Pitcairn Islands
Encyclopedia
The Pitcairn Islands (icon; Pitkern
: ), officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic
islands in the southern Pacific Ocean
. The islands are a British Overseas Territory
and overseas territory of the European Union
in the Pacific. The four islands – named Pitcairn, Henderson
, Ducie
, and Oeno
– are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total land area of about 18 square miles (46.6 km²). Only Pitcairn, the second largest and measuring about 2 miles (3.2 km) across, is inhabited.
The islands are best known as home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers
and the Tahiti
ans (or Polynesians) who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. This history is still apparent in the surnames of many of the islanders. With only about 48 inhabitants (from four families as of 2010: Christian, Warren, Young, and Brown), Pitcairn is the least populous 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
.
The original settlers of the Pitcairn Islands were Polynesia
ns who appear to have lived on Pitcairn and Henderson for several centuries. 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 were discovered by Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
, sailing for the Spanish Crown, who arrived on 26 January 1606. He named them La Encarnación ("The Incarnation
") and San Juan Bautista ("Saint John the Baptist"), respectively. However, some sources express doubt about exactly which of the islands were visited and named by Queirós, suggesting that Queirós’ La Encarnación may actually have been Henderson Island, and San Juan Bautista may have been Pitcairn Island.
Pitcairn Island was sighted on 3 July 1767 by the crew of the British sloop
HMS Swallow, commanded by Captain Philip Carteret
. It was named after Midshipman Robert Pitcairn, a fifteen-year-old crew member who was the first to sight the island. Robert Pitcairn was the son of British Marine Officer John Pitcairn
.
Carteret, who sailed without the newly invented accurate marine chronometer
, charted the island at 25° 2’ south and 133° 21’ west of Greenwich
, but although the latitude
was reasonably accurate the longitude
was incorrect by about 3°. This made Pitcairn difficult to find, as highlighted by the failure of Captain James Cook
to locate the island in July 1773.
and Tahiti
an companions (six men, 11 women and a baby), 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 asthma
tic infection. The Pitcairners also converted to Christianity; later they converted from their existing form of Christianity to Seventh-day Adventism after a successful Adventist mission in the 1890s. After the rediscovery of Pitcairn, John Adams was granted amnesty
for his mutiny
.
The Pitcairn islanders reported that it was not until 27 December 1795 that the first ship since the Bounty was seen from the island, but as it did not approach the land, they could not make out to what nation it belonged. A second appeared some time in 1801, but did not attempt to communicate with them. A third came sufficiently near to see their habitations, but did not venture to send a boat on shore. The American trading ship Topaz under the command of Mayhew Folger
was the first to visit the island and communicate with them when they spent 10 hours at Pitcairn in February 1808. A report of Folger's find was forwarded to the Admiralty
mentioning the mutineers and a more precise location of the island—25° 2’ S latitude, 130° W longitude—however, this rediscovery was not known to Sir Thomas Staines
, who commanded a Royal Navy flotilla
of two ships (HMS Briton and HMS Tagus) which found the island at 25° .4’ S (by meridian observation) on 17 September 1814. Staines sent a party ashore and wrote a detailed report for the Admiralty.
Ducie Island was rediscovered in 1791 by the British Captain Edwards aboard HMS Pandora
, while searching for the Bounty mutineers. He named it after Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie
, a captain in the Royal Navy. Henderson Island was rediscovered on 17 January 1819 by a British Captain James Henderson of the British East India Company
ship Hercules. On 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. Oeno Island was discovered on 26 January 1824 by U.S. Captain George Worth aboard the whaler Oeno.
. 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.
In 1902 Henderson, Oeno and Ducie islands were annexed by Britain, Henderson on 1 July, Oeno on 10 July and Ducie on 19 December. In 1938 the three islands along with Pitcairn were formally incorporated into a single administrative unit called the "Pitcairn Group of Islands".
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 (December 2009: 45 islanders on Electoral Roll)
In 2004 charges were laid against seven men living on Pitcairn and six living abroad after extensive trials, the men were convicted, some with multiple counts of sexual attacks of children. On 25 October 2004, six men were convicted
, including Steve Christian
, the island's mayor at the time. After the six men lost their final appeal, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob's Valley. The men began serving their sentences in late 2006. By 2010 all had served their sentences or been granted home detention status.
In 2010 the island received a new and updated constitution.
representative democratic
dependency
, whereby the Mayor is the head of government
. The territory's constitution is the Local Government Ordinance of 1964. In terms of population, the Pitcairn Islands is the smallest democracy in the world.
The government's administrative offices are in Auckland
, New Zealand
.
, meaning defence is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and Her Majesty's Armed Forces.
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 five islets, one of which is Sandy Island), Henderson Island
and Ducie Island
(atoll with four islets).
The only permanently inhabited island, Pitcairn, is accessible only by boat through Bounty Bay
.
Henderson Island
, covering about 86% 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 access is difficult, owing to its outer shores' being steep limestone cliffs covered by sharp coral.
The Pitcairn Islands were formed by a centre of upwelling magma
called the Pitcairn hotspot
.
The other islands are at a distance of more than 100 km (62.1 mi) and are not habitable.
* Includes reef flat and lagoon of the atolls.
) in the world in which the plant species Glochidion pitcairnense
occurs.
