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Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Peru to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 06 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 47 sq km
land: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 51 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical, hot, humid; modified by southeast trade
winds; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with
cliffs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m
Natural resources: miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have
been discovered offshore
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: NA%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons (especially November to March)
Environment - current issues: deforestation (only a small
portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing
for settlement)
Background: Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the
British and settled in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian
companions. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned
the population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to about 50 today.
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