| Pitcairn Islands (overseas territory of the UK) |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Pitcairn Islands | Introduction | Top of Page

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 about 50 today.

Pitcairn Islands | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Peru to 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: | 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% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%

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)

Pitcairn Islands | People | Top of Page

Population: | 47 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA%

Population growth rate: | -2.08% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | NA births/1,000 population

Death rate: | NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

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/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)

Pitcairn Islands | Government | Top of Page

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; is the liaison person between the governor and the Island Council) head of government: Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island Council Jay WARREN (since NA) cabinet: NA elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island magistrate elected every three years in December by popular vote for a three-year term; last election held NA December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2002) election results: Lea BROWN elected island magistrate; percent of vote - 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: take place each December; last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001) 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 leaders: | none

International organization participation: | SPC

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

Pitcairn Islands | Economy | Top of Page

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 percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% 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 - 2.2502 (January 2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543 (1996)

Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

Pitcairn Islands | Communications | Top of Page

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

Pitcairn Islands | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: 6.4 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 6.4 km

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Bounty Bay

Merchant marine: | none (2000 est.)

Airports: | none

Pitcairn Islands | Military | Top of Page

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the UK

Pitcairn Islands | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none