2024 Edition Primary

Background

Polynesians were the first settlers on the four tiny islands that are now called the Pitcairn Islands, but all four were uninhabited by the time Europeans discovered them in 1606. Pitcairn Island -- the only one now inhabited -- was rediscovered by a British explorer in 1767. In 1789, Fletcher CHRISTIAN led a mutiny on the HMS Bounty, and after several months of searching for Pitcairn Island, he landed on it with eight other mutineers and their Tahitian companions. They lived in isolation and evaded detection by English authorities until 1808, when only one man, 10 women, and 23 children remained. In 1831, with the population of 87 proving too big for the island, the British attempted to move all the islanders to Tahiti, but they were soon returned to Pitcairn Island. The island became an official British colony in 1838, and in 1856, the British again determined that the population of 193 was too high and relocated all the residents to Norfolk Island. Several families returned in 1858 and 1864, bringing the island’s population to 43, and almost all of the island’s current population are descendants of these returnees. The UK annexed the nearby uninhabited islands of Henderson, Oeno, and Ducie in 1902 and incorporated them into the Pitcairn Islands colony in 1938. The population peaked at 233 in 1937 as outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has since thinned the population. Only two children were born between 1986 and 2012, and in 2005, a couple became the first outsiders to obtain citizenship in more than a century. Since 2013, the Pitcairn Islands has tried to attract new migrants but has had no applicants because it requires prospective migrants to front significant sums of money and prohibits employment during a two-year trial period, at which point the local council can deny long-term resident status.

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

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 longboat from larger ships stationed offshore

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2011 est.)

forest

74.5% (2018 est.)

other

25.5% (2018 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

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

descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

Languages

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

Nationality

adjective

Pitcairn Islander

noun

Pitcairn Islander(s)

Population

total

50 (2021 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0% (2014 est.)

Religions

Seventh Day Adventist 100%

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

etymology

named after John ADAMS (1767–1829), the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790

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

history

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

embassy

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

none

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands Iona THOMAS (since 9 August 2022)

election results

Simon YOUNG elected 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 2022 (next to be held no later than December 2025)

head of government

Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Simon YOUNG (since 1 January 2023)

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 court(s)

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 British monarch 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

direcunicameral Island Council: 10 seats; (7 members -- 5 councilors, the mayor, and the deputy mayor elected by popular vote -- and 3 ex officio non-voting members; the councilors and the deputy mayor serve 2-year terms, the mayor serves a 3-year term, and the administrator is appointed by the governor for an indefinite term)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 5; composition - men 4, women 6, percent of women 60%

elections

last held on 6 November 2019 (next to be held in - NA)

note

note: the Council includes 5 councilors, the mayor, and the deputy mayor (who are elected by popular vote) and 3 ex officio non-voting members -- the administrator, who serves as both the head of government and the representative of the governor of Pitcairn Islands, the governor, and the deputy governor

National anthem

lyrics/music

unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN

name

"We From Pitcairn Island"

note

note: serves as a local anthem; as an overseas territory of the UK, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Birthday of King CHARLES III, second Saturday in June (1948); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767)

Political parties

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal with three years residency

Agricultural products

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

Economic overview

small South Pacific British island territorial economy; exports primarily postage stamps, handicraft goods, honey, and tinctures; extremely limited infrastructure; dependent upon UK and EU aid; recent border reopening post-COVID-19

Exchange rates

Currency

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1.518 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.542 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.414 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.577 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.628 (2023 est.)

Exports - commodities

fertilizers, sulfur, refined petroleum, excavation machinery, ethylene polymers (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Zambia 99%, Czechia 0%, UK 0%, US 0%, Australia 0% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Imports - commodities

raw copper, refined copper, cobalt oxides and hydroxides, corn, soybean meal (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Zambia 100%, NZ 0%, Brazil 0%, UAE 0%, UK 0% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey

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

96.2% (2021 est.)

total

37 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

local phone service with international connections via Internet (2018)

general assessment

satellite-based phone services; rural connectivity a challenge; 2G services widespread; demand for mobile broadband due to mobile services providing Internet source; the launch of the Kacific-1 satellite in 2019 will improve telecommunications in the region (2020)

international

country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 Inmarsat

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

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

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2011 est.)

forest

74.5% (2018 est.)

other

25.5% (2018 est.)