2019 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 three-tenths the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

51 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Palwala Valley Point on 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

0 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

0% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

0% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

0% (2011 est.)

Forest

74.5% (2011 est.)

Other

25.5% (2011 est.)

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

12 nm

Natural Hazards

occasional tropical cyclones (especially November to March), but generally only heavy tropical storms; landslides

Natural Resources

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

Population Distribution

less than 50 inhabitants on Pitcairn Island, most reside near the village of Adamstown

Terrain

rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Ethnic Groups

other descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

Infant Mortality Rate

Total

NA (2018)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Population

NA (2017 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Pitcairn Islander

Noun

Pitcairn Islander(s)

Population

54 (July 2016 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0% (2014 est.)

Religions

Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Urbanization

Urban Population

0% of total population (2012)

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)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

several previous; latest drafted 10 February 2010, presented 17 February 2010, effective 4 March 2010

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands

Conventional Short Form

Pitcairn Islands

Etymology

named after Midshipman Robert PITCAIRN who first sighted the island in 1767

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

none

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 Laura CLARK (since 25 January 2018)

Election Results

Shawn CHRISTIAN reelected mayor and chairman of the Island Council; Island Council vote - NA

Elections Appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor directly elected by majority popular vote for a 3-year term; election last held on 9 November 2016 (next to be held not later than December 2019)

Head Of Government

Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Shawn CHRISTIAN (since 9 November 2016)

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 flowering twig of miro (a local plant)

Government Type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International Organization Participation

SPC, UPU

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Pitcairn Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, 2 judges, and the Supreme Court chief justice, an ex-officio member); Pitcairn Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Pitcairn Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

all judges of both courts appointed by the governor of the Pitcairn Islands on the instructions of the Queen of England through the Secretary of State; all judges can serve until retirement, normally at age 75

Subordinate Courts

Magistrate's Court

Legal System

local island by-laws

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral Island Council (10 seats; 4 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 1 nominated by the elected Council members, 2 appointed by the governor, and 3 ex-officio members - the governor, deputy governor, and commissioner; elected members serve 1-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote - NA; seats - 5 independent; composition - men 5, women 5, percent of women 50%

Elections

last held in November 2017 (next to be held not later than December 2019)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN

Name

We From Pitcairn Island

National Holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767)

Political Parties 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

Budget

Expenditures

1.028 million (FY04/05)

Revenues

746,000 (FY04/05)

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.

Exchange Rates

2013

1.2039

2014

1.4279

2015

1.4279

2016

1.4279

2017

1.416

Currency

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -

Exports

NA

Exports Commodities

honey, fruits, vegetables, curios, postage stamps

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

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 (2004)

Labor Force By Occupation

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

Broadcast Media

satellite TV from Fiji-based Sky Pacific offering a wide range of international channels

Communications Note

satellite-based local phone service and broadband Internet connections available in all homes

Internet Country Code

.pn

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

100% (July 2016 est.)

Total

54

Telephone System

Domestic

local phone service with international connections via Internet (2018)

General Assessment

satellite-based phone services; rural connectivity a challenge (2018)

International

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

Ports And Terminals

Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)

Roadways

0 km

Military Note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes International

none