Pitcairn Island

Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific Ocean.

Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific Ocean. Its small population is descended largely from the mutineers of HMS Bounty and their Tahitian companions. The island’s capital is Adamstown, and its administration is based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Geography

Pitcairn Island is a small volcanic island in the southern Pacific Ocean, roughly 2,170 km southeast of Tahiti. It is the only inhabited island in the Pitcairn Islands group, which also includes Henderson, Ducie and Oeno.

History

The island was first inhabited by Polynesians, later rediscovered by Europeans in the 17th century, and became associated with the HMS Bounty mutineers who settled there in 1790. Its modern population traces largely to those settlers and their Tahitian companions.

Population and settlement

Pitcairn has one settlement, Adamstown, and one of the smallest permanent populations of any territory in the world. The community is small, isolated, and closely tied by family relationships.

Government and status

Pitcairn Island forms part of a British Overseas Territory administered by the United Kingdom. Day-to-day administrative functions are based in Auckland, New Zealand, rather than on the island itself.