world
factbook
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.

geography

location

Oceania
25.4° S, 130. 6° W
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand

area

47 sq km
land
47 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

51 km

climate

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

terrain

rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

elevation

lowest point
Pacific Ocean
0
highest point
Palwala Valley Point on Big Ridge
347

natural resources

  • miro trees; used for handicrafts
  • fish
  • note
  • manganese
  • iron
  • copper
  • gold
  • silver
  • zinc have been discovered offshore

land use

  • arable land
  • permanent crops
  • permanent pasture
  • forest
  • other

population distribution

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

people

population

  • 50
  • 238
    global rank

nationality

  • Pitcairn Islander(s)
    noun
  • Pitcairn Islander
    adjective

ethnic groups

  • other descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

languages

  • English
    official
  • Pitkern
    mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect

religions

Seventh-Day Adventist
100 %

urban population

0 %

government

government type

parliamentary democracy

capital

Adamstown
25.4 S, 130.5 W

independence

national holidays

  • Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II
    second Saturday in June
  • Discovery Day
    2 July

legal system

local island by-laws

age of suffrage

18

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

We From Pitcairn Island

economy

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.

agriculture products

  • honey
  • fruits
  • vegetables
  • goats
  • chickens
  • fish

budget

  • 746,000
    revenue (undefined)
  • 1,028,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

broadcast media

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

internet

.pn
country code

    users

  • 54
    total
  • 100
    % of population
  • 226
    global rank

energy

This entry doesn't have any available energy data.

transportation

roadways

0 km
total length

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.