Pitcairn Islands Population: 54
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| History | |
| 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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| Geography | |
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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 |
| Area: | total: 47 sq km land: 47 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 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 |
| 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.) 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 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards: | occasional tropical cyclones (especially November to March), but generally only heavy tropical storms; landslides |
| Current Environment Issues: | deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement) |
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| People | |
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| 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: | 54 (July 2016 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0% (2014 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 0% of total population (2012) rate of urbanization: n/a |
| Sex ratio: | NA |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: n/a male: n/a female: n/a |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: n/a male: n/a female: n/a (2017 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | n/a |
| Literacy: | |
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| Government | |
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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 (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) 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) |
| 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 |
| 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 elections/appointments: 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: Magistrate's Court |
| Political parties and leaders: | none |
| International organization participation: | SPC, UPU |
| National anthem: | name: We From Pitcairn Island lyrics/music: 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) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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| Economy | |
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. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | n/a |
| Agriculture - products: | honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats, chickens; fish |
| Industries: | postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey |
| Labor force: | 15 (2004) |
| Labor force - 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: | n/a |
| Exports - commodities: | honey, fruits, vegetables, curios, postage stamps |
| Imports: | n/a |
| Imports - commodities: | fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.416 (2017 est.) 1.4279 (2016 est.) 1.4279 (2015) 1.4279 (2014 est.) 1.2039 (2013 est.) |
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| Energy | |
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| Communications | |
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| Telephone system: | general assessment: satellite-based phone services; rural connectivity a challenge (2018) domestic: local phone service with international connections via Internet (2018) 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 |
| Internet users: | total: 54 percent of population: 100% (July 2016 est.) |
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| Transportation | |
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| Roadways: | total 0 km |
| Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Adamstown (on Bounty Bay) |
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| Military | |
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| Defense is the responsibility of the UK | |
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| Transnational Issues | |
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| Disputes - International: | none |
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Source: CIA - The World Factbook