Christmas Island is located in the northwest Indian Ocean of Australia. Prior to 1958, it was part of Singapore's territory and is one of the few areas in the world, except for China, predominantly inhabited by Chinese people. Christmas Island belongs to the Australian Overseas Territory and its main residents are Chinese. The official language is English, and Cantonese is widely spoken among Chinese people. At present, registered trademarks in Australia automatically extend protection to the island without a separate registration system.