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1. CIA World Factbook 2002
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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