In terms of fauna, an interesting and rare introduction is the Galapagos giant tortoise (Testudo elephantopus). The sole surviving tortoise, Ms T (also known as Turpen), was one of five, which arrived on Pitcairn between 1937 and 1951, brought to the island by Irving Johnson
, skipper of the 96 feet (29.3 m) Brigantine Yankee. Turpen usually resides at Tedside by Western Harbour. A protection order makes it an offence should anyone kill, injure, capture, maim or cause harm or distress to the tortoise.
The birds of Pitcairn fall into several groups. These include seabirds, wading birds and a small number of resident land bird species. Of 20 breeding species, Henderson Island has 16, including the unique flightless Henderson Crake
(Porzana atra); Oeno 12; Ducie 13 and Pitcairn six. Of the birds breeding on Pitcairn the best known are the Fairy Tern
(Gygis alba), the Common Noddy (Anous stolidus) and the Red-tailed Tropic Bird (Phaethon rubricauda). The Pitcairn Island Warbler (Acrocephalus vaughani), known by Pitcairners as a "Sparrow", is a native species, dark-brown above and yellowish to buff below. It used to be common throughout the island but was placed on the endangered status list in 2008.
The fertile soil of the Pitcairn valleys, such as Isaac's Valley on the gentle slopes south-east of Adamstown, produces a wide variety of fruits: including bananas (Pitkern: plun), papaya
(paw paws), pineapple
s, mango
es, watermelon
s, rockmelons, passionfruit, breadfruit
, coconut
s, avocado
es, and citrus
(including oranges, mandarin
s, grapefruit
, lemons and limes
); and vegetables include: sweet potato
es (kumura), carrots, sweet corn, tomatoes, taro
, yams
, peas
, and bean
s. Arrowroot
(Tacca leontopetaloides) and sugarcane
are grown and harvested to produce arrowroot flour and molasses
. Pitcairn Island is remarkably productive and its benign climate allows a wide range of tropical and temperate crops to be grown.
Fish are plentiful in the seas around Pitcairn. Spiny lobster
and a large variety of fish are caught for meals and for trading aboard passing ships. Almost every day someone will go fishing, whether it is from the rocks, from a longboat or diving with a spear gun. There are numerous types of fish around the island. Fish such as Nanwee, White Fish, Moi and Opapa are caught in shallow water, while Snapper, Big Eye and Cod are caught in deep water and Yellow Tail and Wahoo are caught by trolling. A range of minerals have been discovered within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 370 km offshore and comprises 880,000 km2, including manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver and zinc.
). Typical wood carvings include sharks, fish, whales, dolphins, turtles, vases, birds, walking sticks, book boxes and the famous models of the Bounty. Miro (Thespesia populnea), a dark, durable and beautifully grained wood, is preferred for carving. Islanders also produce exquisite tapa cloth
and painted hattie leaves.
s and postage stamps to collectors, .pn domain names, 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. Tourism is the main focus for building the future economy focusing on small groups coming by charter vessel and staying at "home stays". Providing accommodation is a growing source of revenue and some have invested in building separate self contained units adjacent to their homes.
to New Zealand and to the United Kingdom, where it is stocked in London by Fortnum and Mason and Partridges in Sloane Square. The honey has become a favourite of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. The Pitcairn Islanders, under the "Bounty Products" and "Delectable Bounty" brands, also export dried fruit including bananas, papayas, pineapples and mangoes to New Zealand.
as the island's only dedicated passenger/cargo vessel providing tourists with adventure tourism holidays to Pitcairn for three- or ten-day visits. Tourists stay with local families and get to experience the island's history while contributing to the local economy. Some families have invested in private self-contained units for tourists to rent. Each year approximately ten cruise ships call at the island for a few hours generating income for the locals from the sale of souvenirs, landing fees and the stamping of passports. Children under the age of 16 years require a completed entry clearance application in order to visit the island.
and Tahitians (or Polynesians). 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.
on Pitcairn (Miscellany, March 2005). Since 2001, a significant proportion of the Pitcairn population (21 people) has been given a Personal Public Service Number
in Ireland, which is required for work, taxes and social benefits
.
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 church which was built in 1954, is run by the Church board and resident pastor, who usually serves a two year term. The Sabbath School meets at 10 am on Saturday mornings and is followed by Divine Service an hour later. On Tuesday evenings there is a further service in the form of a prayer meeting.
, smoking, and consumption of alcohol, have been relaxed in recent years. Islanders and visitors no longer require a six-month licence to purchase, import, and consume alcohol (Pitcairn Island Government Ordinance). There is now one licensed cafe and bar on the island, and the Government Store sells alcohol and cigarettes.
The unique cuisine and rich cultural heritage of the Pitcairn Islanders is detailed in a cookbook: "A Taste of Pitcairn: The First Pitcairn Island Cookbook", by Pitcairn resident Meralda Warren
(updated ed. 2005).
Fishing and swimming are two popular recreational activities. A birthday celebration or the arrival of a ship or yacht will involve the entire Pitcairn community in a public dinner in the Square, Adamstown. Tables are covered in a variety of foods, including fish, meat, chicken, philhi, baked rice, boiled plun (banana), breadfruit, vegetable dishes, an assortment of pies, bread, breadsticks, an array of desserts, pineapple, watermelon and more.
Public work, which by law is required of all men and women between the ages of 16 and 65, ensures the ongoing maintenance of the island's numerous roads and paths. The island has a labour force of only 15 men and women (as of 2004).
