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Pitcairn Islands

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Oceania
(Australasia)

   Pitkern Ailen
   Pitcairn Islands

   Flag of Pitcairn Islands Coat of arms of Pitcairn Islands
   Flag                     Coat of arms
   Anthem: " Come ye Blessed"
   Location of Pitcairn Islands
   Capital
   (and largest city) Adamstown
   Official languages English, Pitkern
   Government
    - Mayor Jay Warren
    - Governor George Fergusson
   Area
    - Total 5 km² km²
    sq mi
   Population
    - 2005 estimate 67 ( 230th)
    - Density 13/km² ( 197th)
   /sq mi
   Currency New Zealand dollar ( NZD)
   Time zone ( UTC-8)
   Internet TLD .pn
   Calling code +64

   The Pitcairn Islands (Pitkern : Pitkern Ailen), officially named the
   Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands, are a group of four
   islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British
   overseas territory (formerly British colony), the last remaining in the
   Pacific. Only Pitcairn Island — the second largest — is inhabited.

   The islands are best known for being the home of the descendants of the
   Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians who accompanied them, an event
   retold in numerous books and films. This story is still apparent in the
   surnames of many of the islanders. With only about fifty inhabitants
   (from nine families), Pitcairn is also notable for being the least
   populated jurisdiction in the world (although it is not a sovereign
   nation). The United Nations Committee on Decolonisation includes the
   Pitcairn Islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing
   Territories.

History

   The original settlers of the Pitcairn Islands (Ducie, Henderson, Oeno
   and Pitcairn) were Polynesians who appear to have lived on Pitcairn and
   Henderson for several centuries. However, although archaeologists
   believe that Polynesians were living on Pitcairn as late as the 15th
   century, the islands were uninhabited when they were discovered by
   Europeans.

   Ducie and Henderson Islands are believed to have been discovered by
   Europeans on 26 January 1606 by Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandez de
   Quiros, who named them La Encarnación and San Juan Bautista
   respectively. However, some sources express doubt about exactly which
   of the islands were visited and named by Quiros, suggesting that
   Quiros’ La Encarnación may actually have been Henderson Island, and San
   Juan Bautista may have been Pitcairn Island.

   Ducie Island was rediscovered in 1791 by the British Capt. Edwards
   aboard H.M.S. Pandora, and named after Baron Francis Ducie, a captain
   in the Royal Navy. It was annexed by Britain on 19 December 1902, and
   in 1938 it was formally incorporated into Pitcairn to become part of a
   single administrative district (the "Pitcairn Group of Islands").

   Henderson Island was rediscovered on 17 January 1819 by British Capt.
   Henderson of the British East India Company ship Hercules. On the 2
   March 1819, Captain Henry King, sailing aboard the Elizabeth, landed on
   the island to find the King's colours already flying. His crew
   scratched the name of their ship into a tree and for some years the
   island's name was Elizabeth or Henderson interchangeably. Henderson
   Island was annexed by Britain and incorporated into Pitcairn in 1938.

   Oeno Island was discovered on the 26 January 1824 by U.S. Captain
   George Worth aboard the whaler Oeno. On the 10th July 1902 Oeno was
   annexed by Britain. It was incorporated into Pitcairn in 1938.
   '
   Enlarge
   '

   Pitcairn Island itself was discovered on July 3, 1767 by the crew of
   the British sloop HMS Swallow, commanded by Captain Philip Carteret
   (though according to some it had perhaps been visited by Quiros in
   1606). It was named after Midshipman Robert Pitcairn, a
   fifteen-year-old crewmember who was the first to sight the island.
   (Pitcairn was the son of British Marine Officer John Pitcairn, who was
   second in command of British forces stationed in Massachusetts during
   the American Revolutionary War and was fatally wounded in one of the
   defining battles of that war, the Battle of Bunker Hill.)

