Christmas Island is an Australian external Territory, located in the Indian Ocean at latitude 10^o25'19"S, longitude 105^o42'57"E. The Island is approximately 360 km south of Jakarta, Indonesia, and 2650 km northwest of Perth, Western Australia.

The Island became an Australian Territory on 1 October 1958 when sovereignty was transferred from the United Kingdom to Australia under the Christmas Island Act 1958.

The Island currently has a population of approximately 1700 persons, predominantly represented by Chinese, Malay and European ethnicities.