Pitcairn IslandsThe 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).
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 Economy\nMain 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\nMain 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 CrimeShowing affection in public, dancing and alcoholic beverages are forbidden. As recently as 2003, however, the prohibition on alcohol seemed to be slackening, with several families accepting use. 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\n*Telephones - main lines in use: 1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line) (1997)
Transportation\nThe 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. \nccTLD\nTheir Domain Registry is based at www.nic.pnExternal linksCategory:Polynesia \n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n |
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