Editing Christmas Island (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Map of Christmas Island 1976.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|Christmas Island map (1976)]]

The island is about {{convert|19|km|mi}} in greatest length and {{convert|14.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} in breadth. The total land area is {{convert|135|km2|sqmi}}, with {{convert|138.9|km|mi|abbr=on}} of coastline. Steep cliffs along much of the coast rise abruptly to a central plateau. Elevation ranges from sea level to {{convert|361|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} at [[Murray Hill, Christmas Island|Murray Hill]]. The island is mainly [[tropical rainforest]], 63% of which is national parkland. The narrow fringing [[reef]] surrounding the island poses a maritime hazard.

Christmas Island lies {{convert|2600|km|mi}} northwest of [[Perth]], Western Australia, {{convert|350|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Indonesia, {{convert|975|km|mi|abbr=on}} east-northeast of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and {{convert|2748|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], Northern Territory. Its closest point to the Australian mainland is {{convert|1550|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the town of [[Exmouth, Western Australia|Exmouth]], Western Australia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/remote-offshore-territories |title=Remote Offshore Territories |date=15 May 2014 |publisher=Geoscience Australia |access-date=20 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120070626/http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/remote-offshore-territories |archive-date=20 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Only small parts of the shoreline are easily accessible. The island's perimeter is dominated by sharp cliff faces, making many of the island's beaches difficult to get to. Some of the easily accessible beaches include Flying Fish Cove (main beach), Lily Beach, Ethel Beach, and Isabel Beach, while the more difficult beaches to access include Greta Beach, Dolly Beach, Winifred Beach, Merrial Beach, and West White Beach, which all require a vehicle with four wheel drive and a difficult walk through dense rainforest.<ref>{{cite web |title=Christmas Island Beaches |url=https://www.christmas.net.au/experiences/beaches.html |website=Christmas Island – A Natural Wonder |publisher=Christmas Island Tourism Association |access-date=2 January 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113054713/https://www.christmas.net.au/experiences/beaches.html |archive-date=13 January 2017 }}</ref>

===Geology===
[[File:Christmas Island (5775094028).jpg|thumb|left|[[Flying Fish Cove]] in golden twilight]]
The [[volcanic island]] is the flat summit of an underwater mountain more than {{convert|4500|m|ft}} high,<ref>{{cite web |date=16 August 2007 |title=Submission on Development Potential |url=http://www.nalwt.gov.au/files/no-37-thomas.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520042734/http://www.nalwt.gov.au/files/no-37-thomas.pdf |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=26 April 2009 |publisher=Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce |id=No.&nbsp;37}}</ref> which rises from about {{convert|4200|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} below the sea and only about {{convert|300|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above it.<ref>{{cite web |date=23 April 2009 |title=Christmas island |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/christmas-island/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032949/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/christmas-island/ |archive-date=26 January 2021 |access-date=26 April 2009 |work=World Factbook |publisher=CIA}}</ref> The mountain was originally a [[volcano]], and some [[basalt]] is exposed in places such as [[The Dales (Christmas Island)|The Dales]] and Dolly Beach, but most of the surface rock is [[limestone]] accumulated from [[coral]] growth. The [[karst]] terrain supports numerous [[Anchialine system|anchialine caves]].<ref name="IliffeADM2016">{{cite journal |author1=Iliffe, T. |author2=Humphreys, W. |year=2016 |title=Christmas Islands Hidden Secret |url=http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com/articles/christmasisland.html |url-status=live |journal=Advanced Diver Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110101547/http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com/articles/christmasisland.html |archive-date=10 January 2016 |access-date=2 January 2016}}</ref> The summit of this mountain peak is formed by a succession of [[Tertiary]] limestones ranging in age from the [[Eocene]] or [[Oligocene]] up to recent reef deposits, with intercalations of volcanic rock in the older beds.<ref name="Andrews" />

=== Marine Park ===
Reefs near the islands have healthy [[coral]] and are home to several rare species of marine life. The region, along with the Cocos (Keeling) Islands reefs, have been described as "Australia's [[Galapagos Islands]]".<ref name="Birch 2022">{{cite web |last=Birch |first=Laura |date=20 March 2022 |title=Indian Ocean marine parks off Christmas Island and Cocos Islands get the go-ahead |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-20/two-marine-parks-to-be-set-up-christmas-cocos-islands/100924776 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326182102/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-20/two-marine-parks-to-be-set-up-christmas-cocos-islands/100924776 |archive-date=26 March 2022 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref>

