Pitcairn Islands

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.

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

arable land:

NA%

permanent crops:

NA%

other:

NA% (1998 est.)

• 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

0-14 years:

NA%

15-64 years:

NA%

65 years and over:

NA%

total population:

NA years

male:

NA years

female:

NA years

noun:

Pitcairn Islander(s)

adjective:

Pitcairn Islander

conventional long form:

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands

conventional short form:

Pitcairn Islands

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

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);
• serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council

election results:

elected mayor; percent of vote - NA%

elections:

• the monarchy is hereditary;
• high commissioner and commissioner appointed by the monarch;
• island magistrate elected by popular vote for a three-year term;
• election last held NA December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2002)

head of government:

Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Steve CHRISTIAN (since NA)

cabinet:

NA

• 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

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

general assessment:

only party line telephone service is available for this small, closely related community

domestic:

party line service only

international:

radiotelephone

total:

6.4 km

paved:

0 km

unpaved:

6.4 km