Ashmore and Cartier Islands - Overview

Location:

Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island

Climate:

tropical

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island

Background:

These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve.