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  Pitcairn Islands
(overseas territory of the UK)
 
Flag of Pitcairn Islands
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
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This page was last updated on 18 January, 2007


Map of Pitcairn Islands



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Pitcairn Islands Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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 Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
25 04 S, 130 06 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 47 sq km
land: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
51 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA%
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
typhoons (especially November to March)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
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 Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
45 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.01% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Pitcairn Islander(s)
adjective: Pitcairn Islander
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
NA
   Government    Pitcairn Islands Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Adamstown
geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W
time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
30 November 1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
local island by-laws
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal with three years residency
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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 December 2007)
election results: Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 5 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 in 24 December 2005 (next to be held December 2006)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
SPC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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 Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
The inhabitants of this tiny isolated 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. In October 2004, more than one-quarter of Pitcairn's small labor force was arrested, putting the economy in a bind, since their services were required as lighter crew to load or unload passing ships.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15 able-bodied men (2004)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $746,000
expenditures: $1.028 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY04/05)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats, chickens
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered generator
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$3.465 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Pitcairn Islands Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: satellite phone services
domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0, note - 15 Ham radio operators (VP6) (2004)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.pn
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8 (2006)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    Pitcairn Islands Top of Page
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 6 km
unpaved: 6 km (dirt roads)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)
   Military    Pitcairn Islands Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK
   Transnational Issues    Pitcairn Islands Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 18 January, 2007


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