Norfolk Island
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Education
Greenwich University

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.

Geography Norfolk Island

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 water: 0 sq km land: 34.6 sq km

Area - comparative:  about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:  0 km

Coastline:  32 km

Maritime claims:  exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:  NA sq km

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

People Norfolk Island

Population:  1,866 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:  0-14 years: 20.2% 15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over:
15.9% (1996)

Population growth rate:  -0.69% (2002 est.)

Birth rate:  NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:  NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:  NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio:   NA male(s)/female 15-64 years:  NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate:  NA deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:  total population: NA years female: NA years
male: NA years

Total fertility rate:  NA children born/woman

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 37.4%, Uniting Church in Australia 14.5%, Roman
Catholic 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, none 12.2%, unknown 17.4%,
other 3.9% (1996)

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:  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:  Pitcairners Arrival Day, 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 Anthony
J. MESSNER (since 4 August 1997) election results: Geoffrey Robert
GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote -
NA% 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 29
November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004) 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

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 29 November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004)
election results: Judicial branch:  Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions

Political parties and leaders:  none

Political pressure groups and leaders:  none

International organization participation:  none

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 - $NA

GDP - real growth rate:  NA%

GDP - per capita:  purchasing power parity - $NA

GDP - composition by sector:  agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Population below poverty line:  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:  lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):  NA%

Labor force:  NA

Labor force - by occupation:  tourism NA%, subsistence agriculture NA%

Unemployment rate:  NA%

Budget:  revenues: $4.6 million expenditures: $4.8 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)

Industries:  tourism

Industrial production growth rate:  NA%

Electricity - production:  NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:  fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% other:
NA% nuclear: NA%

Electricity - consumption:  NA kWh

Agriculture - products:  Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed,
cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry

Exports:  $1.5 million (f.o.b., FY91/92)

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:  Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:  AUD

Exchange rates:  Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002),
1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)

Fiscal year:  1 July - 30 June

Communications Norfolk Island

Telephones - main lines in use:  1,087 (1983)

Telephones - mobile cellular:  0 (1983)

Telephone system:  general assessment: adequate domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia)

Radio broadcast stations:  AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:  2,500 (1996)

Television broadcast stations:  1 (local programming station plus two
repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998)

Televisions:  1,200 (1996)

Internet country code:  .nf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):  2 (2000)

Internet users:  NA

Transportation Norfolk Island

Railways:  0 km

Highways:  total: 80 km paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 km (2001)

Waterways:  none

Ports and harbors:  none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Merchant marine:  none (2002 est.)

Airports:  1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:  total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)

Military Norfolk Island

Military - note:  defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues Norfolk Island

Disputes - international:  none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

 

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