Christmas Island: Flag and Facts
The Christmas Island flag is split diagonally into a green upper half with a yellow golden bosun bird and a blue lower half with the Southern Cross, plus a yellow disk in the center showing the island's outline.
- Official name
- Territory of Christmas Island
- Capital
- Flying Fish Cove
- Region
- Australia and New Zealand
- Population
- 1,692 (2021)
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Australian dollar
- Area
- 135 km² (52 sq mi)
- People
- Christmas Islander
- Calling code
- +61
- Highest point
- Murray Hill 361 m
- Independence
- none (territory of Australia)
- National symbols
- golden bosun bird
- Borders
- No land borders
- Status
- Territory (not a sovereign country)
About Christmas Island
The bird is the golden bosun, the territory's symbol. The Southern Cross stars on the blue side point to Australia, which governs the island today.
Europeans first saw the island in 1615, but its name comes from its rediscovery on Christmas Day in 1643. Steep cliffs and thick jungle kept explorers out for about two centuries. Phosphate was found in 1887, and the UK annexed the island a year later. In 1898, 200 Chinese workers were brought in under contract to mine it, along with Malays, Sikhs, and a few Europeans. Japan invaded in 1942, but islanders slowed the mines through sabotage. The UK handed control to Australia in 1958.
Did you know?
- Only about 1,692 people live on Christmas Island.
- Murray Hill, at 361 meters, is the highest point on Christmas Island.
- Christmas Island covers about three-quarters of the area of Washington, D.C.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Christmas Island
What is the capital of Christmas Island?
Flying Fish Cove is the main settlement and capital.
Who governs Christmas Island?
Christmas Island is a territory of Australia, which took it over from the UK in 1958.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.