Christmas Island |  |
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Christmas Island | |
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| capital: | The Settlement |
| geographic coordinates: | 10 25 S, 105 43 E |
| time difference: | UTC + 7 |
| daylight saving time: | NO |
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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. |