British Colony famous for having been settled by Fletcher Christian and the mutineers of the Bounty with their Tahitian wives whose descendants form the present population.

The colony consists of Pitcairn and three other uninhabited islands, of which the next largest is Henderson 180 km off. It is one of the most isolated places on earth. From about 1000 CE the islands were settled by Polynesians, probably from Mangareva 400 km to the west. The small populations died out, probably when supplies from Mangareva ceased after deforestation there and civil war. The population vanishes from about 1600. As there were no trees large enough to build boats they probably died on the island.

The population now is 61. It was first found in 1767 but uninhabited. The Bounty mutineers reached it in 1790. Rediscovered in 1808, by which time all the men except one had died in fights or of other causes. The people are the descendants of the mutineers and their Tahitian wives. Some were moved to Norfolk Island (off Australia) in 1856 as the island is too small to support a greater population. The British High Commissioner (Ambassador) in NZ is the governor.

English

Tahitian

There is a mayor.

Numerous books about Captain Bligh and the Mutiny on the Bounty.

Subsistence and occasional tourist visits. Supplies from outside are essential.

Islanders were awarded full British citizenship in 21 May 2002. However, British citizens do not have the right to move there.

A British court has visited the island to investigate sexual abuse crime there. A large proportion of the male population were found guilty. Are the islanders subject to British law, as they claim they never voluntarily submitted to it?