Pitcairn Islands - All You Need to Know!

Описание: Pitcairn Islands

Welcome to the Pitcairn Islands, one of the 11 British Overseas territories.
The Pitcairn Islands are a group of four volcanic islands. The Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno are scattered across the waste ocean and have a combined land area of 47 km2. Henderson is the largest, but only Pitcairn is inhabited by only about 50 people. The nearest inhabited land to Pitcairn is Mangareva Island about 688 km away
The Pitcairn constitution defines the island government as a representative democracy, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence and foreign affairs. It is the smallest population of any democracy in the world.
The larger Henderson Island, support a rich variety of animals, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
History
The European settlement on the island started with a fascinating story, Mutiny on the Bounty. British merchant ship HMS Bounty was on it way to Britain after collecting breadfruit plants from Tahiti. A disagreement between crewmen, led by Fletcher Christian, and the captain, William Bligh resulted in mutiny. Christion overpowered the captain, put the captain and eighteen others on the ship's open launch, left them in the ocean, and took control of the HMS Bounty.
Nine of the mutineers including Christion and some native Tahitians; six men, 11 women, and a baby girl settled on the island in 1790 and burned the HMS Bounty, so no one would find them.
Although the settlers survived by farming and fishing, the initial period of settlement was marked by serious tensions among them. Alcoholism, murder, disease and other ills took the lives of most of them
For the next 18 years, they lived in isolation. Finally in 1808, American ship Topaz was the first to visit the island. Subsequently, Whalers became regular visitors to the island.
In 1814 British ships HMS Briton and HMS Tagus visited Pitcairn, by then, only one mutineer, John Adams, remained alive. He was given amnesty for his part in the mutiny
The Pitcairn Islanders briefly relocated to Tahiti in 1831 due to overpopulation and lack of resources but they returned later that year. Then again, they were relocated to Norfolk Island in 1856 but some families returned back to Pitcairn
The island was officially recognized as a British Overseas Territory in 1937. Population peaked at 250 around that time.
Demography
But now the population is around 50, 30 of them are descendants of the Bounty mutineers and Tahitians or other Polynesians. They speak Pitkern, a creole derived from 18th-century English, with some Tahitian. It is taught alongside English at the island's only school.
The only church on the island is Seventh-day Adventist. Only a handful of people attend church regularly but most attend on special occasions.
Education is free and compulsory between the ages of five and 15. Children up to 12 are taught at the island’s only School, while children 13 and over attend secondary school in New Zealand, or study via correspondence.
Pitcairn does not have an airport, airstrip or seaport of any kind; the islanders rely on longboats to ferry people and goods between ships and shore through Bounty Bay. Access to the rest of the shoreline is restricted by jagged rocks. The main modes of transport on the Island are by four-wheel drive quad bikes and on foot
Dancing and public displays of affection are prohibited. Rules around Smoking, and consumption of alcohol, have been relaxed. There is now one licensed café and bar on the island, and the government store sells alcohol and cigarettes.
Fishing and swimming are two popular recreational activities. A birthday celebration or the arrival of a ship or yacht involves a celebration with the entire Pitcairn community and a dinner party.
As far as the sporting facilities go the island has a tennis court. The Pitcairn Islands are the only member of the Pacific Community that does not take part in the Pacific Games. But did you know Australian National Rugby League player Dylan Walker's mother is from Pitcairn?



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