What is Christmas Island known for?
This tiny dog-shaped island was named on Christmas Day, 1643 by an English sea captain. Today it’s a lush, off-the-beaten-path tourist destination famed for its caves and coral reefs. The biggest yearly attraction is the migration of fifty million red crabs down to the sea to spawn.
What is the industry on Christmas Island?
The main economic activities on Christmas Island are the mining of low grade phosphate, limited tourism, the provision of government services and more recently the operation of the Immigration Detention Centre. The government sector includes administration, health, education, policing, customs, quarantine and defence.
What do Islands export?
Main exports are wood, palm oil, and fish. China, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand are major export destinations.
Why did Australia buy Christmas Island?
Britain annexed Christmas Island in 1888 to claim its valuable phosphate deposits. Murray and Clunies-Ross set up the Christmas Island Phosphate Company to mine the island, making their first major shipment of phosphate in 1900.
Are Christmas Islanders Australian citizens?
Almost all of the island’s residents are Australian citizens or residents under the statutes of the Christmas Island Act and the Citizenship Act.
Does Telstra work in Christmas Island?
The Telstra GSM mobile network operates on Christmas Island. Internet and other services such as photocopying and printing are available at the Christmas Island Visitors Information Centre.
Are there sharks in Christmas Island?
Endangered whale sharks congregate at Christmas Island during the wet season (November to March). They eat only plankton and come to Christmas Island to feed on the billions of larvae released into the water during the annual red crab spawning. Whale sharks’ grey skin is mottled with pale spots and lines.
Is it expensive to live on Christmas Island?
Mr McDonald says the cost of living is now estimated at about 180 per cent above that on the mainland. An iceberg lettuce at the local store can cost as much as $12. A housing shortage, exacerbated by the influx of Immigration Department workers, means some locals are paying as much as $1,000 rent a week.
Can you eat the coconut crabs on Christmas Island?
But while they are considered a delicacy with aphrodisiac qualities across the Pacific, they are a protected species in Australia and can’t be eaten. Visitors are warned that while the crustaceans are docile, they can move quickly when they sense food.
Are Christmas Island crabs poisonous?
The Christmas Island red crab, Gecarcoidea natalis, is a species of terrestrial crab endemic to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. These crabs are not truly poisonous and the crabs do not produce the toxins themselves.