from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Pitcairn Islands
Introduction
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
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
midway between Peru and New Zealand
Geographic 25 04 S, 130 06 W
coordinates:
Map Oceania
references:
Area: total: 47 sq km
land: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 51 km
Maritime territorial sea: 3 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade
winds; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Elevation lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m
Natural miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
resources: note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc
have been discovered offshore
Land use: arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA%
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural typhoons (especially November to March)
hazards:
Environment - deforestation (only a small portion of the original
current forest remains because of burning and clearing for
issues: settlement)
Geography - Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger
note: 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
Population: 45 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)
Population -0.01% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: NA
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration NA
rate:
Sex ratio: NA
Infant total: NA
mortality male: NA
rate: female: NA
Life total population: NA
expectancy at male: NA
birth: female: NA
Total NA
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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
Country name: conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and
Oeno Islands
conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands
Dependency overseas territory of the UK
status:
Government NA
type:
Capital: name: Adamstown
geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W
time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative none (overseas territory of the UK)
divisions:
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June
holiday: (1926)
Constitution: 30 November 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 chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
branch: 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 unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 5 elected by
branch: 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 Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;
branch: Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor
Political none
parties and
leaders:
Political none
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International SPC, UPU
organization
participation:
Diplomatic none (overseas territory of the UK)
representation
in the US:
Diplomatic none (overseas territory of the UK)
representation
from the US:
Flag blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
description: 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
Economy - The inhabitants of this tiny isolated economy exist on
overview: 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 $NA
(purchasing
power parity):
Labor force: 15 able-bodied men (2004)
Labor force - note: no business community in the usual sense; some
by occupation: public works; subsistence farming and fishing
Budget: revenues: $746,000
expenditures: $1.028 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY04/05)
Agriculture - honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats,
products: chickens
Industries: postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey
Electricity - NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small
production: diesel-powered generator
Exports: $NA
Exports - fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps
commodities:
Imports: $NA
Imports - fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar,
commodities: other foodstuffs
Economic aid - $3.465 million (2004)
recipient:
Currency New Zealand dollar (NZD)
(code):
Currency code: NZD
Exchange New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005),
rates: 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788
(2001)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - 1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephone general assessment: satellite phone services
system: domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
international: country code - 872; satellite earth
station (Inmarsat)
Radio AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0, note - 15 Ham radio operators
broadcast (VP6) (2004)
stations:
Radios: NA
Televisions: NA
Internet .pn
country code:
Internet 8 (2006)
hosts:
Internet NA
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet NA
users:
Transportation
Roadways: total: 6 km
unpaved: 6 km (dirt roads)
Ports and Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)
terminals:
Military
Military - defense is the responsibility of the UK
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: