Pitcairn Islands

Broadcast media

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

Communications - note

satellite-based local phone service and broadband Internet connections available in all homes

Internet country code

.pn

Internet users

total: 54 | percent of population: 100% (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: satellite-based phone services; rural connectivity a challenge; 2G services widespread; demand for mobile broadband due to mobile services providing Internet source; the launch of the Kacific-1 satellite in 2019 will improve telecommunications in the region (2020) | domestic: local phone service with international connections via Internet (2018) | international: country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 Inmarsat | note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: 746,000 (FY04/05) | expenditures: 1.028 million (FY04/05)

Economic 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.

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.)

Exports

NA

Exports - commodities

honey, fruits, vegetables, curios, postage stamps

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real

NA

Imports

NA

Imports - commodities

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

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

Area

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

Area - comparative

about three-tenths the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

51 km

Elevation

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: Palwala Valley Point on Big 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

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

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.)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

occasional tropical cyclones (especially November to March), but generally only heavy tropical storms; landslides

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

less than 50 inhabitants on Pitcairn Island, most reside near the village of Adamstown

Terrain

rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Administrative divisions

none (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

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

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

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

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 Laura CLARK (since 25 January 2018) | head of government: Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Charlene WARREN-PEU (since 1 January 2020) | 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 6 November 2019 (next to be held not later than December 2022) | election results: Charlene WARREN-PEU elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council; Island Council vote - NA

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)

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

SPC, UPU

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

Legal system

local island by-laws

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%

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)

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767)

Political parties 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

Ethnic groups

other 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 (2018) | male: NA | female: NA

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: NA (2017 est.) | male: NA | female: NA

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2020) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea | vectorborne diseases: malaria

Nationality

noun: Pitcairn Islander(s) | adjective: Pitcairn Islander

Population

50 (2020 est. est.)

Population distribution

less than 50 inhabitants on Pitcairn Island, most reside near the village of Adamstown

Population growth rate

0% (2014 est.)

Religions

Seventh-Day Adventist 100%

Sex ratio

NA

Total fertility rate

NA

Urbanization

urban population: 0% of total population (2012) | rate of urbanization: NA

Disputes - international

none

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)

Roadways

total: 0 km