2010 Edition

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.

Area

land

47 sq km

total

47 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)

Coastline

51 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Big Ridge 347 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)

Geographic coordinates

25 04 S, 130 06 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

NA

other

NA

permanent crops

NA

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

3 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons (especially November to March)

Natural resources

miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore

Terrain

rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2009 est.)

Birth rate

NA

Death rate

NA

Ethnic groups

descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

NA

male

NA

total

NA

Languages

English (official), Pitkern (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

Life expectancy at birth

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Literacy

NA

Nationality

adjective

Pitcairn Islander

noun

Pitcairn Islander(s)

Net migration rate

NA

Population

48 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

0% (2010 est.)

Religions

Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Sex ratio

NA

Total fertility rate

NA

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

0% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

geographic coordinates

25 04 S, 130 05 W

name

Adamstown

time difference

UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

The Pitcairn Constitution Order 2010, effective 4 March 2010

Country name

conventional long form

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands

conventional short form

Pitcairn Islands

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

NA (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

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

election results

Mike WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council

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 in December 2007 (next to be held in December 2010)

head of government

Governor George FERGUSSON (since April 2006); Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Mike WARREN (since 1 January 2008)

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 green, yellow, and blue of the shield represents the island rising from the ocean; the green field features a yellow anchor surmounted by a bible (both the anchor and the bible were items found on the HMS Bounty); sitting on the crest is a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow from which springs a slip of miro (a local plant)

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

SPC, UPU

Judicial branch

Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judicial officers are appointed by the governor

Legal system

local island by-laws

Legislative branch

unicameral Island Council (11 seats; mayor, deputy mayor, 4 members elected by popular vote, 1 member appointed by the governor, 3 ex officio members including governor, deputy governor, and commissioner; deputy mayor and elected members serve two-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

elections

last held on 24 December 2009 (next to be held on 24 December 2011)

National anthem

lyrics/music

unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

name

"We From Pitcairn Island"

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal with three years residency

Agriculture - products

honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats, chickens, fish

Economy - overview

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.

Electricity - production

NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered generator

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.4015 (2010), 1.6002 (2009), 1.4151 (2008), 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006)

Exports

$NA

Exports - commodities

fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$NA

Imports

$NA

Imports - commodities

fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs

Industries

postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey

Labor force

15 able-bodied men (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing

Broadcast media

no local broadcast television or radio stations (2009)

Internet country code

.pn

Internet hosts

20 (2010)

Telephone system

domestic

domestic communication via radio (CB)

general assessment

satellite phone services

international

country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 (Inmarsat)

Telephones - main lines in use

1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004)

Ports and terminals

Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes - international

none page last updated on January 12, 2011 ======================================================================