| The World Factbook | ||
|
|
Norfolk Island |
|
|
| 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 - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
|
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% (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:
|
1,841 (July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.01% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
NA (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% (2004 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
NA children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
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 Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)
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: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
|
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% (2002 est.) |
|
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: 0%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2002) nuclear: 0% |
|
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 - 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999) |
|
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 (1983) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite service planned for near future |
|
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 |
|
Airports:
|
1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Norfolk Island |
|
Military - note:
|
defense is the responsibility of Australia |
| Transnational Issues | Norfolk Island |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
|
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004 |