The school at Pulau provides pre-school and primary education based on the New Zealand syllabus. The teacher is appointed by the Governor from suitable qualified applicants who are New Zealand registered teachers. The contract includes the role of Editor of the Pitcairn Miscellany.
Pitcairn Island does not have an airport or seaport; the islanders rely on longboat
s to ferry people and goods between ship and shore through Bounty Bay. The island has one small harbour and launch ramp that is used to dock and load long-boats. Because it is small and the water is shallow, only small-craft can fit (Pitkern Ilan, David Evans, 2007).
A dedicated passenger/cargo supply ship chartered by the Pitcairn Island Government, the MV Claymore II
, is the principal transport from Mangareva
, Gambier Islands
, French Polynesia
.
Mangareva is reachable by air from the French Polynesian capital Papeete
(Lonely Planet South Pacific, 3rd ed. 2006, "Pitcairn Getting There" pp. 429–30).
There is one 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) paved road leading up from Bounty Bay through Adamstown.
The main mode of transport on Pitcairn islands is by four-wheel-drive quad bikes. There are also two cars on the island.
After the Mutiny
Pitcairn Island Today
Government of the Pitcairn Islands
News from Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Island Study Groups on the Internet
Pitkern
Pitkern is a creole language based on an 18th century dialect of English and Tahitian. It is a primary language of Pitcairn Island with fewer than 100 speakers worldwide. However, the closely related Norfuk language has a few thousand native speakers...
: ), officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
islands in the southern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The islands are a British Overseas Territory
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
and overseas territory of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in the Pacific. The four islands – named Pitcairn, Henderson
Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands)
Henderson Island is an uninhabited raised coral atoll in the south Pacific Ocean, that in 1902 was annexed to the Pitcairn Islands colony, a South Pacific Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom. Measuring long and wide, it has an area of and is located northeast of Pitcairn Island at . The...
, Ducie
Ducie Island
Ducie Island is an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Islands. It lies east of Pitcairn and has a total area of , which includes the lagoon. It is long, measured northeast to southwest, and about wide. The island is composed of four islets: Acadia, Pandora, Westward and Edwards.Despite its...
, and Oeno
Oeno Island
Oeno Island or Holiday Island is a coral atoll in the South Pacific Ocean, part of the Pitcairn Islands overseas territory.-Geography:...
– are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total land area of about 18 square miles (46.6 km²). Only Pitcairn, the second largest and measuring about 2 miles (3.2 km) across, is inhabited.
The islands are best known as home of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
and the Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
ans (or Polynesians) who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. This history is still apparent in the surnames of many of the islanders. With only about 48 inhabitants (from four families as of 2010: Christian, Warren, Young, and Brown), Pitcairn is the least populous jurisdiction in the world (although it is not a sovereign nation
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
). The United Nations Committee on Decolonisation includes the Pitcairn Islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories is a list of countries that, according to the United Nations, are non-decolonized. The list was initially prepared in 1946 pursuant to Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter, and has been updated by the General Assembly on recommendation...
.
History
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
ns who appear to have lived on Pitcairn and Henderson for several centuries. 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 were discovered by Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , was a Portuguese navigator best known for his involvement with Spanish voyages of discovery in the Pacific Ocean, in particular the 1595-1596 voyage of Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira, and for leading a 1605-1606 expedition which crossed the Pacific in search of Terra...
, sailing for the Spanish Crown, who arrived on 26 January 1606. He named them La Encarnación ("The Incarnation
Incarnation (Christianity)
The Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos , "became flesh" by being conceived in the womb of a woman, the Virgin Mary, also known as the Theotokos .The Incarnation is a fundamental theological...
") and San Juan Bautista ("Saint John the Baptist"), respectively. However, some sources express doubt about exactly which of the islands were visited and named by Queirós, suggesting that Queirós’ La Encarnación may actually have been Henderson Island, and San Juan Bautista may have been Pitcairn Island.
Pitcairn Island was sighted on 3 July 1767 by the crew of the British sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
HMS Swallow, commanded by Captain Philip Carteret
Philip Carteret
Philip Carteret, Seigneur of Trinity was a British naval officer and explorer who participated in two of the Royal Navy's circumnavigation expeditions in 1764-66 and 1766-69.-Biography:...
. It was named after Midshipman Robert Pitcairn, a fifteen-year-old crew member who was the first to sight the island. Robert Pitcairn was the son of British Marine Officer John Pitcairn
John Pitcairn
John Pitcairn was a British Marine who was stationed in Boston, Massachusetts at the start of the American Revolutionary War....
.
Marine chronometer
A marine chronometer is a clock that is precise and accurate enough to be used as a portable time standard; it can therefore be used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation...
, charted the island at 25° 2’ south and 133° 21’ west of Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, but although the latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
was reasonably accurate the longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
was incorrect by about 3°. This made Pitcairn difficult to find, as highlighted by the failure of Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
to locate the island in July 1773.
Habitation
In 1790, nine of the mutineers from the BountyHMS Bounty
HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
and Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
an companions (six men, 11 women and a baby), 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
Bounty Bay
Bounty Bay is an embayment of the Pacific Ocean into Pitcairn Island.Bounty Bay is named after the Bounty, a British naval vessel whose 18th century mutiny was immortalized in the novel Mutiny on the Bounty, and the numerous subsequent motion pictures made of it...
