Pitcairn Islands

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Polynesians were the first settlers on the four tiny islands that are now called the Pitcairn Islands, but all four were uninhabited by the time Europeans discovered them in 1606. Pitcairn Island -- the only one now inhabited -- was rediscovered by a British explorer in 1767. 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, when only one man, 10 women, and 23 children remained. In 1831, with the population of 87 proving too big for the island, 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 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. <br><br>The UK annexed the nearby uninhabited islands of Henderson, Oeno, and Ducie in 1902 and incorporated them into the Pitcairn Islands colony in 1938. The population peaked at 233 in 1937 as outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has since thinned the population. Only two children were born between 1986 and 2012, and in 2005, a couple became the first outsiders to obtain citizenship in more than a century. 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.

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Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand

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25 04 S, 130 06 W

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Oceania

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about three-tenths the size of Washington, D.C.

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51 km

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

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rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

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miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish

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<strong>note: </strong>manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore

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0 sq km (2022)

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a handful of inhabitants, most residing near the village of Adamstown

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occasional tropical cyclones (especially November to March), but generally only heavy tropical storms; landslides

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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 longboat from larger ships stationed offshore

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descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives

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English (official), Pitkern (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)

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Seventh Day Adventist 100%

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0% (2014 est.)

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a handful of inhabitants, most residing near the village of Adamstown

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deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)

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

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parliamentary democracy

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overseas territory of the UK

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local island by-laws

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see United Kingdom

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18 years of age; universal with three years of residency

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<strong>note:</strong> the Council includes 5 councilors, the mayor, and the deputy mayor (who are 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

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<strong>note:</strong> appeals beyond the Pitcairn Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

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none

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none (overseas territory of the UK)

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SPC, UPU

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none (overseas territory of the UK)

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Official birthday of King Charles III, usually celebrated the second Saturday in June (1948); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767)

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<strong>description:</strong> blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the right half of the flag; the green field features a yellow anchor with a Bible over it (both were on the <em>HMS Bounty</em>); a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow is on the crest, with a flowering twig of miro (a local plant)<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the green, yellow, and blue of the shield represents the island rising from the ocean

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small South Pacific British island territorial economy; exports primarily postage stamps, handicraft goods, honey, and tinctures; extremely limited infrastructure; dependent upon UK and EU aid; recent border reopening post-COVID-19

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honey; wide variety of fruits and vegetables; goats, chickens; fish

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postage stamps, handicrafts, beekeeping, honey

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UK 21%, Canada 19%, Tanzania 12%, Colombia 11%, Spain 8% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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fertilizers, sulfur, refined petroleum, excavation machinery, ethylene polymers (2022)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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USA 59%, NZ 37%, Italy 2%, UAE 1%, Brazil 1% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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construction vehicles, refined petroleum, beef, computers, other foods (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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No traditional public cellular network. Satellite-based internet (Starlink) and VoIP apps (WhatsApp, Viber) are available.

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

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.pn

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defense is the responsibility of the UK