| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands |
| Capital: |
Adamstown |
| Location: |
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
25 04 S, 130 06 W |
| Area: |
total: 47 sq km
land: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land
Boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
51 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March) |
| Terrain: |
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
NA |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Independence |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| National
Holiday: |
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
| Constitution: |
1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in 1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964 |
| Legal
System; |
local island by-laws |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal with three years residency |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Judicial Officers are appointed by the Governor |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
none |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
46 (July 2005 est. |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
| Median age: |
|
| Nationality: |
noun: Pitcairn Islander(s)
adjective: Pitcairn Islander |
| Ethnic groups: |
descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives |
| Religions: |
Seventh-Day Adventist 100% |
| Languages: |
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect) |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line); (2004) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
|
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: satellite phone services
domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)
international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0, note - 15 Ham radio operators (VP6) (2004) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
|
| Internet country
code: |
.pn |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
NA |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 6.4 km
paved: 0 km
unpaved: 6.4 km |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
Adamstown (on Bounty Bay) |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
none (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
|
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
|
| Heliports: |
|
