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.

Geographic coordinates: 25 04 S 130 06 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 47 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 47 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%
Other: NA% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Population: 47 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: -1.32% (2002 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%

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

Population growth rate: -1.32% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

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

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

Sex ratio: NA

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

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy: NA

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)

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

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); serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council
Election results: elected mayor; percent of vote - NA%
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island magistrate elected by popular vote for a three-year term; election last held NA December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2002)
Head of government: Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Steve CHRISTIAN (since NA)
Cabinet: NA

Legislative branch
Elections: last held NA December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2002)
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

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 growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $NA

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%

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

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

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

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

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

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.3535 (January 2002) 2.3776 (2001) 2.1863 (2000) 1.8886 (1999) 1.8629 (1998) 1.5083 (1997)

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

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line) (1997)

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

Internet
Country code: .pn
Service providers isps: NA
Users: NA

Airports: none (2001)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none