Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands
NAIndependence none (overseas territory of the UK)
Pitcairn Islands as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 about 50 today.
Geography
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Peru to New Zealand
16 fieldsLocation
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Peru to New Zealand
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% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Environment - current issues
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)
People
16 fieldsLanguages
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Government
NA; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands Martin WILLIAMS (since NA May 1998)
19 fieldsCountry name
conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands
Constitution
- 1838;
- reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940;
- further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964
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 Martin WILLIAMS (since NA May 1998);
- Commissioner (nonresident) Leon SALT (since NA; is the liaison person between the governor and the Island Council) head of government: Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island Council Jay WARREN (since NA) cabinet: NA elections: the monarch is hereditary;
- high commissioner and commissioner appointed by the monarch;
- island magistrate elected every three years in December by popular vote for a three-year term;
- last election held NA December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2002) election results: Lea BROWN elected island magistrate;
- percent of vote - NA%
Legislative branch
- unicameral Island Council (10 seats - 6 elected by popular vote, 1 appointed by the 6 elected members, 2 appointed by the governor, and 1 seat for the Island Secretary; members serve one-year terms) elections: take place each December;
- last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote - NA%;
- seats - all independents
Judicial branch
Island Court (island magistrate presides over the court and is elected every three years)
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
Economy
The inhabitants of this tiny economy exist on fishing, subsistence farming, handicrafts, and postage stamps.
29 fieldsEconomy - overview
The inhabitants of this tiny 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.
Labor force - by occupation
- no business community in the usual sense;
- some public works;
- subsistence farming and fishing
Budget
revenues: $729,884 expenditures: $878,119, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95 est.)
Electricity - production
NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered generator
Exchange rates
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.2502 (January 2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543 (1996)
Communications
9 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: only party line telephone service is available for this small, closely related community domestic: party line service only international: radiotelephone
Transportation
6 fieldsMilitary
1 fieldTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Pitcairn Islands.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/pitcairn-islands/2001.