In the 2021 budget the Australian Government committed A$39.1 million to create two new marine parks off Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The parks will cover up to {{convert|740,000|km2}} of Australian waters.<ref>{{cite web |date=11 May 2021 |title=Budget 2021–22 |url=https://budget.gov.au/2021-22/content/bp2/download/bp2_2021-22.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511093603/https://budget.gov.au/2021-22/content/bp2/download/bp2_2021-22.pdf |archive-date=11 May 2021 |access-date=20 September 2021 |publisher=Government of Australia}}</ref> After months of consultation with local people, both parks were approved in March 2022, with a total coverage of {{convert|744,000|km2}}. The park will help to protect spawning of [[bluefin tuna]] from illegal international fishers, but local people will be allowed to practise fishing sustainably inshore in order to source food.<ref name="Birch 2022" />

=== Climate ===
Christmas Island lies near the southern edge of the equatorial region. It has a [[tropical monsoon climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Am'') and temperatures vary little throughout the year. The highest temperature is usually around {{convert|29|C|F}} in March and April, while the lowest temperature is {{convert|23|C|F}} and occurs in August. There is a dry season from July to October with only occasional showers. The wet season is between November and June and includes [[monsoons]], with downpours of rain at random times of the day. [[Tropical cyclones]] also occur in the wet season, bringing very strong winds, heavy rain, wave action, and [[storm surge]].

{{Weather box|location = [[Christmas Island Airport]] (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1972–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|temperature colour =
|Jan record high C = 31.4
|Feb record high C = 31.5
|Mar record high C = 31.5
|Apr record high C = 31.4
|May record high C = 30.7
|Jun record high C = 29.8
|Jul record high C = 29.3
|Aug record high C = 29.5
|Sep record high C = 30.9
|Oct record high C = 31.4
|Nov record high C = 31.8
|Dec record high C = 31.5
|year record high C =31.8
|Jan high C = 28.1
|Feb high C = 28.1
|Mar high C = 28.3
|Apr high C = 28.3
|May high C = 27.9
|Jun high C = 27.1
|Jul high C = 26.2
|Aug high C = 26.1
|Sep high C = 26.2
|Oct high C = 26.9
|Nov high C = 27.4
|Dec high C = 27.8
|year high C =
|Jan mean C = 25.5
|Feb mean C = 25.6
|Mar mean C = 25.8
|Apr mean C = 26.0
|May mean C = 26.0
|Jun mean C = 25.3
|Jul mean C = 24.5
|Aug mean C = 24.2
|Sep mean C = 24.3
|Oct mean C = 24.9
|Nov mean C = 25.3
|Dec mean C = 25.3
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = 22.9
|Feb low C = 23.0
|Mar low C = 23.3
|Apr low C = 23.7
|May low C = 24.0
|Jun low C = 23.5
|Jul low C = 22.7
|Aug low C = 22.3
|Sep low C = 22.3
|Oct low C = 22.8
|Nov low C = 23.1
|Dec low C = 22.8
|year low C = 23.0
|Jan record low C = 18.8
|Feb record low C = 18.4
|Mar record low C = 18.6
|Apr record low C = 18.3
|May record low C = 19.3
|Jun record low C = 18.3
|Jul record low C = 16.2
|Aug record low C = 17.7
|Sep record low C = 16.7
|Oct record low C = 18.2
|Nov record low C = 18.0
|Dec record low C = 17.1
|year record low C =
|rain colour=green
|Jan rain mm = 280.6
|Feb rain mm = 353.7
|Mar rain mm = 321.5
|Apr rain mm = 244.2
|May rain mm = 180.1
|Jun rain mm = 171.7
|Jul rain mm = 97.2
|Aug rain mm = 38.5
|Sep rain mm = 45.4
|Oct rain mm = 61.9
|Nov rain mm = 150.0
|Dec rain mm = 216.5
|year rain mm = 2147.8
|unit rain days = 1 mm
|Jan rain days = 15.1
|Feb rain days = 16.9
|Mar rain days = 17.8
|Apr rain days = 15.0
|May rain days = 10.7
|Jun rain days = 10.2
|Jul rain days = 8.1
|Aug rain days = 6.1
|Sep rain days = 4.2
|Oct rain days = 4.2
|Nov rain days = 7.4
|Dec rain days = 11.8
|Jan afthumidity = 79
|Feb afthumidity = 83
|Mar afthumidity = 82
|Apr afthumidity = 83
|May afthumidity = 81
|Jun afthumidity = 81
|Jul afthumidity = 81
|Aug afthumidity = 79
|Sep afthumidity = 80
|Oct afthumidity = 79
|Nov afthumidity = 79
|Dec afthumidity = 78
|source 1 = Bureau of Meteorology<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=200790&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=full_statistics_table&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal
| title = Monthly climate statistics
| publisher = [[Bureau of Meteorology]]
| accessdate = January 5, 2023
}}</ref>
}}