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 less than 50 today.


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Location: Oceania islands in the South Pacific Ocean about midway between Peru and 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
Territorial sea: 3 nm
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
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%
Other: NA%

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons (especially November to March)

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


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Population: 48 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 0% (2007 est.)

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: 0% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: NA

Death rate: NA

Net migration rate: NA

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: NA

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

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

Total fertility rate: NA

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: NA

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
Name: Adamstown
Geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W
Time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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: 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

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 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 in December 2007)
Election results: Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 24 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2007)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents

Judicial branch: Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: SPC UPU

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $NA

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats chickens fish

Industries: postage stamps handicrafts beekeeping honey

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: 15 able-bodied men (2004)
By occupation note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $746,000
Expenditures: $1.028 million (FY04/05)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

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

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5408 (2006) 1.4203 (2005) 1.5087 (2004) 1.7221 (2003) 2.1622 (2002)


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

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004)

Telephone system
General assessment: satellite phone services
Domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
International: country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 (Inmarsat)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .pn
Hosts: 9 (2007)
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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 6 km
Unpaved: 6 km (dirt roads)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs