Changes: Cocos Islands (1983: Doomsday)

Revision as of 21:03, 7 October 2009

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**Kingdom of the Cocos Islands**
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday
Languages	English, Malay
Capital	Bantam (Home Island)
King	John Cecil Clunies-Ross
Regent	John George Clunies-Ross
Population	approx. 500-600
Area	14 km²
Currency	Cocos Islands rupee (r)

The Cocos Islands lie in the Indian Ocean. They are claimed by the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand as the "Cocos (Keeling) Islands" but have functioned as an independent micro-kingdom since 1983. They are not to be confused with the Isla del Coco, also called Cocos Island, in the Pacific Ocean, a Costa Rican island annexed to Colombia in 2001.

The Clunies-Ross family from Shetland established a coconut plantation on the uninhabited islands in 1827. Most of the islands' population is descended from workers on the plantation; today approximately 80% of the islanders are Malay-speaking Sunnis. In 1886 Queen Victoria granted them title to the islands in perpetuity, and the family began styling themselves "kings". In 1955 Britain transferred the islands to Australia, though the family still owned the islands and continued to run them nearly as they had before; however, Australia did appoint a Supreme Court to establish and maintain the rule of law and to harmonize the island's law code, mostly derived from Singapore, with that of Australia. It was only in 1978 that Australia forced John Clunies-Ross to sell the islands, keeping only Oceania House, the family seat. In 1979, a Council was created to govern the territory.

Three Australian cities were hit by Soviet nukes in 1983. For a long, critical period, the Commonwealth neglected its newest territory, and the Clunies-Rosses were able to reassert control. It was only in 1989 that Australia sent an expedition to the Cocos Islands, and it found John and his son firmly in control and uninterested in returning to Australian rule. The family shipping fleet had secured a lucrative contract from the new government of Indonesia, reconnecting the Cocos to the outside world and providing a source of income.

Late in 1992, Australia hit the Sultanate of Aceh with sanctions after its invasion of Indonesian Sumatra. As a minor act of retaliation, Aceh recognized the Cocos' independence and provided a small amount of aid. So far, neither Australia nor its successor the ANZC have gone to the trouble of taking the Cocos militarily, though they have never dropped their claim to them.

In 2000, King John entered a state of near-retirement, handing over most responsibilities to his son John George.

Oceania House, the "palace" on Home Island outside of Bantam village

The creation of the League of Nations in 2008 presented the ANZC with a new avenue for retaking the islands. So far, the issue has not yet been brought before the League - since its foundation it has been completely occupied with one crisis after the other. But the ANZC does plan to raise the issue eventually, and there is no question that the League would then side with them and authorize force to retake Australia's wayward territory. So unless the kingdom can find a creative way to maintain its independence, its takeover by the ANZC is probably only a matter of time.

Work in progress.

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 The Cocos Islands lie in the Indian Ocean.  They are claimed by the {{1983DD|Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand}} as the "Cocos (Keeling) Islands" but have functioned as an independent micro-kingdom since 1983.  They are not to be confused with the Isla del Coco, also called Cocos Island, in the Pacific Ocean, a {{1983DD|Costa Rica}}n island annexed to {{1983DD|Colombia}} in 2001.
-The Clunies-Ross family from Shetland established a coconut plantation on the uninhabited islands in 1827.  Most of the islands' population is descended from workers on the plantation; today approximately 80% of the islanders are Malay-speaking Sunnis.  In 1886 Queen Victoria granted them title to the islands in perpetuity, and the family began styling themselves "kings".  In 1955 Britain transferred the islands to Australia, though the family still owned the islands and continued to run them nearly as they had before; however, Australia did establish a Supreme Court to establish and maintain the rule of law and to harmonize the island's law code, mostly derived from Singapore, with that of Australia.  It was only in 1978 that Australia forced John Clunies-Ross to sell the islands, keeping only Oceania House, the family seat.  In 1979, a Council was created to govern the territory.
+The Clunies-Ross family from Shetland established a coconut plantation on the uninhabited islands in 1827.  Most of the islands' population is descended from workers on the plantation; today approximately 80% of the islanders are Malay-speaking Sunnis.  In 1886 Queen Victoria granted them title to the islands in perpetuity, and the family began styling themselves "kings".  In 1955 Britain transferred the islands to Australia, though the family still owned the islands and continued to run them nearly as they had before; however, Australia did appoint a Supreme Court to establish and maintain the rule of law and to harmonize the island's law code, mostly derived from Singapore, with that of Australia.  It was only in 1978 that Australia forced John Clunies-Ross to sell the islands, keeping only Oceania House, the family seat.  In 1979, a Council was created to govern the territory.
 Three Australian cities were hit by Soviet nukes in 1983.  For a long, critical period, the Commonwealth neglected its newest territory, and the Clunies-Rosses were able to reassert control.  It was only in 1989 that Australia sent an expedition to the Cocos Islands, and it found John and his son firmly in control and uninterested in returning to Australian rule.  The family shipping fleet had secured a lucrative contract from the new government of {{1983DD|Indonesia}}, reconnecting the Cocos to the outside world and providing a source of income.