Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
parliamentary democracyIndependence none (overseas territory of the UK)
Pitcairn Islands as the 2022 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 92 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Polynesians were the first inhabitants of the Pitcairn Islands, but the islands were uninhabited by the time they were discovered by Europeans in 1606. Pitcairn Island was rediscovered by British explorer Philip CARTERET in 1767, although he incorrectly plotted the coordinates. In 1789, Fletcher CHRISTIAN led a mutiny on the HMS Bounty and after several months of searching for Pitcairn Island, he landed on it with eight other mutineers and their Tahitian companions.
They lived in isolation and evaded detection by English authorities until 1808, by which point only one man, 10 women, and 23 children remained. In 1831, with the population growing too big for the island - there were 87 people - the British attempted to move all the islanders to Tahiti, but they were soon returned to Pitcairn Island. The island became an official British colony in 1838 and in 1856, the British again determined that the population of 193 was too high and relocated all of the residents to Norfolk Island.
Several families returned in 1858 and 1864, bringing the island’s population to 43, and almost all of the island’s current population are descendants of these returnees. In 1887, the entire population converted to the Seventh Day Adventist faith.
The UK annexed the nearby islands of Henderson, Oeno, and Ducie in 1902 and incorporated them into the Pitcairn Islands colony in 1938, although all three are uninhabited. The population peaked at 233 in 1937 as outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the population. Only two children were born between 1986 and 2012, and in 2005, a couple became the first new outsiders to obtain citizenship in more than a century.
(The current population is below 50.) Since 2013, the Pitcairn Islands has tried to attract new migrants but has had no applicants because it requires prospective migrants to front significant sums of money and prohibits employment during a two-year trial period, at which point the local council can deny long-term resident status.
Geography
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand
17 fieldsLand useshare of 47 sq km
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
Natural hazards
occasional tropical cyclones (especially November to March), but generally only heavy tropical storms; landslides
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
People and Society
26 fieldsLanguages
English (official), Pitkern (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio:
- NA
- youth dependency ratio:
- NA
- elderly dependency ratio:
- NA
- potential support ratio:
- NA
Population distribution
less than 50 inhabitants on Pitcairn Island, most reside near the village of Adamstown
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- high (2020)
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria
Environment
5 fieldsLand use(2011 est.)
Environment - current issues
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- high (2020)
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria
Government
Parliamentary democracy; King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Charlene WARREN-PEU (since 1 January 2020)
20 fieldsCountry 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
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
National holiday
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767)
Constitution
history: several previous; latest drafted 10 February 2010, presented 17 February 2010, effective 4 March 2010
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022);
- represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands Iona THOMAS (since 9 August 2022)
- 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 9 November 2022 (next to be held not later than December 2025)
- election results:
- Simon YOUNG elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council;
- Island Council vote - NA;
- takes office 1 January 2023
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral Island Council: 10 seats; (7 members - 5 councillors, the mayor, and the deputy mayor - elected by popular vote, and 3 ex officio non-voting members - the administrator, who serves as both the head of government and the representative of the governor of Pitcairn Islands, the governor, and the deputy governor; the councillors and the deputy mayor serve 2-year terms, the mayor serves a 3-year term, and the administrator is appointed by the governor for an indefinite term)
- elections:
- last held on 6 November 2019 (next scheduled election - NA)
- election results:
- percent of vote - NA;
- seats - 5 independent;
- composition - men 4, women 6, percent of women 60%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- 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
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)
National anthem
- name:
- "We From Pitcairn Island"
- lyrics/music:
- unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN
note: serves as a local anthem; as an overseas territory of the UK, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy
The inhabitants of this tiny isolated economy exist on fishing, subsistence farming, handicrafts, and postage stamps.
15 fieldsBudget(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.
Labor force - by occupation
note: no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
Exports - partners
South Africa 24%, Canada 20%, Germany 13%, Czechia 8%, El Salvador 5%, Spain 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
leather footwear, gas turbine parts, precious metal ores, clothing and apparel, beef (2019)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, food preparation products, plastics, iron fasteners (2019)
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.)
Communications
5 fieldsTelecommunication 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 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
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
Transportation
1 fieldMilitary and Security
1 fieldTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Pitcairn Islands.” The World Factbook 2022. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/pitcairn-islands/2022.