Cocos Islands, External territory in Indian Ocean, Australia.
This territory encompasses two atolls with 27 coral islands in the Indian Ocean, 2,770 kilometers (1,720 miles) northwest of Perth, where only Home Island and West Island support permanent populations across a total land area of approximately 14 square kilometers (5.4 square miles).
Captain William Keeling sighted these atolls in 1609, while the Clunies-Ross family settled and owned them from 1827 until 1978, when Australia acquired land ownership and a referendum in 1984 led to integration into Australian administrative systems.
The Cocos Malay community uses its own language and practices Islamic traditions through local organizations, while administration provides bilingual services to approximately 600 residents living primarily on Home Island and West Island.
Flights from Perth reach this territory twice weekly through the airport on West Island, while entry requirements follow Australian visa regulations and services including healthcare, education, and banking operate across both inhabited islands.
Direction Island served as an important telegraph station during World War I and witnessed the battle between SMS Emden and HMAS Sydney in November 1914, where cable facilities connecting three continents sustained damage.
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