Pitcairn Islands

The Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory composed of Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are located in the southern Pacific Ocean. Only Pitcairn island is inhabited. The Governor of the Pitcairn Islands is the representative of the Queen of the United Kingdom; the administrative headquarters is located in Auckland, New Zealand.

In the early centuries, the Pitcairn Islands were inhabited or frequently visited by Polynesian peoples, as evidenced by the glyphs that can be seen etched into the rocks. European explorers discovered the islands in 1767, and in 1790 the islands were inhabited by British mutineers of the Royal Navy ship “Bounty” and their Tahitian companions. In 1838, Pitcairn Island became a British colony. In 2014, the population of the Pitcairn Islands was estimated to be only 57 people. Although the economy of this small, remote island group relies heavily on British foreign aid, tourism may be a promising new sector for economic development.

Due to its location in the south Pacific, the Pitcairn Islands have a subtropical climate with high humidity and average yearly temperatures of approximately 20-30ºC.

Because of Henderson Island’s unique flora and fauna – it has 9 plant species and several species of birds found nowhere else in the world – Henderson Island is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Moreover, in 2015, the British government established the largest marine reserve in the world (834,000 square km) around the Pitcairn Islands to protect the pristine waters, diverse wildlife and healthy ecosystem. Moreover, the Pitcairn Islands have been recognized as important habitats for a variety of bird species.

With access to the Pitcairn Islands only available by ship (a journey of more than 30 hours), this very remote island group is secluded from mainstream tourism and its natural beauty is largely untouched.