Map of Pitcairn Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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

Area
Rank: 234
Comparative: about three tenths the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 51 km

Maritime claims

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

Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Elevation

Natural resources: miro trees (used for handicrafts) fish

Land use

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 2012 est.)
Rank: 239
Growth rate: 0% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 190

Nationality

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)

Religions: Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0% (2012 est.)
Rank: 190

Birth rate: -9 births/1000 population NA
Rank: 227

Death rate: -9 deaths/1000 population NA
Rank: 229

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

Life expectancy at birth

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

Government type: NA

Capital

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: The Pitcairn Constitution Order 2010 effective 4 March 2010

Legal system: local island by-laws

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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

Executive branch

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)

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 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)

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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $N/A

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

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: 15 (2004) (2004)
Rank: 232

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

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: $N/A
Commodities: fruits vegetables curios stamps

Imports: $N/A
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:


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .pn
Hosts: 26 (2012)
Hosts rank: 218

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

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs