World · permanent entity record · XA
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Thirty-second orientation
Ashmore and Cartier Islands at a glance
- Population
- total: no permanent inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2026-01-05
- Area
- total : 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of 2026-01-05
Claims are attributed · classifications are dated
Claims and contested status
Maintained classification
Dependency or area of special sovereignty
Australia
U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · as of 2026-03-31A claim’s appearance records that the cited source reports it. It does not constitute an Almanac ruling on sovereignty.
Maintained profile
- Classification
- Dependency or area of special sovereignty
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty · Federal classification and wording follow the current State Department register.
- Sovereignty or administration
- Australia
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
- Administrative center
- Administered from Canberra
- U.S. Department of State, Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty ·
Preserved public-domain record · not maintained current data
Final CIA World Factbook profile
This is the preserved historical baseline from the Factbook’s final public snapshot. It is presented as the CIA stated it, not as a current Standard American Almanac finding. Current, independently maintained facts appear above when available.
CIA World Factbook historical record · final public snapshot · profile updated · pinned source record · commit d81154954b8b
Introduction1 fields
- Background
- Indonesian fishermen have long fished in the area around Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. British explorers were the first Europeans to see Cartier Island and Ashmore Reef in 1800 and 1811, respectively. American whalers frequently sailed by the islands in the 1850s and later settled to mine the phosphate deposits on Ashmore Reef, which were exhausted by 1891. The UK disputed US access to Ashmore Reef and formally annexed it in 1878. Cartier Island was annexed in 1909. In 1931, the UK transferred the islands to Australia, which accepted them in 1934 as part of Western Australia. In 1938, Australia transferred governance to the Northern Territory. During World War II, Cartier Island was used as a bombing range. In 1978, governance of Ashmore and Cartier Islands was moved to the federal government. Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island became marine reserves in 1983 and 2000 respectively. In 1974, Australia and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to allow Indonesian fishermen to continue fishing around the islands. The MOU also allows Indonesian fishermen to visit the graves of past fishermen, replenish their fresh water, and shelter in the West Island Lagoon of Ashmore Reef. In the 1990s, Indonesia challenged Australia’s claim to the islands, which was settled in a maritime boundary treaty in 1997. The islands were a popular first point of contact for migrants and refugees seeking to enter Australia, so in 2001, Australia declared the islands to be outside the Australian migration zone.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Geography15 fields
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island; Ashmore Reef is 840 km west of Darwin and 610 km north of Broome; Cartier Islet is 70 km east of Ashmore Reef
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geographic coordinates
- 12 25 S, 123 20 E note: Ashmore Reef - 12 14 S, 123 05 E; Cartier Islet - 12 32 S, 123 32 E
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area
- total : 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Area - comparative
- about eight times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Elevation
- highest point: Cartier Island 5 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Natural hazards
- surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Geography - note
- Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
People and Society1 fields
- Population
- total: no permanent inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Environment3 fields
- Environmental issues
- illegal killing of protected wildlife; overfishing; sea-level rise, changes in sea temperature, and ocean acidification; marine debris
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Government7 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands etymology: named after British Captain Samuel ASHMORE, who first sighted the island in 1811, and after the ship Cartier, from which the second island was discovered in 1800
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Dependency status
- territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Legal system
- the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- none (territory of Australia)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
- Diplomatic representation from the US
- embassy: none (territory of Australia)
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
Military and Security1 fields
- Military - note
- defense is the responsibility of Australia
- CIA World Factbook historical record · as of · source
The underlying United States government material is public domain. The Almanac’s reuse terms do not change the legal status of this preserved source layer.