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Ashmore and Cartier Islands: background*

*Background: This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.

These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve.

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