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.
Geography
Norfolk Island
Location:
Oceania, island in the South
Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
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
People
Norfolk Island
Population:
2,128 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2007
est.)
Population growth rate:
0.006% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA
Sex ratio:
NA
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
descendants of the Bounty
mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesian
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
15.2%, none 18.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official), Norfolk - a
mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Literacy:
NA
Government
Norfolk Island
Country name:
conventional long form:
Territory of Norfolk Island conventional short form: Norfolk
Island
Dependency status:
self governing territory of
Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's
Department
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E time
difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
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, as
amended in 2005
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); represented by the Australian
governor general head of government: Acting Administrator Owen
WALSH (since October 2007) 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 and represents the monarch and
Australia
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; to serve three-year
terms) elections: last held 21 March 2007 (next to be held by
28 March 2010) election results: 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
Norfolk Island
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):
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10%
industry and services: 90%
Budget:
revenues: $4.6 million
expenditures: $4.8 million (FY99/00)
Agriculture - products:
Norfolk Island pine seed,
Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry
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 (2006)
Imports:
$17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92)
Imports - commodities:
NA
Imports - partners:
Australia, other Pacific island
countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Debt - external:
Currency (code):
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
AUD
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US
dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications
Norfolk Island
Telephones - main lines in use:
2,532; note - a mix of analog
(2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
0; note - 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 and New
Zealand; satellite earth station - 1
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)
Radios:
2,500 (1996)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (local programming station
plus 2 repeaters that air Australian programs by satellite) (2005)
