Because of its difficult coastline the island was not inhabited until 1888, when George Clunies-Ross established a settlement and brought Malay labourers to begin phosphate mining. Today's population of some 2,000 people is of Chinese, Malay and European origin.
Having been formed through the rise of an oceanic mountain in isolation from any other land, Christmas Island is covered by tropical rainforest of plants which were all derived from seeds blown by the winds or drifting in with the currents. Two species of rats are the only mammals on the island. The ecological niche of mammal herbivores and predators has been filled by crabs. This gives Christmas Island its own unique ecosystem.
The Christmas Island Natural History Association publishes an informative description of the island under the title Christmas Island - Naturally. Now in its second edition, it contains a brief summary of the ocean currents of the region and of the upwelling responsible for the productivity of the waters to the north of the island. This summary contains significant errors.
The task of this exercise is to eliminate the errors by rewriting the text and amending the figures, while at the same time retaining the informative style which makes the book so valuable for tourists.
© 2000 M. Tomczak