Geography of the Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands consist of four islands: Pitcairn Island (a volcanic high island), Henderson Island (an uplifted coral island), and two coral atolls, Oeno Island and Ducie Island.
The only inhabited island, Pitcairn, has an area of 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) and a population density of 10/km2 (26/sq mi); it is only accessible by boat through Bounty Bay. The other islands are at a distance of more than 100 km (62 mi).
Location[]
The Pitcairn Islands as a group of islands in Oceania:(25°04′00″S 130°05′00″W / 25.06667°S 130.08333°WCoordinates: 25°04′00″S 130°05′00″W / 25.06667°S 130.08333°W)
WikiMiniAtlas- Pitcairn Island (main island) (25°04′S 130°06′W / 25.067°S 130.100°W)
- Henderson Island (24°22′01″S 128°18′57″W / 24.36694°S 128.31583°W)
- Ducie Island (24°40′09″S 124°47′11″W / 24.66917°S 124.78639°W)
- Oeno Island (23°55′26″S 130°44′03″W / 23.92389°S 130.73417°W)
Situated in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Peru to New Zealand, they are one of the most remote sites of human habitation on Earth.[1][2]
The only inhabited island, Pitcairn, is at 25.04 south, 130.06 west. Pitcairn is about 2,170 kilometres (1,350 mi) southeast of Tahiti, 5,310 kilometres (3,300 mi) from Auckland, New Zealand, and over 6,600 kilometres (4,100 mi) from Panama.[3]
Area[]
- Total: 47 km2 (18 sq mi)
- Land: 47 km2 (18 sq mi)
- Water: 0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Pitcairn Island is about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) long and 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) wide.[3] This is about 3⁄10 of the size of Washington, DC.
Land boundaries[]
0 km (0 mi)
Coastline[]
51 km (32 mi)
Maritime claims[]
Exclusive economic zone:
836,000 km2 (323,000 sq mi)
Territorial sea:
3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi)
Climate[]
Tropical, hot, humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain[]
Rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Elevation extremes[]
Lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point:
Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m (1,138 ft)
Natural resources[]
Miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
Note:
manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore
Natural hazards[]
Tropical Cyclones (especially November to May)
Environment – current issues[]
Deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains because of burning and clearing for settlement)
Maps[]
Worldwide map services show very little detail of the islands, and are even of limited use to show the location of them with respect to each other and to other islands, because they are so small and far apart. However, Mapquest zoom level 1 is a suitable map to see the location between Peru and New Zealand.
For the location with respect to French Polynesia, see the inset of Image:French Polynesia map.jpg.
See also[]
References[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geography of the Pitcairn Islands. |
- ^ Shadle, Robert (1996). Historical Dictionary of the British Empire. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 890. ISBN 978-0-313-29367-2. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ Ntumy, Michael A. (1993). South Pacific islands legal systems. University of Hawaii Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-8248-1438-0. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Official website". The Government of the Pitcairn Islands. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
External links[]
- Map of Pitcairn showing place names
- Map showing location of the Pitcairn Islands with respect to other island groups and to continents
Wikimedia Atlas of the Pitcairn Islands
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- Geography of the Pitcairn Islands