Ashmore and Cartier Islands

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.

Geography

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

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

Map references

Southeast Asia

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

comparison ranking: total 245

Area – comparative

about eight times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

74.1 km

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

Climate

tropical

Terrain

low with sand and coral

Elevation

highest point: Cartier Island 5 m

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

fish

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)

Natural hazards

surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards

Geography – note

Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000

People and Society

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

Environment

Environment – current issues

illegal killing of protected wildlife; overfishing; sea-level rise, changes in sea temperature, and ocean acidification; marine debris

Climate

tropical

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2018 est.)

Government

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