Traditions and culture on Christmas Island

Christmas Island, or Kiritimati, can be found in the northern Line Islands and it is part of the Republic of Kiribati.

It has an intriguing history, dating back to Captain Cook's brief arrival on December 24th 1777, when he noted no permanent settlement but hints of early Polynesian inhabitants.

It was then largely left alone until the 1850s, but has since been the site of British interest in the Pacific, while officially becoming part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1919.

The island developed as a permanent settlement when British officials enlisted Gilbertese workers and managers to take over a number of coconut plantations created by French priest Emmanual Rougier between 1914 and the 1930s.

Both Britain and the US have conducted hydrogen bomb tests at high altitude on the island, which initially affected animals and humans but radiation is now below normal levels.

Things to do on Christmas Island

With its small population and lack of economic growth or prosperity, some may be surprised that the island welcomes around 1,500 people per year for a holiday.

However, travellers not wanting to stay in a glitzy, five-star hotel or to go out in overcrowded city centres have found a great degree of solace in the region.

In particular, sport fishers are frequent visitors due to the large bonefish which can be found on the sand flats, while the fact that the island has the greatest land area of coral atoll in the world at 322 km sq means scuba diving is often spectacular.

Naturally, the stunning and peaceful beaches offer a perfect opportunity for sun-worship, while ornithologists are certain to be pleased, with around 35 species of bird and 18 species of seabird known to exist on the island.

Weather on Christmas Island

Christmas Island is located in an equatorial dry zone and so rainfall generally tends to be very low, meaning some of the flats and ponds can even dry up completely in extreme cases.

As such, it can suffer from regular, damaging droughts and it is one of the few places located near the equator to have an effectively arid climate.

The temperature generally stays at between 24C and 30C throughout the year - very pleasant for anyone on holiday there - while trade winds tend to come from the east.

Destination checklist for Christmas Island

Christmas Island has a population of around 1,600.

The island is 14 hours ahead of UTC time.

The official currency is the Australian dollar.

Gilbertese is the official language spoken.

The island's international dialling code is +686.