Coral Sea Islands
Coral Sea Islands
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Overview
- Background
- The widely scattered Coral Sea Islands were first charted in 1803, but they were too small to host permanent human habitation. The 1870s and 1880s saw attempts at guano mining, but these were soon abandoned. The islands became an Australian territory in 1969, and the boundaries were extended in 1997. A small meteorological staff has operated on the Willis Islets since 1921, and several other islands host unmanned weather stations, beacons, and lighthouses. Much of the territory lies within national marine nature reserves.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 3 sq km less than
- Note
- note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km (300,000 sq mi), with the Willis Islets the most important
- Water
- 0 sq km
- Total
- 3 sq km less than
- Climate
- tropical
- Terrain
- sand and coral reefs and islands (cays)
Land Use
- Other
- 100% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 0% (2018 est.)
- Location
- Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia
- Coastline
- 3,095 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- unnamed location on Cato Island 9 m
- Map references
- Oceania
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 3 nm
- Exclusive fishing zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- occasional tropical cyclones
- Geography note
- important nesting area for birds and turtles
- Natural resources
- fish
- Area comparative
- about four times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
- Geographic coordinates
- 18 00 S, 152 00 E
People & Society
Population
- Note
- note: Willis Island is inhabited by meteorological staff
- Total
- no permanent inhabitants
Government
- Flag
- the flag of Australia is used
- Citizenship
- see Australia
Country Name
- Etymology
- self-descriptive name to reflect the islands' position in the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia
- Conventional long form
- Coral Sea Islands Territory
- Conventional short form
- Coral Sea Islands
- Legal system
- the common law system of Australia applies
- Dependency status
- territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Embassy
- none (territory of Australia)
Environment
- Climate
- tropical
Land Use
- Other
- 100% (2018 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 0% (2018 est.)
- Environmental issues
- no permanent freshwater resources; damaging activities include coral mining, fishing practices (overfishing, blast fishing)
Military & Security
- Military note
- defense is the responsibility of Australia
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Coral Sea Islands — vintage 2026-Q1: Coral Sea Islands factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/coral-sea-islands
Sources: CIA World Factbook