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| Introduction | Norfolk Island | |
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 - production by source: | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2002) |
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) |
Currency code: | 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 |
| 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 (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) |
Radios: | 2,500 (1996) |
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (2005) |
Televisions: | 1,200 (1996) |
Internet country code: | .nf |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000) |
Internet users: | 700 |
| Transportation | Norfolk Island | |
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 |
| Transnational Issues | Norfolk Island | |
Disputes - international: | none |
| This page was last updated on 9 August, 2005 | -.-.- |
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