Pitcairn Islands
Introduction Pitcairn Islands
-----------------------------
Background: 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.
Geography Pitcairn Islands
--------------------------
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
water: 0 sq km
land: 47 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.3 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 51 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate: tropical, hot, 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% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
People Pitcairn Islands
-----------------------
Population: 47 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%
Population growth rate: -1.32% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Sex ratio: NA
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
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
Government Pitcairn Islands
---------------------------
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: Adamstown
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: 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 Martin
WILLIAMS (since NA May 1998);
Commissioner (nonresident) Leon SALT
(since NA); serves as liaison
between the governor and the Island
Council
election results: elected mayor;
percent of vote - NA%
elections: the monarchy is
hereditary; high commissioner and
commissioner appointed by the
monarch; island magistrate elected
by popular vote for a three-year
term; election last held NA December
1999 (next to be held NA December
2002)
head of government: Mayor and
Chairman of the Island Council Steve
CHRISTIAN (since NA)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Island Council (10 seats
- 6 elected by popular vote, 1
appointed by the 6 elected members,
2 appointed by the governor, and 1
seat for the Island Secretary;
members serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December
2001 (next to be held NA December
2002)
election results: percent of vote -
NA%; seats - all independents
Judicial branch: Island Court (island magistrate
presides over the court and is
elected every three years)
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and none
leaders:
International organization SPC
participation:
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the none (overseas territory of the UK)
US:
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 Pitcairn Islands
------------------------
Economy - overview: The inhabitants of this tiny economy
exist on fishing, subsistence
farming, handicrafts, and postage
stamps. The fertile soil of the
valleys produces a wide variety of
fruits and vegetables, including
citrus, sugarcane, watermelons,
bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering
is an important part of the economy.
The major sources of revenue are the
sale of postage stamps to collectors
and the sale of handicrafts to
passing ships.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: 12 able-bodied men (1997)
Labor force - by occupation: no business community in the usual
sense; some public works;
subsistence farming and fishing
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $729,884
expenditures: $878,119, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95
est.)
Industries: postage stamps, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: NA kWh; note - electric power is
provided by a small diesel-powered
generator
Electricity - consumption: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: wide variety of fruits and
vegetables, goats, chickens
Exports: $NA
Exports - commodities: fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps
Exports - partners: NA
Imports: $NA
Imports - commodities: fuel oil, machinery, building
materials, flour, sugar, other
foodstuffs
Imports - partners: NA
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Currency code: NZD
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar -
2.3535 (January 2002), 2.3776
(2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886
(1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5083 (1997)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Pitcairn Islands
-------------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 1 (there are 17 telephones on one
party line) (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: only party line
telephone service is available for
this small, closely related
community
domestic: party line service only
international: radiotelephone
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: NA
Internet country code: .pn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Internet users: NA
Transportation Pitcairn Islands
-------------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 6.4 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 6.4 km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: none (2001)
Military Pitcairn Islands
-------------------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Transnational Issues Pitcairn Islands
-------------------------------------
Disputes - international: none
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