The
Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is two groups of small
low-lying uninhabited tropical islands in the Indian Ocean north-west
of Australia and south of the Indonesian island of Roti.
The
territory includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets)
and Cartier Island 70 kilometres (40 mi) east with, a total
area of 199.45 square kilometres (77.0 sq mi) within the reefs
and including the lagoons, and 114,400 square miles (3.2×1012
sq ft) of dry land. They have a long coastline, over 74 kilometres
(46 mi), but there are no ports or harbours, only offshore anchorage.
Nearby Hibernia Reef, 42 kilometres (26 mi) northeast of Ashmore
Reef, is not part of the territory, because it has no permanently
dry land area, although large parts of the reef become exposed
during low tide.
The
territory is administered from Canberra by the Australian Department
of the Environment and Heritage. Therefore it is a dependency
within the commonwealth. The islands are visited by seasonal
caretakers.