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| Norfolk Island |

Introduction | Norfolk Island

Background: | Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

Geography | Norfolk Island

Location: | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates: | 29 02 S, 167 57 E
Map references: | Oceania
Area: | total: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 34.6 sq km
Area - comparative: | about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 32 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate: | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Bates 319 m
Natural resources: | fish
Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Irrigated land: | NA sq km
Natural hazards: | typhoons (especially May to July)
Environment - current issues: | NA
Geography - note: | most of the 32-km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated

People | Norfolk Island

Population: | 1,841 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.2% 15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate: | -0.01% (2004 est.)
Birth rate: | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate: | NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate: | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Sex ratio: | NA
Infant mortality rate: | total: NA male: NA female: NA
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Total fertility rate: | NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Norfolk Islander(s) adjective: Norfolk Islander(s)
Ethnic groups: | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians
Religions: | Anglican 37.4%, Uniting Church in Australia 14.5%, Roman Catholic 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, none 12.2%, unknown 17.4%, other 3.9% (1996)
Languages: | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Literacy: | NA

Government | Norfolk Island

Country name: | conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island conventional short form: Norfolk Island
Dependency status: | territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories
Government type: | NA
Capital: | Kingston
Administrative divisions: | none (territory of Australia)
Independence: | none (territory of Australia)
National holiday: | Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856)
Constitution: | Norfolk Island Act of 1979
Legal system: | based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003) election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years; election last held 29 November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004) head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001) cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator
Legislative branch: | unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms) elections: last held 29 November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions
Political parties and leaders: | none
Political pressure groups and leaders: | none
International organization participation: | UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (territory of Australia)
Flag description: | three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band

Economy | Norfolk Island

Economy - overview: | Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.
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: | NA
Labor force - by occupation: | tourism NA, subsistence agriculture NA
Unemployment rate: | NA
Budget: | revenues: $4.6 million expenditures: $4.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93)
Agriculture - products: | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry
Industries: | tourism
Industrial production growth rate: | NA
Electricity - production: | NA kWh
Electricity - consumption: | NA kWh
Exports: | $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92)
Exports - commodities: | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados
Exports - partners: | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe
Imports: | $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92)
Imports - commodities: | NA
Imports - partners: | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe
Debt - external: | NA
Economic aid - recipient: | NA
Currency: | Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code: | AUD
Exchange rates: | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999)
Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June

Communications | Norfolk Island

Telephones - main lines in use: | 2,532; note: a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002)
Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate domestic: NA international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite service planned for near future
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: | 2,500 (1996)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998)
Televisions: | 1,200 (1996)
Internet country code: | .nf
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)
Internet users: | NA

Transportation | Norfolk Island

Highways: | total: 80 km paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 km (2001)
Ports and harbors: | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
Merchant marine: | none
Airports: | 1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military | Norfolk Island

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues | Norfolk Island

Disputes - international: | none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005