This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

Legend: Definition Field Listing Rank Order

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.

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

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

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 - 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

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

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.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005