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
Land: 47 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 234
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: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Pacific Ocean

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 0% (2011 est.)
Forest: 74.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 25.5% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

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

Population
Distribution: less than 50 inhabitants on Pitcairn Island, most reside near the village of Adamstown: 54 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 238
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%

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

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)

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

Sex ratio: NA (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Date: (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate
Note: NA

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

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 (Island Council); overseas territory of the UK

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)

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

Legal system: local island by-laws

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 Shawn CHRISTIAN (since 9 November 2016)
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 9 November 2016 (next to be held not later than December 2019)
Election results: Shawn CHRISTIAN reelected 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 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)

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: NA

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

Industries: postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey

Labor force: 15 (2004)
Rank: 232
By occupation: note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing

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

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Exports: NA
Commodities: honey, fruits, vegetables, curios, postage stamps

Imports: NA
Commodities: fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange rates:

Telephone system
General assessment: satellite-based phone services
Domestic: local phone service with international connections via Internet
International: country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 (Inmarsat)

Broadcast media: satellite TV from Fiji-based Sky Pacific offering a wide range of international channels

Internet
Country code: .pn
Users total: 54 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 100% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 227

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)

Disputes international: none