Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in 1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand
Geographic coordinates
25 04 S, 130 06 W
Map references
Oceania
Area
total
47 sq km
land
47 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
51 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
3 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Climate
tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m
Natural resources
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore
Land use
arable land
NA%
permanent crops
NA%
other
NA%
Irrigated land
NA
Natural hazards
typhoons (especially November to March)
Environment - current issues
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)
Geography - note
Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger island of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural harbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from larger ships stationed offshore
Population
48 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
NA
15-64 years
NA
65 years and over
NA
Population growth rate
0% (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
Pitcairn Islander(s)
adjective
Pitcairn Islander
Ethnic groups
descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives
Religions
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
Languages
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Literacy
NA
Country name
conventional long form
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
conventional short form
Pitcairn Islands
Dependency status
overseas territory of the UK
Government type
NA
Capital
name
Adamstown
geographic coordinates
25 04 S, 130 05 W
time difference
UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution
30 November 1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964
Legal system
local island by-laws
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal with three years residency
Executive branch
chief of state
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands George FERGUSSON (since April 2006); Commissioner (nonresident) Leslie JAQUES (since September 2003) serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council
head of government
Governor George FERGUSSON (since April 2006); Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Jay WARREN (since 15 December 2004)
cabinet
NA
elections
the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular vote for a three-year term; election last held December 2004 (next to be held in December 2007)
election results
Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council
Legislative branch
unicameral Island Council (10 seats; 5 members elected by popular vote, 1 nominated by the 5 elected members, 2 appointed by the governor including 1 seat for the Island Secretary, the Island Mayor, and a commissioner liaising between the governor and council; elected members serve one-year terms)
elections: last held 24 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch
Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor
Political parties and leaders
none
Political pressure groups and leaders
none
International organization participation
SPC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor
Economy - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$NA
Labor force
15 able-bodied men (2004)
Labor force - by occupation
note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
Budget
revenues
$746,000
expenditures
$1.028 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY04/05 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey
Electricity - production
NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered generator
Exports
$NA
Exports - commodities
Imports
$NA
Imports - commodities
fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs
Economic aid - recipient
$3.465 million (2004)
Currency (code)
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Currency code
NZD
Exchange rates
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004)
Telephone system
general assessment
satellite phone services
domestic
domestic communication via radio (CB)
international
country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 (Inmarsat)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (15 Ham radio operators (VP6)) (2004)
