Christmas Island
Christmas Island, located top left, relative to King Island
Christmas Island is located in Tasmania
Christmas Island
Christmas Island
Location of Christmas Island in the Bass Strait
Geography
LocationRoaring Forties, Bass Strait
Coordinates39°40′48″S 143°49′12″E / 39.68000°S 143.82000°E / -39.68000; 143.82000
ArchipelagoNew Year Group
Area63.49 ha (156.9 acres)
Administration
Australia
StateTasmania
LGAMunicipality of King Island

Christmas Island, part of the New Year Group, is a 63.49-hectare (156.9-acre) granite island located in the Great Australian Bight, lying off the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia.[1][2][3]: 47–49 

New Year Group

There are four islands in the New Year Group. Besides Christmas Island, these are:

While King Island has the largest area of the four islands, the group is named after New Year Island because it was discovered by Europeans a few days earlier than King Island.[2][3]: 50–51 

Fauna

Breeding seabird and shorebird species include little penguin, short-tailed shearwater, Pacific gull, silver gull, sooty oystercatcher, pied oystercatcher and black-faced cormorant. Reptiles include tiger snakes and lizards. A species of mouse is present.[3]: 47–49 

The island forms part of the King Island Important Bird Area because of its importance for breeding seabirds and waders.[4]

Geography

According to the International Hydrographic Organization, the line separating the Bass Strait from the Great Australian Bight runs through King Island, so Christmas Island lies in the Great Australian Bight.

Christmas Island is not to be confused with Little Christmas Island on Tasmania's east coast or the Australian external territory Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

New Year Island (centre, north), Christmas Island (centre, south) and King Island (bottom-right)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Christmas Island (TAS)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  2. ^ a b "Travel: King Island". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Brothers, Nigel; Pemberton, David; Pryor, Helen; Halley, Vanessa (2001). Tasmania's Offshore Islands: seabirds and other natural features. Hobart: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. ISBN 0-7246-4816-X.
  4. ^ BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: King Island. Downloaded from "BirdLife International – conserving the world's birds". Archived from the original on 10 July 2007. Retrieved 2013-05-07. on 2011-07-16.


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