Introduction

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Background:

These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve.

Geography

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Location:	Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island
Geographic coordinates:	12 14 S, 123 05 E
Map references:	Southeast Asia
Area:	total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island
Area - comparative:	about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	74.1 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:	tropical
Terrain:	low with sand and coral
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m
Natural resources:	fish
Land use:	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)
Irrigated land:	0 sq km
Natural hazards:	surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
Environment - current issues:	NA
Geography - note:	Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983

People

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Population:	no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island
People - note:	the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem

Government

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Country name:	conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Dependency status:	territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Legal system:	the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:	none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:	none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:	the flag of Australia is used

Economy

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Economy - overview:

no economic activity

Transportation

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Ports and terminals:

none; offshore anchorage only

Military

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

Transnational Issues

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Disputes - international:

Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to these islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches

The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands are two groups of small low-lying uninhabited tropical islands in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf north-west of Australia and south of the Indonesian island of Roti at 12°14′S 123°5′E.

The territory includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island (70 km east) with, a total area of 199.45 km² within the reefs and including the lagoons, and 114,400 m² of dry land. While they have a total of 74.1 km of shoreline, measured along the outer edge of the reef, there are no ports or harbors, only offshore anchorage. Nearby Hibernia Reef, 42 km Northeast of Ashmore Reef, is not part of the territory. It has no permanently dry land area, although large parts of the reef become exposed during low tide.

Ashmore Reef 155.40 km² area within reef (including lagoon)
West Islet, 51,200 m² land area;
Middle Islet, 21,200 m² land area;
East Islet, 25,000 m² land area;
Cartier Reef (44.03 km² area within reef (including lagoon)
Cartier Island, 17,000 m² land area;
There is an automatic weather station on West Islet.

The territory is administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment and Heritage. The data code is AT. Defence is the responsibility of Australia, with periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. The islands are visited by seasonal caretakers.

The Ashmore Reef Marine National Nature Reserve was established in August 1983. It is of significant biodiversity value as it is in the flow of the Indonesian throughflow current from the Pacific Ocean through the Indonesian Archipelago to the Indian Ocean. It is also in a surface current west from the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea. There are 14 distinct species of sea snake in the area, more than in any other area. There is also an unusually high level of species diversity of coral, mollusks, and fish. A memorandum of understanding between the Australian and Indonesian governments allows Indonesian fishermen access to their traditional fishing grounds within the region, subject to limits.

Cartier Island Marine Reserve includes the entire sand cay of Cartier Island, the reef surrounding it, the ocean for a 7.2 km radius around the island, and 1000 m below the seafloor. It was proclaimed in 2000.

There is no economic activity in the Territory.

As Ashmore Reef is the closest point of Australian territory to Indonesia, it has been a popular target for people smugglers to take asylum seekers to Australia. They were transported at great personal risk and expense in leaky fishing boats and dumped on the island, expecting to be rescued by Australia and granted refugee status there. As Australia was not the country of first asylum for these "boat people", Australia did not consider it had a responsibility to accept them. A number of things were done to discourage the practice such as attempting to have the people smugglers arrested in Indonesia; mandatory detention of all arrivals until their status could be determined; the so-called Pacific Solution of processing them in third countries; and finally excising these and many other small islands from the Australian migration zone.

To be added.

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Last update on 3 March 2008