Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Did you know?

• 🌊An Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean consisting of two coral atolls and 27 small islands, known for pristine coral reefs and coconut palms.
• 🏳️What does its flag mean? The green field represents the lush tropical nature and palm vegetation across the islands. A palm tree on a gold disc, located in the canton, symbolizes the coconut palm trees that give the islands their name. A gold crescent moon in the centre represents the predominant religion of the local Cocos Malay population (Islam). Five gold stars arranged as the Southern Cross highlight the territory's affiliation with Australia.
• 🥥Coconut currency: In the 19th and early 20th centuries under the private rule of the Clunies-Ross family, the islands issued their own plastic currency called 'Cocos Rupee' tokens, backed by coconut product exports.
• 🏝️Only two inhabited islands: Out of 27 islands in the archipelago, only two have permanent residents — West Island (mainly home to Australian government personnel) and Home Island (home to the ethnic Cocos Malay community).
• 🐢Direct inspiration for Darwin: Charles Darwin visited the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1836 aboard the HMS Beagle, and his observations here directly helped him form his groundbreaking theory on how coral atolls are formed.