. The ship itself was discovered in 1957 by National Geographic explorer Luis Marden
Luis Marden
Luis Marden was an American photographer, explorer, writer, filmmaker, diver, navigator, and linguist who worked for National Geographic Magazine. He worked as a photographer and reporter before serving as chief of the National Geographic foreign editorial staff...
. 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
John Adams (mutineer)
John Adams was the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790, the year after the mutiny. His real name was John Adams; He used the name Alexander Smith until he was discovered in 1808 by Captain Mayhew Folger of the ship Topaz...
and Ned Young
Ned Young
Edward "Ned" Young , was a British sailor, mutineer from the famous HMS Bounty incident, and co-founder of the mutineers' Pitcairn Island settlement. He was noted for his ability to sleep through important events....
turned to the scriptures using the ship's Bible as their guide for a new and peaceful society. Young eventually died of an asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
tic infection. The Pitcairners also converted to Christianity; later they converted from their existing form of Christianity to Seventh-day Adventism after a successful Adventist mission in the 1890s. After the rediscovery of Pitcairn, John Adams was granted amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
for his mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
.
The Pitcairn islanders reported that it was not until 27 December 1795 that the first ship since the Bounty was seen from the island, but as it did not approach the land, they could not make out to what nation it belonged. A second appeared some time in 1801, but did not attempt to communicate with them. A third came sufficiently near to see their habitations, but did not venture to send a boat on shore. The American trading ship Topaz under the command of Mayhew Folger
Mayhew Folger
Mayhew Folger was an American whaler who captained the sealing ship Topaz that rediscovered the Pitcairn Islands in 1808. Only one of 's mutineers was still alive: Alexander Smith, whose alias was John Adams....
was the first to visit the island and communicate with them when they spent 10 hours at Pitcairn in February 1808. A report of Folger's find was forwarded to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
mentioning the mutineers and a more precise location of the island—25° 2’ S latitude, 130° W longitude—however, this rediscovery was not known to Sir Thomas Staines
Thomas Staines
Sir Thomas Staines, , Captain in the Royal Navy, Knight Commander of the Bath, and of the Sicilian Order of St. Ferdinand and Merit, and Knight of the Ottoman Order of the Crescent....
, who commanded a Royal Navy flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
of two ships (HMS Briton and HMS Tagus) which found the island at 25° .4’ S (by meridian observation) on 17 September 1814. Staines sent a party ashore and wrote a detailed report for the Admiralty.
Ducie Island was rediscovered in 1791 by the British Captain Edwards aboard HMS Pandora
HMS Pandora (1779)
HMS Pandora was a 24-gun Porcupine-class sixth-rate post ship of the Royal Navy launched in May 1779. She is best known as the ship sent in 1790 to search for the Bounty and the mutineers who had taken her...
, while searching for the Bounty mutineers. He named it after Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie
Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie
Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie was a British politician and naval officer.He served in the Royal Navy, being commissioned lieutenant with a date of seniority of 12 April 1762. By the outbreak of the American War of Independence he had been promoted Captain and was stationed in the West...
, a captain in the Royal Navy. Henderson Island was rediscovered on 17 January 1819 by a British Captain James Henderson of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
ship Hercules. On 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. Oeno Island was discovered on 26 January 1824 by U.S. Captain George Worth aboard the whaler Oeno.
British colony
Pitcairn Island became a British colony in 1838 and was among the first territories to extend voting rights to womenWomen's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
. 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
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
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.
In 1902 Henderson, Oeno and Ducie islands were annexed by Britain, Henderson on 1 July, Oeno on 10 July and Ducie on 19 December. In 1938 the three islands along with Pitcairn were formally incorporated into a single administrative unit called the "Pitcairn Group of Islands".
In 2004 charges were laid against seven men living on Pitcairn and six living abroad after extensive trials, the men were convicted, some with multiple counts of sexual attacks of children. On 25 October 2004, six men were convicted
Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004
On 30 September 2004, seven men living on Pitcairn Island , went on trial facing 55 charges relating to sexual offences. On 24 October, all but one of the defendants were found guilty on at least some of the charges they faced...
, including Steve Christian
Steve Christian
Steven Raymond Christian is a political figure from the Pacific territory of the Pitcairn Islands.-Mayor:...
, the island's mayor at the time. After the six men lost their final appeal, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob's Valley. The men began serving their sentences in late 2006. By 2010 all had served their sentences or been granted home detention status.
In 2010 the island received a new and updated constitution.
Politics
Politics of the Pitcairn Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentaryParliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
dependency
Dependent territory
A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....
, whereby the Mayor is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. The territory's constitution is the Local Government Ordinance of 1964. In terms of population, the Pitcairn Islands is the smallest democracy in the world.
The government's administrative offices are in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Military
The Pitcairn Islands are an overseas territory of the United KingdomBritish overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
, meaning defence is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and Her Majesty's Armed Forces.
Geography
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of the Tuamotus
Tuamotus
The Tuamotus or the Tuamotu Archipelago are a chain of islands and atolls in French Polynesia. They form the largest chain of atolls in the world, spanning an area of the Pacific Ocean roughly the size of Western Europe...
of French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
, and consist of four islands: Pitcairn Island, Oeno Island
Oeno Island
Oeno Island or Holiday Island is a coral atoll in the South Pacific Ocean, part of the Pitcairn Islands overseas territory.-Geography:...