   In 1790, the mutineers of HMAV Bounty and their Tahitian companions,
   some of whom may have been kidnapped from Tahiti, settled on Pitcairn
   Island and set fire to the Bounty. The wreck is still visible
   underwater in Bounty Bay. The ship itself was discovered in 1957 by
   National Geographic explorer Luis Marden. Although the settlers were
   able to survive by farming and fishing, the initial period of
   settlement was marked by serious tensions among the settlers.
   Alcoholism, murder, disease and other ills took the lives of most
   mutineers and Tahitian men. John Adams and Ned Young turned to the
   Scriptures using the ship's Bible as their guide for a new and peaceful
   society. Young eventually died of an asthmatic infection. The
   Pitcairners also converted to Christianity; however they would later
   convert from their existing form of Christianity to Adventism after a
   successful Adventist mission in the 1890s. When the American sailing
   ship Topaz found Pitcairn again, John Adams was granted amnesty for his
   mutiny.
   Geodesy Collection on Pitcairn Island
   Enlarge
   Geodesy Collection on Pitcairn Island

   The island became a British colony in 1838. By the mid-1850s the
   Pitcairn community was outgrowing the island and its leaders appealed
   to the British government for assistance. They were offered Norfolk
   Island and on 3 May 1856, the entire community of 193 people set sail
   for Norfolk on board the Morayshire, arriving on 8 June after a
   miserable five-week trip. But after eighteen months on Norfolk,
   seventeen of the Pitcairners returned to their home island; five years
   later another twenty-seven did the same.

   Since a population peak of 233 in 1937, the island has been suffering
   from emigration, primarily to New Zealand, leaving some fifty people
   living on Pitcairn.

   There are allegations of a long history and tradition of sexual abuse
   of girls as young as 7, which culminated in 2004 in the charging of
   seven men living on Pitcairn, and another six now living abroad, with
   sex-related offences, including rape. On October 25, 2004, six men were
   convicted, including Steve Christian, the island's mayor at the time.
   See Pitcairn rape trial of 2004. The British government has decided to
   set up a prison for only the island, and spend an annual budget of
   $950,000, after the six men lost their final appeal.

Politics

   Map of Pitcairn Islands. Source:CIA World Factbook
   Map of Pitcairn Islands. Source: CIA World Factbook

   The Governor of the Pitcairn Islands is the British High Commissioner
   to New Zealand, currently George Fergusson. He maintains a
   representative officer on the island as a link between himself and the
   islanders - this is probably the most remote and inaccessible
   diplomatic posting in the world. But because the high commissioner does
   not live on the island, its daily affairs were traditionally taken care
   of by the magistrate, chairman of the Island Council. Elections for
   this position take place every three years. After a constitutional
   revision in 1998, these functions were transferred to the mayor of
   Pitcairn from 1999 onwards. Island Magistrate is a governor appointed
   job. Chairman of the Internal Committee is an elected official. Until
   30 October 2004, the mayor was Steve Christian; after his rape
   conviction on October 24, 2004, Christian was dismissed (after refusing
   to resign). Brenda Christian was selected by the Island Council, to be
   mayor for November and December 2004, until an election was held. Jay
   Warren was elected on December 15, 2004.

Geography

   The Pitcairn Islands form the southeasternmost extension of the
   geological archipelago of the Tuamotus of French Polynesia, and consist
   of four islands: Pitcairn Island, Oeno Island (atoll with 5 islets),
   Henderson Island and Ducie Island (atoll with 4 islets).

   The only permanently inhabited island, Pitcairn, is accessible only by
   boat through Bounty Bay.

   Henderson Island, covering about 67% of the territory's total land
   area, and supporting a rich variety of animals in its nearly
   inaccessible interior, is also capable of supporting a small human
   population, but it is hard to get there and back, its outer shores
   being comprised of uniformly steep limestone cliffs of sharp coral.

