 In the , the population of the islands was 544 people of which 75% are Islamic and 69.6% speak Malay rather than English at home.The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island (estimated population 100) and the ethnic Malays on Home Island (estimated population 500).The archipelago was discovered in 1609 by Captain William Keeling of the East India Company, on a return voyage from the East Indies.