(atoll with five islets, one of which is Sandy Island), Henderson Island
Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands)
Henderson Island is an uninhabited raised coral atoll in the south Pacific Ocean, that in 1902 was annexed to the Pitcairn Islands colony, a South Pacific Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom. Measuring long and wide, it has an area of and is located northeast of Pitcairn Island at . The...
and Ducie Island
Ducie Island
Ducie Island is an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Islands. It lies east of Pitcairn and has a total area of , which includes the lagoon. It is long, measured northeast to southwest, and about wide. The island is composed of four islets: Acadia, Pandora, Westward and Edwards.Despite its...
(atoll with four islets).
The only permanently inhabited island, Pitcairn, is accessible only by boat through Bounty Bay
Bounty Bay
Bounty Bay is an embayment of the Pacific Ocean into Pitcairn Island.Bounty Bay is named after the Bounty, a British naval vessel whose 18th century mutiny was immortalized in the novel Mutiny on the Bounty, and the numerous subsequent motion pictures made of it...
.
Henderson Island
Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands)
Henderson Island is an uninhabited raised coral atoll in the south Pacific Ocean, that in 1902 was annexed to the Pitcairn Islands colony, a South Pacific Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom. Measuring long and wide, it has an area of and is located northeast of Pitcairn Island at . The...
, covering about 86% 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 access is difficult, owing to its outer shores' being steep limestone cliffs covered by sharp coral.
The Pitcairn Islands were formed by a centre of upwelling magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
called the Pitcairn hotspot
Pitcairn hotspot
The Pitcairn hotspot is a volcanic hotspot located in the south-central Pacific Ocean. It is responsible for creating the Pitcairn Islands and two large seamounts called Adams and Bounty....
.
The other islands are at a distance of more than 100 km (62.1 mi) and are not habitable.
| Island or atoll | Type | Land area (km²) |
Total area (km²) |
Pop. July 2008 |
Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducie Island Ducie Island Ducie Island is an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Islands. It lies east of Pitcairn and has a total area of , which includes the lagoon. It is long, measured northeast to southwest, and about wide. The island is composed of four islets: Acadia, Pandora, Westward and Edwards.Despite its... |
Atoll Atoll An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED... |
0.7 | 3.9* | – | 24°40′09"S 124°47′11"W |
| Henderson Island Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands) Henderson Island is an uninhabited raised coral atoll in the south Pacific Ocean, that in 1902 was annexed to the Pitcairn Islands colony, a South Pacific Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom. Measuring long and wide, it has an area of and is located northeast of Pitcairn Island at . The... |
Uplifted coral island Tectonic uplift Tectonic uplift is a geological process most often caused by plate tectonics which increases elevation. The opposite of uplift is subsidence, which results in a decrease in elevation. Uplift may be orogenic or isostatic.-Orogenic uplift:... |
37.3 | 37.3 | – | 24°22′01"S 128°18′57"W |
| Oeno Island Oeno Island Oeno Island or Holiday Island is a coral atoll in the South Pacific Ocean, part of the Pitcairn Islands overseas territory.-Geography:... |
Atoll Atoll An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED... |
0.65 | 16.65* | – | 23°55′26"S 130°44′03"W |
| Pitcairn Island | Volcanic island Volcano 2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15... |
4.6 | 4.6 | 50 | 25°04′00"S 130°06′00"W |
| Pitcairn Islands (all islands) |
– | 43.25 | 62.45 | 50 | 23°55′26″ to 25°04′00″S, 124°47′11″ to 130°44′03″W |
Flora and fauna
About nine plant species are thought to occur only on Pitcairn. These include tapau, formerly an important timber resource, and the giant nehe fern (Angiopteris chauliodonta). Some, such as red berry (Coprosma rapensis var. Benefica), are perilously close to extinction. The Pitcairn Islands are one of two places (the other being MangarevaMangareva
Mangareva is the central and most important island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is surrounded by smaller islands: Taravai in the southwest, Aukena and Akamaru in the southeast, and islands in the north...
) in the world in which the plant species Glochidion pitcairnense
Glochidion pitcairnense
Glochidion pitcairnense is a species of plant in the Phyllanthaceae family. It only occurs in the Pitcairn Islands and Mangareva in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia. It would be rare to even see them in those islands....
occurs.
In terms of fauna, an interesting and rare introduction is the Galapagos giant tortoise (Testudo elephantopus). The sole surviving tortoise, Ms T (also known as Turpen), was one of five, which arrived on Pitcairn between 1937 and 1951, brought to the island by Irving Johnson
Irving Johnson
Irving McClure Johnson was an American author, lecturer, adventurer, and sail training pioneer....
, skipper of the 96 feet (29.3 m) Brigantine Yankee. Turpen usually resides at Tedside by Western Harbour. A protection order makes it an offence should anyone kill, injure, capture, maim or cause harm or distress to the tortoise.
The birds of Pitcairn fall into several groups. These include seabirds, wading birds and a small number of resident land bird species. Of 20 breeding species, Henderson Island has 16, including the unique flightless Henderson Crake
Henderson Crake
The Red-eyed Crake or Henderson Crake is a species of bird in the family Rallidae.It is endemic to Henderson Island in the southeast Pacific Ocean....
(Porzana atra); Oeno 12; Ducie 13 and Pitcairn six. Of the birds breeding on Pitcairn the best known are the Fairy Tern
Fairy Tern
The Fairy Tern is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific.There are three subspecies:* Australian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis nereis - breeds in Australia...
