Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the issue of the islanders life and working conditions from early settlement to the end of the commercial exploitation of the coco plantations and the population expulsion. It discusses the EU's multidimensional and significant involvement in the region and in the islands, and also notes the issues related to its member states overseas island territories. The book argues that cyclone-related disasters are embedded in the social and political relations shaping the human habitation on these coastal islands. It explores the links between ‘Indo-Mauritians’ and India, including the representations and meanings associated to their original migrations. The book also argues that ‘upgraded facilities on both Cocos and Christmas would provide Australia with valuable leverage in its relationships with regional defence partners and the United States’.