Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.
Location
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates
29 02 S, 167 57 E
Map references
Oceania
Area
total
34.6 sq km
land
34.6 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
32 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Climate
subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Mount Bates 319 m
Natural resources
fish
Land use
arable land
0%
permanent crops
0%
other
100% (2005)
Irrigated land
NA
Natural hazards
typhoons (especially May to July)
Environment - current issues
NA
Geography - note
most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated
Population
2,114 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
20.2%
15-64 years
63.9%
65 years and over
15.9% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.006% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
NA
Death rate
NA
Net migration rate
NA
Sex ratio
NA
Infant mortality rate
total
NA
male
NA
female
NA
Life expectancy at birth
total population
NA
male
NA
female
NA
Total fertility rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective
Norfolk Islander(s)
Ethnic groups
descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesian
Religions
Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.2%, none 18.1% (2001 census)
Languages
English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Literacy
NA
Country name
conventional long form
Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form
Norfolk Island
Dependency status
self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Transport and Regional Services
Government type
NA
Capital
name
Kingston
geographic coordinates
29 03 S, 167 58 E
time difference
UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
none (territory of Australia)
Independence
none (territory of Australia)
National holiday
Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856)
Constitution
Norfolk Island Act of 1979, as amended in 2005
Legal system
based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government
Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)
cabinet
Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator
elections
none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)
election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions
Political parties and leaders
none
Political pressure groups and leaders
none
International organization participation
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description
three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band
Economy - overview
Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$NA
Labor force
NA
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
10%
industry and services
90%
Unemployment rate
0%
Budget
revenues
$4.6 million
expenditures
$4.8 million; including capital expenditures of $2 million (FY99/00)
Agriculture - products
Industries
tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete
Electricity - production
NA kWh
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
0%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2002)
Electricity - consumption
NA kWh
Exports
$1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92)
Exports - commodities
postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados
Exports - partners
Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006)
Imports
$17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92)
Imports - commodities
NA
Imports - partners
Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006)
Debt - external
$NA
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
Currency (code)
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code
AUD
Exchange rates
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Telephones - main lines in use
2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
0; note - proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum (2002)
Telephone system
general assessment
adequate
domestic
free local calls
international
country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)
Radios
2,500 (1996)
Television broadcast stations
1 (local programming station plus 2 repeaters that air Australian programs by satellite) (2005)
