Background: Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856 the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

Geographic coordinates: 29 02 S 167 57 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 34.6 km²
Land: 34.6 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.2 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 32 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate: subtropical; mild little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Bates 319 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: typhoons (especially May to July)

Geography
Note: most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay where the capital of Kingston is situated

Population: 2,128 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 0.006% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Norfolk Islander
Adjective: Norfolk Islander

Ethnic groups: descendants of the Bounty mutineers Australian New Zealander Polynesian

Languages: English (official) Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian

Religions: Anglican 31.8% Roman Catholic 11.5% Uniting Church in Australia 10.6% Seventh-Day Adventist 3.2% other Christian 5.6% none 19.9% unspecified 16.6% (2006 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9%
65 years and over: 15.9% (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.006% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: NA (2008 est.)

Death rate: NA (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: NA (2008 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio: NA

Infant mortality rate
Total: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: NA (2008 est.)

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

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy: NA

Country name
Conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
Conventional short form: Norfolk Island

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: Kingston
Geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E
Time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)

Independence: none (territory of Australia)

National holiday: Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders) 8 June (1856)

Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1979 as amended in 2005

Legal system: based on the laws of Australia local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
Head of government: Acting Administrator Owen WALSH (since October 2007)
Cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator
Elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 21 March 2007 (next to be held by 28 March 2010)
Election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: UPU

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

Flag description: three vertical bands of green (hoist side) white and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band

Economy overview: Tourism the primary economic activity has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef poultry and eggs.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $NA

Agriculture products: Norfolk Island pine seed Kentia palm seed cereals vegetables fruit; cattle poultry

Industries: tourism light industry ready mixed concrete

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 10%
By occupation industry and services: 90%

Budget
Revenues: $4.6 million
Expenditures: $4.8 million (FY99/00)

Exports: $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92)
Commodities: postage stamps seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm small quantities of avocados
Partners: Australia other Pacific island countries NZ Asia Europe (2006)

Imports: $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92)
Commodities: NA
Partners: Australia other Pacific island countries NZ Asia Europe (2006)

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007) 1.3285 (2006) 1.3095 (2005) 1.3598 (2004) 1.5419 (2003)

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,532; note - a mix of analog (2,500) and digital (32) circuits (2004)
Mobile cellular: 0; note - proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate
Domestic: free local calls
International: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1

Internet
Country code: .nf
Hosts: 51 (2008)
Users: 700 (2002 est.)

Airports: 1 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)

Roadways
Total: 80 km
Paved: 53 km
Unpaved: 27 km (2008)

Ports and terminals: none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Disputes international: none