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Norfolk Island | 
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| Introduction | Norfolk Island |
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| 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. |
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| Geography | Norfolk Island |
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| Location: | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
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| 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: | 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 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 |
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| Population: | 1,841 (July 2004 est.) |
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| 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 |
| Sex ratio: | NA |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: NA male: NA female: NA |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
| 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 |
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| Country name: | conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
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| 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) 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: | 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 | Norfolk Island |
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| 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. |
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| 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) |
| Agriculture - products: | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
| Industries: | tourism |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA |
| Electricity - production: | NA kWh |
| Electricity - consumption: | NA kWh |
| 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 |
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| Telephones - main lines in use: | 2,532; note: a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004) |
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| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002) |
| 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 |
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| Highways: | total: 80 km paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 km (2001) |
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| 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 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Norfolk Island |
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| Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
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This page was last updated on 1 January 2003
This is a snapshot of the CIA World Fact Book as it existed on 26 March 2005