Editing Coral Sea Islands (section)

== History and status ==
[[File:Coral Sea Islands.png|left|thumb|Map of the Coral Sea Islands]]
The Coral Sea Islands were first charted in 1803. In the 1870s and 1880s the islands were mined for [[guano]] but the absence of a reliable supply of fresh water prevented long-term habitation.<ref name="Geosci"/> The Coral Sea Islands became an Australian external territory in 1969 by the ''Coral Sea Islands Act'' and extended in 1997 to include [[Elizabeth Reef]] and [[Middleton Reef]] nearly 800&nbsp;km further south.

The two latter reefs are much closer to [[Lord Howe Island]], [[New South Wales]], (about {{convert|150|km|0|abbr=on}}) than to the southernmost island of the rest of the territory, Cato Island. The islands, cays and reefs of the [[Great Barrier Reef]] are not part of the territory, belonging to Queensland instead. The outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef is the boundary between Queensland and the Coral Sea Islands Territory.

The territory is a possession or external territory of [[Australia]], administered from [[Canberra]]. Previously it was administered by the [[Attorney-General's Department (Australia)|Attorney-General's Department]]<ref name="AussieAG">{{cite web|author=First Assistant Secretary, Territories Division |title=Territories of Australia |url=http://www.ag.gov.au/territories |publisher=Attorney-General's Department |date=2008-01-30 |access-date=2008-02-07 |quote=The Federal Government, through the Attorney-General's Department administers Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Jervis Bay, and Norfolk Island as Territories. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206093322/http://www.ag.gov.au/territories |archive-date=6 February 2008 }}</ref> and the [[Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (Australia)|Department of Transport and Regional Services]].<ref name="DOTARS">{{cite web | author =  Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government | title = Territories of Australia | url = http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories/index.aspx | access-date = 2008-02-07 | quote = As part of the Machinery of Government Changes following the Federal Election on 29 November 2007, administrative responsibility for Territories has been transferred to the Attorney General's Department. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071216154140/http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories/index.aspx |archive-date = 2007-12-16}}</ref> It is the only external territory not created by transfer from the United Kingdom or by the mandate of the United Nations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories-regions-cities/territories/coral-sea-islands |title=Coral Sea Islands |publisher=Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts |access-date=26 July 2023}}</ref> Defence is the responsibility of Australia, and the territory is visited regularly by the [[Royal Australian Navy]].

Australia maintains automatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs, and claims a {{convert|200|nmi|km|adj=on}} exclusive [[fishing]] zone. There is no economic activity (except for a significant but as yet unquantified charter fishing and diving industry), and only a staff of three or four people to run the meteorological station on [[Willis Island (Coral Sea)|Willis Island]] (South Islet), established in 1921.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/house/committee/pwc/willisisland/subs/sub1_pdf.ashx |title=Archived copy |access-date=3 June 2018 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801033756/https://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/house/committee/pwc/willisisland/subs/sub1_pdf.ashx |url-status=dead }}</ref> In November 2011, the Australian government announced that a {{convert|989842|km2|sqmi|0|adj=on}} protected area was planned in the Coral Sea.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15889194 |title=Australia plans huge marine reserve in Coral Sea |work=BBC News |date=25 November 2011 |access-date=25 November 2011}}</ref>

The [[Supreme Court of Norfolk Island]] has jurisdiction over the islands;<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2008C00598|title=Coral Sea Islands Act 1969}} (Cth) s 8 Courts having jurisdiction in the Territory</ref> however, the laws of the [[Australian Capital Territory]] apply.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2006C00306 |title=Application of Laws Ordinance 1973 (Coral Sea Islands)}} (Cth).</ref> The territory's [[FIPS 10-4]] code is CR, whereas [[ISO 3166]] includes it in Australia (AU).

In June 2004, a symbolic political protest run by gay rights activists based in Australia, [[Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands|declared the Coral Sea Islands to be a sovereign micronation]]. On 17 November 2017 the same group declared the kingdom to be 'dissolved', following the results of the [[Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey]].<ref name="defacto">{{Cite web|title=Coral Sea Islands – De Facto|url=https://defactoborders.org/places/coral-sea-islands|access-date=20 August 2021|website=defactoborders.org}}</ref>