Norfolk Island Fact File
 

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
land: 34.6 sq km
water: 0 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% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

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:

1,828 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9%
65 years and over: 15.9% (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.01% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:

NA

Death rate:

NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:

NA

Sex ratio:

NA

Infant mortality rate:

total: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Total fertility rate:

NA

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, Polynesian

Religions:

Anglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.3%, none 18.1% (2001 census)

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:

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)
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
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 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)
election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - 17.2%

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 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)

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
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

Labor force:

1,345

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 10%
industry and services: 90%

Unemployment rate:

0%

Budget:

revenues: $4.6 million
expenditures: $4.8 million; including capital expenditures of $2 million (FY99/00)

Agriculture - products:

Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry

Industries:

tourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete

Electricity - production:

NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2002)

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 (2004)

Imports:

$17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92)

Imports - commodities:

NA

Imports - partners:

Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2004)

Debt - external:

$NA

Economic aid - recipient:

$NA

Currency (code):

Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code:

AUD

Exchange rates:

Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

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 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002)

Telephone system:

general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls
international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite earth station

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)

Radios:

2,500 (1996)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (2005)

Televisions:

1,200 (1996)

Internet country code:

.nf

Internet hosts:

91 (2005)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

2 (2000)

Internet users:

700

Transportation

Norfolk Island
Airports:

1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:

total: 80 km
paved: 53 km
unpaved: 27 km (2002)

Ports and terminals:

none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Military

Norfolk Island
Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia

Transnational Issues

Norfolk Island
Disputes - international:

none

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