major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Christmas Island
Introduction
Christmas Island
Background:
Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Geography
Christmas Island
Location:
Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia