demarcation of the land boundary
continues; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed
by Vietnam and Taiwan; in response to groups in Burma and Thailand
expressing concern over China's plans to construct 13 hydroelectric
dams on the Nu River in Yunnan Province (Salween River in Burma),
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao suspended the project to conduct an
environmental impact assessment, a smaller scale version of only 4
dams is now scheduled to move forward

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 299,287 (Vietnam) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden
Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for
chemical precursors and methamphetamine

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Christmas Island

Introduction Christmas Island

Background:
Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed
and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began
in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958.
Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.

Geography Christmas Island

Location:
Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:
10 30 S, 105 40 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 135 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 135 sq km

Area - comparative:
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
80 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by
trade winds; wet season December to April

Terrain:
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m

Natural resources:
phosphate, beaches

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100%
note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national
park (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime
hazard

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
located along major sea lanes of Indian