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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 land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 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% (2005)
Irrigated land: | NA
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: | 2,128 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.2% 15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.006% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: | NA (2008 est.)
Death rate: | NA (2008 est.)
Net migration rate: | NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio: | NA
Infant mortality rate: | total: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate: | NA (2008 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, Polynesian
Religions: | Anglican 31.8%, Roman Catholic 11.5%, Uniting Church in Australia 10.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.2%, other Christian 5.6%, none 19.9%, unspecified 16.6% (2006 census)
Languages: | English (official), Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Literacy: | NA
Education expenditures: | NA

Government | Norfolk Island

Country name: | conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island conventional short form: Norfolk Island
Dependency status: | self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Government type: | NA
Capital: | name: Kingston geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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, as amended in 2005
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); represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Acting Administrator Owen WALSH (since October 2007) 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 elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
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; to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 21 March 2007 (next to be held by 28 March 2010) election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)
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
Labor force: | NA
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 10% industry and services: 90%
Budget: | revenues: $4.6 million expenditures: $4.8 million (FY99/00)
Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June
Agriculture - products: | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry
Industries: | tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete
Electricity - production: | NA kWh
Electricity - consumption: | NA kWh
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2002)
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 (2006)
Imports: | $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92)
Imports - commodities: | NA
Imports - partners: | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006)
Economic aid - recipient: | $NA
Debt - external: | $NA
Currency (code): | Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code: | AUD
Exchange rates: | Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)

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; note - proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum (2002)
Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate domestic: free local calls international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)
Radios: | 2,500 (1996)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (local programming station plus 2 repeaters that air Australian programs by satellite) (2005)
Televisions: | 1,200 (1996)
Internet country code: | .nf
Internet hosts: | 51 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)
Internet users: | 700 (2002 est.)

Transportation | Norfolk Island

Airports: | 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways: | total: 80 km paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 km (2008)
Ports and terminals: | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Military | Norfolk Island

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues | Norfolk Island

Disputes - international: | none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008