Norfolk Island Geography

Total area:
34.6 km2

Land area:
34.6 km2

Comparative area:
about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
none

Coastline:
32 km

Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm

Disputes:
none

Climate:
subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 0%; other 75%

Environment:
subject to typhoons (especially May to July)

Note:
located 1,575 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean

Norfolk Island People

Population:
2,620 (July 1992), growth rate 1.7% (1992)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Net migration rate:
NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Infant mortality rate:
NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth:
NA years male, NA years female (1992)

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (1992)

Nationality:
noun - Norfolk Islander(s); adjective - Norfolk Islander(s)

Ethnic divisions:
descendants of the Bounty mutiny; more recently, Australian and New Zealand settlers

Religions:
Anglican 39%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 16.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.4%, none 9.2%, unknown 16.9%, other 2.4% (1986)

Languages:
English (official) and Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian

Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Labor force:
NA

Organized labor:
NA

Norfolk Island Government

Long-form name:
Territory of Norfolk Island

Type:
territory of Australia

Capital:
Kingston (administrative center), Burnt Pine (commercial center)

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)

Independence:
none (territory of Australia)

Constitution:
Norfolk Island Act of 1957

Legal system:
wide legislative and executive responsibility under the Norfolk Island Act of 1979; Supreme Court

National holiday:
Pitcairners Arrival Day Anniversary, 8 June (1856)

Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Executive Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Leaders:

Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Administrator H. B. MACDONALD (since NA 1989), who is appointed by the Governor General of Australia.

Head of Government:
Assembly President and Chief Minister John Terence BROWN (since NA)

Political parties and leaders:
NA

Suffrage:
universal at age 18

Elections:

Legislative Assembly:
last held 1989 (held every three years); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (9 total) percent of seats by party NA

Member of:
none

Diplomatic representation:
none (territory of Australia)

Flag:
three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centred in the slightly wider white band

Norfolk Island Economy

Overview:
The primary economic activity is tourism, which has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific Islands. The number of visitors has increased steadily over the years and reached 29,000 in FY89. Revenues from tourism have given the island a favourable balance of trade and helped the agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.

GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Budget:
revenues $NA; expenditures $4.2 million, including capital expenditures of $400,000 (FY89)

Exports:
$1.7 million (f.o.b., FY86)

commodities:
postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia Palm, small quantities of avocados

partners:
Australia, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Asia, Europe

Imports:
$15.6 million (c.i.f., FY86)

Commodities:
NA

partners:
Australia, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Asia, Europe

External debt:
NA

Industrial production:
growth rate NA%

Electricity:
7,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 3,160 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries:
tourism

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

Economic aid:
none

Currency:
Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3177 (March 1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Norfolk Island Communications

Highways:
80 km of roads, including 53 km paved; remainder are earth formed or coral surfaced

Ports:
none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Airports:
1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m (Australian owned)

Telecommunications:
1,500 radio receivers (1982); radio link service with Sydney; 987 telephones (1983); broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV

Norfolk Island Defence Forces
defence is the responsibility of Australia

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