Statistical information Pitcairn Islands 2020

Pitcairn Islands in the World

Pitcairn Islands - Introduction 2020

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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.

Pitcairn Islands - Geography 2020

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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
Rank: 233
Comparative: about three-tenths the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 51 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 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
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Palwala Valley Point on Big Ridge 347 m

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

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.)

arable land: 0% (2011 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)
permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)

Forest: 74.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 25.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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

Pitcairn Islands - People 2020

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Population
Distribution: less than 50 inhabitants on Pitcairn Island, most reside near the village of Adamstown: 50 (2020 est. est.)
Rank: 237
Growth rate: 0% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 194

Nationality
Noun: Pitcairn Islander(s)
Adjective: Pitcairn Islander

Ethnic groups: other 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

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0% (2014 est.)
Rank: 194

Birth rate

Death rate

Net migration rate

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 0% of total population
Note: (2012)

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 (2018) (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate
Note: NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

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

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: malaria

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

Pitcairn Islands - Government 2020

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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

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Adamstown
Geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W
Time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: named after John Adams (1767-1829), the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790

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); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767)

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

Legal system: local island by-laws

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

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 Laura CLARK (since 25 January 2018)
Head of government: Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Charlene WARREN-PEU (since 1 January 2020)
Cabinet: none
Electionsappointments: 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 6 November 2019 (next to be held not later than December 2022)
Election results: Charlene WARREN-PEU elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council; Island Council vote - NA

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)
Elections: last held in November 2017 (next to be held not later than December 2019)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 5 independent; composition - men 5, women 5, percent of women 50%

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: Magistrates Court

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 flowering twig of miro (a local plant)

National symbols

National anthem
Name: We From Pitcairn Island
Lyricsmusic: unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN
Note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the UK, 'God Save the Queen' is official (see United Kingdom)

National heritage

Pitcairn Islands - Economy 2020

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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real: NA

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by sector of origin