Pitcairn Islands
Official Country Name
Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn Islands Overview
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.
Pitcairn Islands Economy
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 small labor force was arrested, putting the economy in a bind, since their services were required as lighter crew to load or unload passing ships.
Pitcairn Islands Location
Pitcairn Islands is located in Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand
Region
Pitcairn Islands is located in Oceania
Pitcairn Islands Population
Pitcairn Islands has population of 45 (July 2006 est.)
Pitcairn Islands Climate
Pitcairn Islands has tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
Pitcairn Islands Terrain
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Pitcairn Islands Natural Resources
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore
Ethnic Groups in Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn Islands has the following ethnic groups - descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives
Pitcairn Islands Religions
Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
Pitcairn Islands Languages
English (official), Pitcairnese (mixture of an 18th century English dialect and a Tahitian dialect)
Pitcairn Islands Capital
Pitcairn Islands capital is Adamstown
Pitcairn Islands Currency
Pitcairn Islands currency is New Zealand dollar
Map of Pitcairn Islands
