ARCHIVE // PN // 2003

Pitcairn Islands

2003 Edition — territory

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Communications
Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]
NA
Internet country code [time series]
.pn
Internet users [time series]
NA
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: only party line telephone service is available for this small, closely related community domestic: party line service only international: radiotelephone
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line) (1997)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
0 (1997)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
wide variety of fruits and vegetables, goats, chickens
Budget [time series]
revenues: $729,884 expenditures: $878,119, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 94/95 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]
NZD
Debt - external [time series]
$NA
Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]
$NA
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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.
Electricity - consumption [time series]
NA kWh
Electricity - production [time series]
NA kWh; note - electric power is provided by a small diesel-powered generator
Exchange rates [time series]
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.162 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5083 (1997)
Exports [time series]
$NA
Exports - commodities [time series]
fruits, vegetables, curios, stamps
Exports - partners [time series]
NA (2000)
Fiscal year [time series]
1 April - 31 March
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $NA
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$NA
Imports - commodities [time series]
fuel oil, machinery, building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs
Imports - partners [time series]
NA (2000)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
postage stamps, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
NA%
Labor force [time series]
12 able-bodied men (1997)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate [time series]
NA%
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 47 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 47 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
tropical, hot, humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
Coastline [time series]
51 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)
Geographic coordinates [time series]
25 04 S, 130 06 W
Geography - note [time series]
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
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% other: NA% (1998 est.)
Location [time series]
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Natural hazards [time series]
typhoons (especially November to March)
Natural resources [time series]
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore
Terrain [time series]
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Capital [time series]
Adamstown
Constitution [time series]
1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands
Dependency status [time series]
overseas territory of the UK
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Executive branch [time series]
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 Richard FELL (since NA December 2001); Commissioner (nonresident) Leon SALT (since NA); serves as liaison between the governor and the Island Council election results: Steve CHRISTIAN 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 7 December 1999) cabinet: NA
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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
Government type [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
International organization participation [time series]
SPC
Judicial branch [time series]
Island Court (island magistrate presides over the court and is elected every three years)
Legal system [time series]
local island by-laws
Legislative branch [time series]
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: last held NA December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents
National holiday [time series]
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
none
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
none
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal with three years residency
Introduction
Background [time series]
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.
Military
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the UK
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate [time series]
NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Languages [time series]
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.)
Literacy [time series]
NA
Nationality [time series]
noun: Pitcairn Islander(s) adjective: Pitcairn Islander
Net migration rate [time series]
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Population [time series]
47 (July 2003 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
NA%
Religions [time series]
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
Sex ratio [time series]
NA (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
NA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports [time series]
none (2002)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 6.4 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 6.4 km
Merchant marine [time series]
none (2002 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)
Railways [time series]
0 km
Waterways [time series]
none