| Cocos Islands, also
called the Keeling Islands,a group of 27 small coral islands in the eastern
Indian Ocean, a dependency of Australia. Copra (dried coconut meat) is the
chief product. An airport is located on West Island, the largest island
of the group. The population is composed of Malays and Europeans. The islands
were visited by Captain William Keeling of the East India Company in 1609.
The first settlement was established in 1826, and in 1857 the group was
annexed by Great Britain. Included in the jurisdiction of the governor of
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1878, and in the jurisdiction of the governor
of the Straits Settlements in 1886, the islands were incorporated into the
Settlement of Singapore in 1903. In 1955 the Cocos Islands came under Australian
control, and in 1984 the islanders voted to become part of Australia. The
Clunies-Ross family was the islands' sole landholder from 1886 until 1978,
when the Australian government purchased its lands and gave them to the
villagers. Area, about 14.2 sq km (about 5.5 sq mi); population (1993) 595.
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