   The other islands are at a distance of more than 100 km and are not
   habitable.
   Satellite photo of Pitcairn Island
   Enlarge
   Satellite photo of Pitcairn Island
   Island/Atoll Type Land Area
   (km²)^* Total Area
   (km²) Pop.
   Dec.2005 Coordinates
   Ducie Island Atoll 0.7 3.9^* - 24°40′09″S, 124°47′11″W
   Henderson Island uplifted coral island 37.3 37.3 - 24°22′01″S,
   128°18′57″W
   Oeno Island Atoll 0.65 16.65^* - 23°55′26″S, 130°44′03″W
   Pitcairn Island volcanic island 4.6 4.6 45 25°04′00″S, 130°06′00″W
   Pitcairn Islands island group 43.25 62.45 45 23°55'26" to 25°04'00"S,
   124°47'11" to 130°44'03"W

   ^* including reef flat and lagoon of the atolls

Economy

   The fertile soil of the Pitcairn valleys produces a wide variety of
   fruits and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons,
   bananas, yams, and beans. The inhabitants of this tiny economy exist on
   fishing, subsistence farming, and handicrafts, with barter an important
   part of the economy. The major sources of revenue are the sale of
   postage stamps to collectors, honey, and the sale of handicrafts to
   passing ships, most of which are plying the United Kingdom to New
   Zealand route via the Panama Canal. Trade is restricted by the jagged
   geography of the island, which lacks a harbour or airstrip, forcing all
   trade to be made by longboat to visiting ships. Occasionally,
   passengers from expedition-type cruise ships will come ashore for a
   day, weather permitting. The island has a labour force of 15 men and
   women (as of 2004).

Demographics

   Many of the resident Pitcairn Islanders are descendants of the Bounty
   mutineers, as their surnames show. Most Pitcairners are members of the
   Seventh-day Adventist Church. Pitkern is a creole language derived from
   18th Century English, with elements of the Tahitian language. It is
   spoken as a first language by the population and is taught alongside
   standard English at the island's only school. It is closely related to
   the creole language Norfuk spoken on Norfolk Island, because Norfolk
   was repopulated in the mid 19th Century by Pitcairners.

   In September 2003, the first baby was born on the islands in 17 years.

   In June 2004, Shirley and Simon Young became the first married outsider
   couple in recorded history to gain residency on the island.

Culture and religion

   Pitcairn culture, like its language, is a mix of English and Tahitian
   influences. A successful Seventh-day Adventist mission in the 1890s was
   important in shaping Pitcairn society. In recent years, the church has
   declined, with only about eight islanders worshipping regularly, but
   most of them still attend church on special occasions. The Sabbath is
   observed as a day of rest and as a mark of respect for observant
   Adventists.

   The once-strict moral codes, which prohibited dancing, public shows of
   affection, and consumption of alcohol, have been relaxed in recent
   years. Islanders may now obtain a six-month license to purchase
   alcohol; the licence fee is NZ$10.00 for residents and NZ$25.00 for
   tourists.

Communications

     * Telephones: There are only satellite phones on the island,
       replacing a single wired party line. Islanders call between homes
       and ships via VHF radio.
     * Radio: There is no broadcast station. Marine band walkie-talkie
       radios are used to maintain contact among people in different areas
       of the island. Foreign stations can be picked up on Shortwave
       Radio.
     * Television: There is no broadcast TV; most houses have a VCR/DVD to
       watch videos. Free-To-Air satellite dishes can be used to watch
       foreign TV.
     * Internet: There is one Government-sponsored satellite internet
       connection, networked to all houses on the island. Pitcairn's
       country code (top level domain) is .pn.

Transportation

   The settlers of the Pitcairns all arrived by some form of boat or ship;
   the most famous was the HMAV Bounty, on which the mutiny occurred and
   which was burned in Bounty Bay.

   Pitcairn Island does not have an airport or seaport; the islanders rely
   on longboats to ferry people and goods between ship and shore through
   Bounty Bay. To get to Pitcairn it is necessary to fly to Tahiti, then
   Mangareva, then embark on a further 30-hour boat ride. There is one
   boat every several months. Alternately, passage can be obtained aboard
   a few freighters out of New Zealand – it is a seven-day trip via
   freighter. Leaving the island is hit-and-miss; one leaves when
   transportation happens by, not necessarily when one wishes to go.

   There is one 6.4km paved road and no railways. On land, walking has
   historically been the way of getting around; all-terrain vehicles have
   become common in more recent years.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcairn_Islands"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
