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The Pitcairn Islands are a group of five islands, of which one is inhabited, in the southern Pacific Ocean, the only remaining British colony in the Pacific. The islands are known mostly because the original settlers were mutineers of
HMS Bounty, as well as Tahitians those mutineers took along, as described in the book Mutiny on the Bounty, later depicted in a number of movies. Also it is the least populated
country of the world with about 50 inhabitants (9 families).
History
Main article: History of the
Pitcairn Islands
Although archaeologists assume that Polynesians lived on Pitcairn as late as
the 15th century, the island was uninhabited when it was discovered by
Spanish explorer Pedro Fernandez de Quiros. It was rediscovered by the British in 1767, and named after the crew member that first spotted the
island.
In 1790, the mutineers of Bounty and their Tahitian companions settled on the island
and set fire to the Bounty. Several of the mutineers and Tahitians subsequently killed other mutineers and Tahitians.
The island became a British colony in 1838. By the mid 1850s the Pitcairn community was
outgrowing the island and they appealed to Queen Victoria for help. Queen Victoria offered them Norfolk Island and on 3 May 1856, the entire community of 193 people set sail for Norfolk Island on board the Morayshire. They arrived on 8 June after a miserable 5 week trip. However, after 18 months, 17 returned to Pitcairn and 5
years later another 27 returned.
Since a population peak of 233 in 1937, the island is suffering from emigration,
primarily to New Zealand, leaving a current population of approximately
50.
The wreck of Bounty is still visible underwater in Bounty Bay.
There are allegations of a long history and tradition of sexual abuse of
girls as young as 10 and 11.
Politics
Main article: Politics of the
Pitcairn Islands
The island is governed by the British High Commissioner to New Zealand, Richard Fell, who is therefore not
resident on the island. The island's daily affairs are taken care of by the Magistrate, chairman of the Island Council. Elections
for this position take place every three years. The previous executive functions of the magistrate were assigned to the mayor of
Pitcairn in 1998, currently Steve Christian.
Geography
Main article: Geography of the
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands consist of five islands: Pitcairn Island, Sandy Island, Oeno Island, Henderson Island and Ducie Island. Pitcairn and Henderson are
volcanic islands, and Ducie is a coral atoll.
The only inhabited island, Pitcairn, is only accessible by boat through Bounty Bay.
Economy
Main article: Economy of the Pitcairn Islands
The fertile soil of the Pitcairn valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, beans.
The inhabitants of this tiny economy exist on fishing, subsistence farming, 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 design of the island, which lacks a harbour or airstrip, forcing all trade to be made by longboat to
anchored ships.
Labor force: 12 able-bodied men and an unknown number of able bodied women(1997).
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of the Pitcairn Islands
Most of the resident Pitcairn Islanders are still descendants of the Bounty mutineers, as their surnames show. All
Pitcairners are members of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. An 18th century dialect of the English language is spoken along with the Tahitian language, the two together forming a creole language known as Pitcairnese.
In September 2003 a child was born, the first on the Pitcairn Islands in 17 years.
Law and Crime
Showing affection in public, dancing and alcoholic beverages are forbidden.
Seven men living on Pitcairn and another six now living overseas face 96 charges relating to sexual offences against young
girls. A bill was passed in 2002 to allow a trial in New Zealand, based on
Pitcairn law, to be held in 2004. There will be very few men left on the islands if the trials are held in New Zealand, and
satellite video-linking has been considered.
The charges include 21 counts of rape, 41 of indecent assault and two of gross indecency with a child under 14. The men of Pitcairn Island blame the
police for convincing the females involved to press charges. Several women are now
fighting to be allowed to withdraw their charging testimony.
Seven of the accused men challenged the jurisdiction of the Pitcairn Islands Supreme Court to hear the charges on the grounds
that the United Kingdom does not have constitutional authority over the Pitcairn Islands and could not validly make the laws
under which they were charged or establish the court that was to try them. The Full Court of the Pitcairn Islands Supreme Court,
sitting in New Zealand, rejected this challenge in a judgment delivered on 18 April 2004
.
Communications
- Telephones - main lines in use: 1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line) (1997)
- Telephone system: party line telephone service on the island
domestic: NA
- International: radiotelephone
- Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
- Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA Country code (Top level domain): PN
Transportation
The settlers of the Pitcairns all arrived by some form of boat or ship; the most famous was the HMS Bounty, on which
the mutiny occurred and which burned down in Bounty Bay.
These remote islands do not have an airport or seaport; the country relies on longboats to ferry people and goods between ship and shore through Bounty Bay on the
only inhabited island, Pitcairn.
There are no paved roads and no railways.
There is 6.4 km of unpaved road. On land, walking has historically been the way of
getting around; all-terrain vehicles have been used in more
recent years, as well as walking.
ccTLD
Their Domain Registry is based at www.nic.pn
External links
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