, it wasn’t until after 244 years that humans inhabited it. The people of Christmas Island enjoy a tropical climate all year round. From May to November is the dry season and from December to April is the wet season. This visually gifted island is not very big.The total area of the land is only 52 sq. mi. (134.7 sq. km.) which is only slightly larger than the English city of Bristol. The island is populated by 1,530 Christmas islanders according to the 2014 data. Murray hill, at 1093 ft (333.3 m) above sea level, is the highest point of Christmas Island. Even though right now the island doesn’t grow anything on a big scale for the purposes of export, it is their future goal to grow vegetables and fruits commercially. Tourism and phosphate extraction are the main industries here.When it comes to the inhabitants, Christmas Island’s population is around 2,000 residents who primarily reside at the northern edge of the Island. Almost 66% of the population of Christmas island is of Malaysian Chinese origin followed by a considerable percentage of European Australians and Malaysians as well as Eurasians and Malaysian Islands. As a result, you can hear several languages being spoken by even this small population. Some of the commonly spoken languages on the island are Malay, English, as well as several Chinese dialects. The most popular religion here is Buddhism followed by Christianity.History Facts About Christmas IslandNo doubt Christmas Island is a beautiful place to visit due to its pleasing views and relaxing environment. However, the island also has a fascinating history. The island was first inhabited by humankind in 1888 when George Clunies-Ross who owns Cocos islands decided to send a small crew of Malay, Sikhs, and Chinese workers with his brother Andrew to settle at the Flying Fish Cove.He and John Murray wanted to reap the benefits of phosphate resources. He took this step to be the first one to claim Christmas Island’s phosphate resources. The workers did not have the best working conditions. Flying Fish Cove is the capital of the island and it is not immensely populated. Although the Flying fish cove is labeled as ‘the settlement’ on many maps, it gets its name after the British survey ship named Flying-Fish.The discovery of phosphate guided the destiny of Christmas Island through the successive century. In 2013 only 300 Christmas islanders were registered to be living at Flying Fish Cove. The signs of its association with World War II can be seen today including the gun emplacement. There was also a period when the Japanese invaded the island. The Christmas islanders were successful in sabotaging the mining effort after which the island community was sent to war camps in Indonesia. For a while, Christmas Island was under the possession of the British under Queen Victoria’s name. Christmas Island was handed over to the Australian government in 1958 after Britain transferred the island’s sovereignty to it.Since then, the Australian government has been managing the functioning of the island as well as the local economy. The economy of Christmas Island primarily depends on the construction and maintenance of the Immigration Detention Centre. Some of the other minor economic activities at Christmas Island are mining of low-grade phosphate and limited tourism. Several ecologists and environmentalists also visit the island in order to study the local ecology and environment.Wildlife Facts About Christmas IslandChristmas Island is also home to a National Park that takes up about two-thirds of the island. The wide range of flora and fauna the Christmas Island hosts is exquisite. Interestingly almost half of Christmas Island’s plant life cannot be found anywhere else in Australia. A wide range of invertebrates and reptiles are found here too!Christmas Island came into existence around 60 million years ago. At that time an underwater mountain rose around 16,500 ft (5029.2 m) from the floor of the ocean. But the main claim to fame for Christmas Island is the red crabs that reside on the island. It is estimated by experts that around 45 million crabs inhabit Christmas Island. It is common to see the droves of crabs exploring around the island.About 80,000 tropical seabird rookeries nest here every year which is spectacular, to say the least. It is estimated that 45 million red land crabs live here and are responsible for shaping and maintaining the health of Christmas Island’s natural vegetation. It is common to see a drove of crabs traveling here as each year they come to this wonderful island to migrate from the Earth’s center.The crabs migrate each year from the center of the island to the beaches like the ethel beach to breed and can be seen traveling in droves! The Christmas island inhabits 28 different kinds of butterflies, 30 species of spiders, 14 kinds of snails, and many species of beetles and moths. A lot of the invertebrates are yet to be accounted for by scientists. There are five native land reptiles on the island out of which four are endemic. Endemic species are those which are not found anywhere else on the earth.The endemic reptiles are the giant gecko, the blue-tailed skink, the lister’s gecko, and the pink blind snake. The foreshore skink which is the fifth native reptile is commonly found on many oceanic islands. A couple of species like the Maclear’s rat and the Coastal skink have gone extinct here too sometime after the humans settled on Christmas Island.Tourism Facts About Christmas IslandPeople like to visit this Australian territory in particular because its natural beauty is untouched. Although Christmas Island is perfect to visit all year round due to its tropical climate, the best time to visit depends on what you want to experience.If you wish to see the crab migration, visiting from November to December would be the best for Christmas Island. It is recommended to get vaccinated to protect yourself from influenza, Hepatitis A and B, etc. before you plan a visit.Another center of attraction besides the national park, calm beaches, and the flora and fauna is the Christmas island resort that goes by the name of Christmas Island Casino. The resort is a tourist hotspot and has been conducting tourist activities since the 1990s. Its services can give strong competition to a five-star hotel so your comfort will be taken care of. The island has many beaches but Ethel beach and Lily beach are quite close to each other and are perfect for activities like scuba diving and snorkeling.Christmas Island is famous for holding the most spectacular diving tours in Australia. The magnificence of the underwater world is immense, so much so that underwater photography will surely increase the level of the portfolio if you happen to click some of the splendid underwater shots. Tourists can get a glimpse of whale sharks, corals, dolphins, and the rest of the aquatic life. The rainforests on Christmas Island are untouched and are perfect for people who love birdwatching and exploring endemic species.Christmas Island is located on the flat summit of an underwater mountain of which only 984 ft (300 m) is visible above sea level. As the mountain was a volcano originally, some of the basalts are visible at various locations of the island including the Dales and Dolly Beach. The surface rock of the island is primarily limestone.Did You Know…In addition to the scenic beauty from steep hills to the central plateau, rich culture, and history, another thing that makes this island famous all around the world are the Christmas Island nuclear tests that were unfortunately conducted in 1957.These nuclear tests were conducted by the British Military to study nuclear weapons. In the past, there was a military base here to carry out the testing smoothly in the Pacific Ocean without being mindful of disrupting marine life. This continued for six years before it was halted. Although the tests were conducted many years ago, the irreparable damage by the atomic bombs and other weapons can still be witnessed today.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 155 Christmas Island facts to know before you visit the place then why not take a look at Australian rainforest facts or red crab habitat.
Australia’s ‘Galapagos’, also known as Christmas Island, is a remote island in the Indian Ocean.