(Gygis alba), the Common Noddy (Anous stolidus) and the Red-tailed Tropic Bird (Phaethon rubricauda). The Pitcairn Island Warbler (Acrocephalus vaughani), known by Pitcairners as a "Sparrow", is a native species, dark-brown above and yellowish to buff below. It used to be common throughout the island but was placed on the endangered status list in 2008.
Economy
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
(paw paws), pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
s, mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es, watermelon
Watermelon
Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
s, rockmelons, passionfruit, breadfruit
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s, avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
es, and citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
(including oranges, mandarin
Mandarin orange
The orange, also known as the ' or mandarine , is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling other oranges. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain or in fruit salads...
s, grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
, lemons and limes
Limes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
); and vegetables include: sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
es (kumura), carrots, sweet corn, tomatoes, taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
, yams
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
, peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
, and bean
Bean
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
s. Arrowroot
Arrowroot
Arrowroot, or obedience plant , Bermuda arrowroot, araru, ararao, is a large perennial herb found in rainforest habitats...
(Tacca leontopetaloides) and sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
are grown and harvested to produce arrowroot flour and molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
. Pitcairn Island is remarkably productive and its benign climate allows a wide range of tropical and temperate crops to be grown.
Fish are plentiful in the seas around Pitcairn. Spiny lobster
Spiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters, are a family of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia...
and a large variety of fish are caught for meals and for trading aboard passing ships. Almost every day someone will go fishing, whether it is from the rocks, from a longboat or diving with a spear gun. There are numerous types of fish around the island. Fish such as Nanwee, White Fish, Moi and Opapa are caught in shallow water, while Snapper, Big Eye and Cod are caught in deep water and Yellow Tail and Wahoo are caught by trolling. A range of minerals have been discovered within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 370 km offshore and comprises 880,000 km2, including manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver and zinc.
Souvenirs
The Pitcairners are involved in creating crafts and curios (made out of wood from HendersonHenderson Island (Pitcairn Islands)
Henderson Island is an uninhabited raised coral atoll in the south Pacific Ocean, that in 1902 was annexed to the Pitcairn Islands colony, a South Pacific Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom. Measuring long and wide, it has an area of and is located northeast of Pitcairn Island at . The...
). Typical wood carvings include sharks, fish, whales, dolphins, turtles, vases, birds, walking sticks, book boxes and the famous models of the Bounty. Miro (Thespesia populnea), a dark, durable and beautifully grained wood, is preferred for carving. Islanders also produce exquisite tapa cloth
Tapa cloth
Tapa cloth is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii...
and painted hattie leaves.
Coins and stamps
The major sources of revenue, until recently, have been the sale of coinCoin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s and postage stamps to collectors, .pn domain names, and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships, most of which are plying the United Kingdom to New Zealand route via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. 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. Tourism is the main focus for building the future economy focusing on small groups coming by charter vessel and staying at "home stays". Providing accommodation is a growing source of revenue and some have invested in building separate self contained units adjacent to their homes.
Honey production
In 1998, the UK Government aid agency, the Department for International Development, funded an apiculture programme for Pitcairn which included training for Pitcairn's beekeepers and a detailed analysis of Pitcairn's bees and honey with particular regard to the presence or not of disease. Pitcairn, it was discovered, has one of the best examples of disease-free bee populations anywhere in the world and the honey produced was and remains exceptionally high in quality. Pitcairn bees were also found to be a particularly placid variety and, within a short time, the beekeepers were able to work with them wearing minimal protection (The Telegraph, 9 January 2010). As a result, Pitcairn today exports its renowned honeyHoney
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
to New Zealand and to the United Kingdom, where it is stocked in London by Fortnum and Mason and Partridges in Sloane Square. The honey has become a favourite of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. The Pitcairn Islanders, under the "Bounty Products" and "Delectable Bounty" brands, also export dried fruit including bananas, papayas, pineapples and mangoes to New Zealand.
Tourism
Tourism plays a major role on Pitcairn providing the locals 80% of their annual income. Since 2009, the Government has been operating the MV Claymore IIMV Claymore 2
MV Claymore II is a Passenger / Cargo ship built in 1966 by Jadewerft, Wilhelmshaven.In August 2009 she was purchased by Nigle Jolly, of Stoney Creek Shipping Co...
as the island's only dedicated passenger/cargo vessel providing tourists with adventure tourism holidays to Pitcairn for three- or ten-day visits. Tourists stay with local families and get to experience the island's history while contributing to the local economy. Some families have invested in private self-contained units for tourists to rent. Each year approximately ten cruise ships call at the island for a few hours generating income for the locals from the sale of souvenirs, landing fees and the stamping of passports. Children under the age of 16 years require a completed entry clearance application in order to visit the island.
Electricity
Electricity on the island is provided by diesel generators operating ten hours per day (from 8 am to 1 pm, and from 5 pm to 10 pm). A wind power plant is planned to be installed in the next year or two, to help reduce the high cost of power generation currently associated with the import of diesel, and provide 24-hour electricity to the islanders at 70 cents per unit with no government subsidy.Language
The majority of the resident Pitcairn Islanders are the descendants of the Bounty MutineersDescendants of the Bounty Mutineers
The Descendants of the Bounty Mutineers and their Tahitan consorts include the modern day Pitcairn Islanders as well as most of the population of Norfolk Island. Their descendants also live in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States...
and Tahitians (or Polynesians). Pitkern
Pitkern
Pitkern is a creole language based on an 18th century dialect of English and Tahitian. It is a primary language of Pitcairn Island with fewer than 100 speakers worldwide. However, the closely related Norfuk language has a few thousand native speakers...
is a creole language
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
derived from 18th century English, with elements of the Tahitian language
Tahitian language
Tahitian is an indigenous language spoken mainly in the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is an Eastern Polynesian language closely related to the other indigenous languages spoken in French Polynesia: Marquesan, Tuamotuan, Mangarevan, and Austral Islands languages...
