Introduction

 

Background: Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

 

Geography

 

Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

 

Geographic coordinates: 29 02 S, 167 57 E

 

Map references: Oceania

 

Area: total: 34.6 sq km; land: 34.6 sq km; water: 0 sq km

 

Area - comparative: about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC

 

Land boundaries: 0 km

 

Coastline: 32 km

 

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

 

Climate: subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation

 

Terrain: volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

 

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Bates 319 m

 

Natural resources: fish

 

Land use: arable land: 0%; permanent crops: 0%; other: 100% (2001)

 

Irrigated land: NA

 

Natural hazards: typhoons (especially May to July)

 

Environment - current issues: NA

 

Geography - note: most of the 32-km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated

 

People

 

Population: 1,828 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.2%; 15-64 years: 63.9%; 65 years and over: 15.9% (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: -0.01% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: NA

 

Death rate: NA

 

Net migration rate: NA

 

Sex ratio: NA

 

Infant mortality rate: total: NA; male: NA; female: NA

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA; male: NA; female: NA

 

Total fertility rate: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

 

Nationality: noun: Norfolk Islander(s); adjective: Norfolk Islander(s)

 

Ethnic groups: descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians

 

Religions: Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.3%, none 18.1% (2001 census)

 

Languages: English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian

 

Literacy: NA

 

Government

 

Country name: conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island; conventional short form: Norfolk Island

 

Dependency status: territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories

 

Government type: NA

 

Capital: Kingston

 

Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)

Independence: none (territory of Australia)

 

National holiday: Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856)

 

Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1979

 

Legal system: based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law

 

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

 

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)

head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001)

cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator

elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years; election last held 20 Ocotber 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)

election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative

Assembly vote - 17.2%

 

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)

 

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions

 

Political parties and leaders: none

 

Political pressure groups and leaders: none

 

International organization participation: UPU

 

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)

 

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)

 

Flag description: three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band

 

Economy

 

Economy - overview: Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - NA

 

GDP - real growth rate: NA

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - NA

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: Na; industry: NA; services: NA

 

Labor force: 1,345

 

Labor force - by occupation: tourism 90%, subsistence agriculture 10%

 

Unemployment rate: 0%

 

Population below poverty line: NA

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA; highest 10%: NA

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA

 

Budget: revenues: $20 million; expenditures: $20 million, including capital expenditures of $2 million (FY99/00)

 

Agriculture - products: Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry

 

Industries: tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete

 

Industrial production growth rate: NA

 

Electricity - production: NA kWh

 

Electricity - consumption: NA kWh

 

Exports: $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY99/00)

 

Exports - commodities: postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados

 

Exports - partners: Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe

 

Imports: $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92)

 

Imports - commodities: NA

 

Imports - partners: Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe

 

Debt - external: NA

 

Economic aid - recipient: NA

 

Currency (code): Australian dollar (AUD)

 

Exchange rates: Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)

 

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits

(2004)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002)

 

Telephone system: general assessment: adequate; domestic: free local calls; international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)

 

Television broadcast stations: 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in

 

Australian programs by satellite) (2005)

 

Internet country code: .nf

 

Internet users: 700

 

Transportation

 

Highways: total: 80 km; paved: 53 km; unpaved: 27 km (2001)

 

Ports and harbors: none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

 

Airports: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

Disputes - international: none