| Country name | conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands etymology: named after Midshipman Robert PITCAIRN who first sighted the island in 1767 |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK |
| Government type | parliamentary democracy |
| Capital | name: Adamstown geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named after John Adams (1767–1829), the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790 |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| National holiday | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767) |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest drafted 10 February 2010, presented 17 February 2010, effective 4 March 2010 amendments: Reviewed 10 Jun '21; NC |
| Legal system | local island by-laws |
| Citizenship | see United Kingdom |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal with three years residency |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands Laura CLARK (since 25 January 2018) head of government: Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Charlene WARREN-PEU (since 1 January 2020) cabinet: none elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor directly elected by majority popular vote for a 3-year term; election last held on 6 November 2019 (next to be held not later than December 2022) election results: Charlene WARREN-PEU elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council; Island Council vote - NA |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Island Council (10 seats; 4 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 1 nominated by the elected Council members, 2 appointed by the governor, and 3 ex-officio members - the governor, deputy governor, and commissioner; elected members serve 1-year terms) elections: last held in November 2017 (next to be held not later than December 2019) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 5 independent; composition - men 5, women 5, percent of women 50% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Pitcairn Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, 2 judges, and the Supreme Court chief justice, an ex-officio member); Pitcairn Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Pitcairn Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: all judges of both courts appointed by the governor of the Pitcairn Islands on the instructions of the Queen of England through the Secretary of State; all judges can serve until retirement, normally at age 75 subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court |
| Political parties and leaders | none |
| International organization participation | SPC, UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Flag description | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the green, yellow, and blue of the shield represents the island rising from the ocean; the green field features a yellow anchor surmounted by a bible (both the anchor and the bible were items found on the HMS Bounty); sitting on the crest is a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow from which springs a flowering twig of miro (a local plant) |
| National anthem | name: We From Pitcairn Island lyrics/music: unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