. 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
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, because Norfolk was repopulated in the mid-19th century by Pitcairners.
Demographics
In September 2003, a baby was born on the island for the first time in 17 years (Pitcairn Miscellany, 2003). Another child, Adrianna Tracey Christian, was born on Pitcairn on 3 March 2007 (Miscellany, 2007). In February 2005, Shirley and Simon Young became the first married outsider couple in recorded history to obtain citizenshipCitizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
on Pitcairn (Miscellany, March 2005). Since 2001, a significant proportion of the Pitcairn population (21 people) has been given a Personal Public Service Number
Personal Public Service Number
The Personal Public Service Number is an identifier issued by Client Identity Services, Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs in Ireland....
in Ireland, which is required for work, taxes and social benefits
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
.
Religion
A successful Seventh-day AdventistSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
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 church which was built in 1954, is run by the Church board and resident pastor, who usually serves a two year term. The Sabbath School meets at 10 am on Saturday mornings and is followed by Divine Service an hour later. On Tuesday evenings there is a further service in the form of a prayer meeting.
Society
The once-strict moral codes, which prohibited dancing, public displays of affectionPublic display of affection
Public displays of affection are acts of physical intimacy in the view of others. What are acceptable displays of affection vary between cultures as well as to time and context. Which acts are acceptable have also varied over time...
, smoking, and consumption of alcohol, have been relaxed in recent years. Islanders and visitors no longer require a six-month licence to purchase, import, and consume alcohol (Pitcairn Island Government Ordinance). There is now one licensed cafe and bar on the island, and the Government Store sells alcohol and cigarettes.
The unique cuisine and rich cultural heritage of the Pitcairn Islanders is detailed in a cookbook: "A Taste of Pitcairn: The First Pitcairn Island Cookbook", by Pitcairn resident Meralda Warren
Meralda Warren
Meralda Elva Junior Warren is a Pitcairn Island nurse, radio operator , artist, and author of the cookbook Taste of Pitcairn...
(updated ed. 2005).
Fishing and swimming are two popular recreational activities. A birthday celebration or the arrival of a ship or yacht will involve the entire Pitcairn community in a public dinner in the Square, Adamstown. Tables are covered in a variety of foods, including fish, meat, chicken, philhi, baked rice, boiled plun (banana), breadfruit, vegetable dishes, an assortment of pies, bread, breadsticks, an array of desserts, pineapple, watermelon and more.
Public work, which by law is required of all men and women between the ages of 16 and 65, ensures the ongoing maintenance of the island's numerous roads and paths. The island has a labour force of only 15 men and women (as of 2004).
Education
Education is free and compulsory between the ages of five and 16. All of Pitcairn's seven children were enrolled in school in 2000. The island's children have produced a book in Pitkern and English called "Mi Bas Side orn Pitcairn=My Favourite Place on Pitcairn" (National Library of New Zealand Catalogue).The school at Pulau provides pre-school and primary education based on the New Zealand syllabus. The teacher is appointed by the Governor from suitable qualified applicants who are New Zealand registered teachers. The contract includes the role of Editor of the Pitcairn Miscellany.
Historical population
Pitcairn's population has drastically decreased since its peak of over 250 in 1936 to 60 in 2011.| Year | Population | Year | Population | Year | Population | Year | Population | Year | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 27 | 1880 | 112 | 1970 | 96 | 1992 | 54 | 2002 | 48 |
| 1800 | 34 | 1890 | 136 | 1975 | 74 | 1993 | 57 | 2003 | 59 |
| 1810 | 50 | 1900 | 136 | 1980 | 61 | 1994 | 54 | 2004 | 65 |
| 1820 | 66 | 1910 | 140 | 1985 | 58 | 1995 | 55 | 2005 | 63 |
| 1830 | 70 | 1920 | 163 | 1986 | 68 | 1996 | 43 | 2006 | 65 |
| 1840 | 119 | 1930 | 190 | 1987 | 59 | 1997 | 40 | 2007 | 64 |
| 1850 | 146 | 1936 | 250 | 1988 | 55 | 1998 | 66 | 2008 | 66 |
| 1856* | 193 | 1940 | 163 | 1989 | 55 | 1999 | 46 | 2009 | 70 |
| 1859** | 16 | 1950 | 161 | 1990 | 59 | 2000 | 51 | 2010 | 64 |
| 1870 | 70 | 1960 | 126 | 1991 | 66 | 2001 | 44 | 2011 | 60 |
- 1856 Emigration to Norfolk Island leaves Pitcairn uninhabited.
- 1859 First group returns from Norfolk Island.
Media and communications
- Telephones: Pitcairn uses New Zealand's international dialling code, +64.
