Pitcairn Islands Population: 48
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| 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. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| 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: 3 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 extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Big Ridge 347 m |
| Natural resources: | miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore |
| Land use: | arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA |
| Irrigated land: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | typhoons (especially November to March) |
| 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 | |
| Population: | 48 (July 2012 est.) |
| Age structure: | |
| Median age: | |
| Population growth rate: | 0% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | -9 births/1,000 population NA |
| Death rate: | -9 deaths/1,000 population NA |
| Net migration rate: | NA |
| Sex ratio: | NA |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: NA male: NA female: NA |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
| Total fertility rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Pitcairn Islander(s) adjective: Pitcairn Islander |
| Ethnic groups: | descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives |
| Religions: | Seventh-Day Adventist 100% |
| Languages: | English (official), Pitkern (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect) |
| Literacy: | NA |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands |
| Government type: | NA |
| 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) |
| Constitution: | The Pitcairn Constitution Order 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 Victoria M. TREADELL (since May 2010); Commissioner (nonresident) Leslie JAQUES (since September 2003) serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council head of government: Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Mike WARREN (since 1 January 2008) cabinet: NA (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular vote for a three-year term; election last held in December 2010 (next to be held in December 2013) election results: Mike WARREN reelected mayor and chairman of the Island Council |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Island Council (11 seats; mayor, deputy mayor, 4 members elected by popular vote, 1 member appointed by the governor, 3 ex officio members including governor, deputy governor, and commissioner; deputy mayor and elected members serve two-year terms) elections: last held on 24 December 2009 (next to be held on 24 December 2011) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 4 independents |
| Judicial branch: | Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judicial officers are appointed by the governor |
| Political parties and leaders: | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | none |
| International organization participation: | SPC, UPU |
| 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): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $NA |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | |
| GDP - real growth rate: | |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | |
| GDP - composition by sector: | |
| Labor force: | 15 (2004) (2004) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing |
| Unemployment rate: | |
| Population below poverty line: | |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | |
| Budget: | revenues: $746,000 expenditures: $1.028 million (FY04/05) |
| Agriculture - products: | honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats, chickens; fish |
| Industries: | postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey |
| Industrial production growth rate: | |
| Exports: | $NA |
| Exports - commodities: | fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps |
| Imports: | $NA |
| Imports - commodities: | fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs |
| Debt - external: | |
| Exchange rates: | New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.289 (2012) 1.263 (2011) 1.3874 (2010) 1.6002 (2009) 1.4151 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | |
| Cellular Phones in use: | |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: satellite phone services domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB) international: country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1 (Inmarsat) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .pn |
| Internet hosts: | 26 (2012) |
| Internet users: | |
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| Transportation | |
| Roadways: | |
| Ports and terminals: | Adamstown (on Bounty Bay) |
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| Military | |
| Defense is the responsibility of the UK | |
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