Pitcairn Islands

Internet country code

.pn

Internet users

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0, note - 15 Ham radio operators (VP6) (2004)

Telephone system

general assessment: satellite phone services domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB) international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)

Telephones - main lines in use

1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004)

Agriculture - products

wide variety of fruits and vegetables, goats, chickens

Budget

revenues: $746,000 expenditures: $1.028 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY04/05)

Currency (code)

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Debt - external

NA

Economic aid - recipient

$3.465 million (2004)

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. In October 2004, more than one-quarter of Pitcairn's labor force was arrested, putting the economy in a bind, since their services were required as lighter crew to load or unload passing ships.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

Electricity - production

NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered generator

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000)

Exports

NA

Exports - commodities

fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps

Exports - partners

NA

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (purchasing power parity)

NA

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - NA

GDP - real growth rate

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

NA

Imports - commodities

fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs

Imports - partners

NA

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA

Labor force

15 able-bodied men (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

NA

Area

total: 47 sq km land: 47 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)

Coastline

51 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m

Environment - current issues

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

Geographic coordinates

25 04 S, 130 06 W

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% other: NA%

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons (especially November to March)

Natural resources

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

Terrain

rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

Adamstown

Constitution

30 November 1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964

Country name

conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

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 Richard FELL (since NA December 2001); Commissioner (nonresident) Leslie JAQUES (since September 2003); serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council head of government: Governor Richard FELL; mayor and chairman of the Island Council Jay WARREN (since 15 December 2004) cabinet: NA elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular vote for a three-year term; election last held December 2004 (next to be held December 2007) election results: Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council

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

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor

Legal system

local island by-laws

Legislative branch

unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 5 elected by popular vote, 1 nominated by the 5 elected members, 2 appointed by the governor including 1 seat for the Island Secretary, the Island Mayor, and a commissioner liaising between the governor and council; elected members serve one-year terms) elections: last held 15 December 2004 (next to be held December 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal with three years residency

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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Birth rate

NA

Death rate

NA

Ethnic groups

descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: NA male: NA female: NA

Languages

English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Literacy

NA

Nationality

noun: Pitcairn Islander(s) adjective: Pitcairn Islander

Net migration rate

NA

Population

46 (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.01% (2005 est.)

Religions

Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Sex ratio

NA

Total fertility rate

NA

Disputes - international

none

Airports

none (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 6.4 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 6.4 km

Ports and harbors

Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)