Pitcairn Islands Government - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Country name

conventional long form: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands

conventional short form: Pitcairn Islands

etymology: named after Midshipman Robert PITCAIRN who first sighted the island in 1767

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

name: Adamstown

geographic coordinates: 25 04 S, 130 05 W

time difference: UTC-9 (4 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after John Adams (1767–1829), the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926); Discovery Day (Pitcairn Day), 2 July (1767)

Constitution

history: several previous; latest drafted 10 February 2010, presented 17 February 2010, effective 4 March 2010

amendments: Reviewed 10 Jun '21; NC

Legal system

local island by-laws

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal with three years residency

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (nonresident) of the Pitcairn Islands Laura CLARK (since 25 January 2018)

head of government: Mayor and Chairman of the Island Council Charlene WARREN-PEU (since 1 January 2020)

cabinet: none

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor and commissioner appointed by the monarch; island mayor directly elected by majority popular vote for a 3-year term; election last held on 6 November 2019 (next to be held not later than December 2022)

election results: Charlene WARREN-PEU elected mayor and chairman of the Island Council; Island Council vote - NA

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Island Council (10 seats; 4 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 1 nominated by the elected Council members, 2 appointed by the governor, and 3 ex-officio members - the governor, deputy governor, and commissioner; elected members serve 1-year terms)

elections: last held in November 2017 (next to be held not later than December 2019)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 5 independent; composition - men 5, women 5, percent of women 50%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Pitcairn Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, 2 judges, and the Supreme Court chief justice, an ex-officio member); Pitcairn Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Pitcairn Court of Appeal are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office: all judges of both courts appointed by the governor of the Pitcairn Islands on the instructions of the Queen of England through the Secretary of State; all judges can serve until retirement, normally at age 75

subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court

Political parties and leaders

none

International organization participation

SPC, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the green, yellow, and blue of the shield represents the island rising from the ocean; the green field features a yellow anchor surmounted by a bible (both the anchor and the bible were items found on the HMS Bounty); sitting on the crest is a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow from which springs a flowering twig of miro (a local plant)

National anthem

name: We From Pitcairn Island

lyrics/music: unknown/Frederick M. LEHMAN

note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

NOTE: The information regarding Pitcairn Islands on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Pitcairn Islands 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Pitcairn Islands 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.