Map of Pitcairn Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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 about 50 today.


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Location: Oceania islands in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from Peru to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates: 25 04 S 130 06 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 47 km²
Land: 47 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 51 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 3 NM

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

Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m

Natural resources
Note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: NA%
Other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons (especially November to March)

Geography


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Population: 47 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: -2.08% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Pitcairn Islander
Adjective: Pitcairn Islander

Ethnic groups: descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

Languages: English (official) Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

Religions: Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -2.08% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA years
Male: NA years
Female: NA years

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
Conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands

Government type: NA

Capital: Adamstown

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution: 1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964

Legal system: local island by-laws

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal with three years residency

Executive branch
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 Martin WILLIAMS (since NA May 1998); Commissioner (nonresident) Leon SALT (since NA; is the liaison person between the governor and the Island Council)
Head of government: Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island Council Jay WARREN (since NA)
Cabinet: NA
Elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island magistrate elected every three years in December by popular vote for a three-year term; last election held NA December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2002)
Election results: Lea BROWN elected island magistrate; percent of vote - NA%

Legislative branch
Elections: take place each December; last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001)
Election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents

Judicial branch: Island Court (island magistrate presides over the court and is elected every three years)

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: SPC

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)

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 coat of arms is yellow green and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The inhabitants of this tiny 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: wide variety of fruits and vegetables goats chickens

Industries: postage stamps handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 12 able-bodied men (1997)
By occupation: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $729,884
Expenditures: $878,119, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $NA
Commodities: fruits vegetables curios stamps
Partners: NA

Imports: $NA
Commodities: fuel oil machinery building materials flour sugar other foodstuffs
Partners: NA

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.2502 (January 2001) 2.1863 (2000) 1.8886 (1999) 1.8629 (1998) 1.5083 (1997) 1.4543 (1996)


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Electricity access

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

Electricity consumption: NA kWh

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system
General assessment: only party line telephone service is available for this small, closely related community
Domestic: party line service only
International: radiotelephone

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .pn

Internet users: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: none

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs