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|
Introduction |
Pitcairn
Islands |
|
Background: |
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. |
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Geography |
Pitcairn
Islands |
|
Location: |
Oceania, islands in the
South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand
|
|
Geographic
coordinates: |
25 04 S, 130 06 W
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Map
references: |
Oceania |
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Area: |
total:
47 sq km
land: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area -
comparative: |
about 0.3 times the size of
Washington, DC |
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Land
boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline: |
51 km |
|
Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea:
3 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical; hot and humid;
modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
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Terrain: |
rugged volcanic formation;
rocky coastline with cliffs |
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Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m |
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Natural
resources: |
miro trees (used for
handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been
discovered offshore |
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Land use: |
arable land:
NA%
permanent crops: NA%
other: NA% |
|
Irrigated
land: |
NA |
|
Natural
hazards: |
typhoons (especially
November to March) |
|
Environment -
current issues: |
deforestation (only a small
portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for
settlement) |
|
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 |
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Population: |
46 (July 2005 est.)
|
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years:
NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
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Population
growth rate: |
-0.01% (2005 est.)
|
|
Birth rate: |
NA |
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Death rate: |
NA |
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Net migration
rate: |
NA |
|
Sex ratio: |
NA |
|
Infant
mortality rate: |
total:
NA
male: NA
female: NA |
|
Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
NA
male: NA
female: NA |
|
Total
fertility rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS -
adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Pitcairn Islander(s)
adjective: Pitcairn Islander |
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Ethnic groups: |
descendants of the Bounty
mutineers and their Tahitian wives |
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Religions: |
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
|
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Languages: |
English (official),
Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian
dialect) |
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Literacy: |
NA |
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Government |
Pitcairn
Islands |
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands |
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Dependency
status: |
overseas territory of the
UK |
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Government
type: |
NA |
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Capital: |
Adamstown |
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Administrative
divisions: |
none (overseas territory of
the UK) |
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Independence: |
none (overseas territory of
the UK) |
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National
holiday: |
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH
II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
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Constitution: |
30 November 1838; reformed
1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local
Government Ordinance of 1964 |
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Legal system: |
local island by-laws
|
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
with three years residency |
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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 Richard FELL (since NA December 2001); Commissioner (nonresident)
Leslie JAQUES (since September 2003); serves as liaison between the
governor and the Island Council
head of government: Governor Richard FELL; mayor and chairman of
the Island Council Jay WARREN (since 15 December 2004)
cabinet: NA
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner and
commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor elected by popular
vote for a three-year term; election last held December 2004 (next to be
held December 2007)
election results: Jay WARREN elected mayor and chairman of the
Island Council |
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Legislative
branch: |
unicameral Island Council
(10 seats - 5 elected by popular vote, 1 nominated by the 5 elected
members, 2 appointed by the governor including 1 seat for the Island
Secretary, the Island Mayor, and a commissioner liaising between the
governor and council; elected members serve one-year terms)
elections: last held 15 December 2004 (next to be held December
2005)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents
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Judicial
branch: |
Magistrate's Court; Supreme
Court; Court of Appeal; Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor
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Political
parties and leaders: |
none |
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Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
none |
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International
organization participation: |
UPU |
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Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory of
the UK) |
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Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (overseas territory of
the UK) |
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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 |
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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. In October
2004, more than one-quarter of Pitcairn's labor force was arrested,
putting the economy in a bind, since their services were required as
lighter crew to load or unload passing ships. |
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GDP
(purchasing power parity): |
NA |
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GDP - real
growth rate: |
NA |
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GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity -
NA |
|
GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
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Labor force: |
15 able-bodied men (2004)
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Labor force -
by occupation: |
no business community in
the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
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Unemployment
rate: |
NA |
|
Population
below poverty line: |
NA |
|
Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA
highest 10%: NA |
|
Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
NA |
|
Budget: |
revenues:
$746,000
expenditures: $1.028 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(FY04/05) |
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Agriculture -
products: |
wide variety of fruits and
vegetables, goats, chickens |
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Industries: |
postage stamps,
handicrafts, beekeeping, honey |
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Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA |
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Electricity -
production: |
NA kWh; note - electric
power is provided by a small diesel-powered generator |
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Electricity -
consumption: |
NA kWh |
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Exports: |
NA |
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Exports -
commodities: |
fruits, vegetables, curios,
stamps |
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Exports -
partners: |
NA |
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Imports: |
NA |
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Imports -
commodities: |
fuel oil, machinery,
building materials, flour, sugar, other foodstuffs |
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Imports -
partners: |
NA |
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Debt -
external: |
NA |
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Economic aid -
recipient: |
$3.465 million (2004)
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Currency
(code): |
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
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Currency code: |
NZD |
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Exchange
rates: |
New Zealand dollars per US
dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001),
2.2012 (2000) |
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Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31 March
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Communications |
Pitcairn
Islands |
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Telephones -
main lines in use: |
1 (there are 17 telephones
on one party line); (2004) |
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Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
satellite phone services
domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)
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Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0,
note - 15 Ham radio operators (VP6) (2004) |
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Radios: |
NA |
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Televisions: |
NA |
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Internet
country code: |
.pn |
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Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
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Internet
users: |
NA |
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Transportation |
Pitcairn
Islands |
|
Highways: |
total:
6.4 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 6.4 km |
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Ports and
harbors: |
Adamstown (on Bounty Bay)
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Airports: |
none (2004 est.)
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Military |
Pitcairn
Islands |
|
Military -
note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
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Transnational Issues |
Pitcairn
Islands |
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Disputes -
international: |
none |
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