World Factbook
Christmas Island
Territory of Christmas Island
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper left to lower right; the upper triangle is green with a yellow silhouette of the golden bosun bird; the lower triangle is blue and shows the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia; a centered yellow disk displays a green outline of the island
note: the flag of Australia is used for official purposes
Capital
name
The Settlement (Flying Fish Cove)
etymology
Flying Fish Cove was named after a British explorer's ship in 1886
time difference
UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
10 25 S, 105 43 E
Suffrage
18 years of age
Citizenship
see Australia
Constitution
history
1 October 1958 (Christmas Island Act 1958)
Country name
etymology
named by English Captain William MYNORS for the day of its rediscovery, Christmas Day (25 December 1643); Europeans had sighted the island as early as 1615
conventional long form
Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form
Christmas Island
Independence
none (territory of Australia)
Legal system
system is under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Government type
non-self-governing overseas territory of Australia
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
under the terms of the Territorial Law Reform Act 1992, Western Australia provides court services as needed for the island, including the Supreme Court and subordinate courts (District Court, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Children's Court, and Coroners' Court)
Executive branch
cabinet
NA
chief of state
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia General Sam MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024)
head of government
Administrator Farzian ZAINAL (since 11 May 2023)
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Australian prime minister; administrator appointed by the governor-general of Australia for a 2-year term and represents the monarch and Australia
National holiday
Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788)
Dependency status
non-self-governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities & Regional Development
Political parties
none
Legislative branch
term in office
4 years
number of seats
9 (directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
legislature name
Christmas Island Shire Council
scope of elections
partial renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
10/2023
expected date of next election
October 2025
percentage of women in chamber
13%
parties elected and seats per party
independent (9)
National anthem(s)
title
"God Save the King"
history
royal anthem, as an Australian territory
lyrics/music
unknown
National symbol(s)
golden bosun bird
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
none (territory of Australia)
International organization participation
none