- Radio: There is no broadcast station. Marine band walkie-talkieWalkie-talkieA walkie-talkie is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald L. Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, and engineering teams at Motorola...
radios are used to maintain contact among people in different areas of the island. Foreign stations can be picked up on shortwave radio. - Amateur Radio: QRZ.COM lists seven amateur radioAmateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operators on the island. - Television: There are 2 live English TV channels from satellite, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, and Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
. Free-To-AirFree-to-airFree-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
satellite dishes can be used to watch foreign TV. - Internet: There is one Government-sponsored satellite internet connection, with networking provided to the inhabitants of the island. Pitcairn's country code (top level domain) is .pn.pn.pn is the Internet country code top-level domain for Pitcairn Islands.The top-level domain was the subject of a dispute in 2000, between islander Tom Christian, who had been delegated with management of the domain by ICANN, and the government of the island, which was resolved by ICANN ruling that...
. Residents pay NZ$100 (about USD$75) for 2 GB of data per month, at a rate of 256 kbit/s.
Transport
The settlers of the Pitcairns all arrived by some form of boat or ship.Pitcairn Island does not have an airport or seaport; the islanders rely on longboat
Longboat
In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart...
s to ferry people and goods between ship and shore through Bounty Bay. The island has one small harbour and launch ramp that is used to dock and load long-boats. Because it is small and the water is shallow, only small-craft can fit (Pitkern Ilan, David Evans, 2007).
A dedicated passenger/cargo supply ship chartered by the Pitcairn Island Government, the MV Claymore II
MV Claymore 2
MV Claymore II is a Passenger / Cargo ship built in 1966 by Jadewerft, Wilhelmshaven.In August 2009 she was purchased by Nigle Jolly, of Stoney Creek Shipping Co...
, is the principal transport from Mangareva
Mangareva
Mangareva is the central and most important island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. It is surrounded by smaller islands: Taravai in the southwest, Aukena and Akamaru in the southeast, and islands in the north...
, Gambier Islands
Gambier Islands
There was a time when the Gambiers hosted a population of several thousand people and traded with other island groups including the Marquesas, the Society Islands and Pitcairn Islands...
, French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
.
Mangareva is reachable by air from the French Polynesian capital Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
(Lonely Planet South Pacific, 3rd ed. 2006, "Pitcairn Getting There" pp. 429–30).
There is one 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) paved road leading up from Bounty Bay through Adamstown.
The main mode of transport on Pitcairn islands is by four-wheel-drive quad bikes. There are also two cars on the island.
Climate
Pitcairn is located just under the Tropic of Capricorn and enjoys year round warm weather. Summer temperatures average 25–35 degrees Celsius from the months of October through to April, while the winter months range from 17 degrees to 25. The average humidity in summer can exceed 95%. The rainy season is from November through to March.See also
- Bounty DayBounty DayBounty Day is a holiday on both Pitcairn Island, destination of the HMS Bounty mutineers, and on Norfolk Island. It is celebrated on January 23 on Pitcairn, and on June 8 on Norfolk Island, the day that the descendants of the mutineers arrived on the island...
- British Overseas TerritoriesBritish overseas territoriesThe British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
- Climate of the Pitcairn Islands
- Island Council (Pitcairn)Island Council (Pitcairn)The Island Council is the legislative body of the Pitcairn Islands. It also doubles as the court of the British dependency, making it one of the few bodies in the world to possess both legislative and judicial authority.The Council has ten members...
- Thursday October Christian IThursday October Christian IThursday October Christian was the first son of Fletcher Christian and his Tahitian wife Mauatua. He was conceived on Tahiti, and was the first child born on the Pitcairn Islands after the mutineers took refuge on the island...
Further reading
The Mutiny on the Bounty- The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty by Caroline Alexander (Harper Perennial, London, 2003 pp.491)
- The Discovery of Fletcher Christian: a Travel Book by Glynn Christian, a descendant of Fletcher Christian, Bounty MutineerFletcher ChristianFletcher Christian was a master's mate on board the Bounty during William Bligh's fateful voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants...
(Guild Press, London, 2005 pp.448)
After the Mutiny
- The Pitcairners by Robert B. Nicolson (Pasifika Press, Auckland, 1997 pp.260)
- After the Bounty: The aftermath of the infamous Mutiny on the HMS Bounty-an insight to the plight of the mutineers by Cal Adams, a descendant of John Adams, Bounty MutineerJohn Adams (mutineer)John Adams was the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790, the year after the mutiny. His real name was John Adams; He used the name Alexander Smith until he was discovered in 1808 by Captain Mayhew Folger of the ship Topaz...
(Self-published, Sydney, 2008 pp.184)
Pitcairn Island Today
- The Guide to Pitcairn produced by Pitcairn Island Government (Pitcairn Island Administration, Auckland, 1999 pp.68)
- Pitkern Ilan=Pitcairn Island by David H. Evans (Self-published, Auckland, 2007 pp.46)
External links
Travel to Pitcairn- Pitcairn Island Tourism Official tourism site of the Pitcairn Islands.
Government of the Pitcairn Islands
- Pitcairn Government
- Pitcairn Islands from the British Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeForeign and Commonwealth OfficeThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
News from Pitcairn Island
- Pitcairn Miscellany News from Pitcairn Island. The Editor is Pulau school teacher.
- Pitcairn News information from Chris Double, a Bounty descendant based in Auckland NZ
- Uklun Tul Un Dem Tul Pitcairn news by Kari Young, a Pitcairn resident.
Pitcairn Island Study Groups on the Internet