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Norfolk island


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Introduction - Norfolk Island:
CountryNorfolk Island

BackgroundTwo 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.

Location - Norfolk Island:
LocationOceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Geographic coordinates29 02 S, 167 57 E

Map referencesOceania

Areatotal: 34.6 sq km
land: 34.6 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area comparativeabout 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries0 km

Coastline32 km

Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climatesubtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation

Terrainvolcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

Elevation extremeslowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 m

Natural resourcesfish

Land usearable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated landNA

Natural hazardstyphoons (especially May to July)

Environment current issuesNA

Geography notemost 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:
Population2,114 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9%
65 years and over: 15.9% (2007 est.)

Dependency statusself governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of Transport and Regional Services

Population growth rate0.006% (2007 est.)

Birth rateNA

Death rateNA

Net migration rateNA

Sex ratioNA

Infant mortality ratetotal: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birthtotal population: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Total fertility rateNA

Hiv aids adult prevalence rateNA

Hiv aids people living with hiv aidsNA

Hiv aids deathsNA

Nationalitynoun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s)

Ethnic groupsdescendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesian

ReligionsAnglican 34.9%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 11.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.8%, Australian Christian 2.4%, Jehovahs Witness 0.9%, other 2.7%, unspecified 15.2%, none 18.1% (2001 census)

LanguagesEnglish (official), Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian

LiteracyNA

Government - Norfolk Island:
Country nameconventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island

Government typeNA

Capitalname: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E
time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisionsnone (territory of Australia)

Independencenone (territory of Australia)

National holidayBounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856)

ConstitutionNorfolk Island Act of 1979, as amended in 2005

Legal systembased on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law

Suffrage18 years of age; universal

Executive branchchief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)
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: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia

Legislative branchunicameral 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; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October 2004 (next to be held by December 2007)
election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)

Judicial branchSupreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions

Political parties and leadersnone

Political pressure groups and leadersnone

International organization participationUPU

Diplomatic representation in the usnone (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the usnone (territory of Australia)

Flag descriptionthree 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 overviewTourism, 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 forceNA

Labor force by occupationagriculture: 10%
industry and services: 90%

Unemployment rate0%

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

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

Industriestourism, light industry, ready mixed concrete

Electricity productionNA kWh

Electricity consumptionNA kWh

Exports$1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92)

Exports commoditiespostage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados

Exports partnersAustralia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006)

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

Imports commoditiesNA

Imports partnersAustralia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe (2006)

Debt external$NA

Economic aid recipient$NA

Currency code Australian dollar (AUD)

Exchange ratesAustralian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)

Communications - Norfolk Island:
Fiscal year1 July - 30 June

Telephones main lines in use2,532; note - a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004)

Telephones mobile cellular0; note - proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum (2002)

Telephone systemgeneral 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 stationsAM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)

Television broadcast stations1 (local programming station plus 2 repeaters that air Australian programs by satellite) (2005)

Internet country code.nf

Internet hosts100 (2006)

Internet users700 (2002 est.)

Transportation - Norfolk Island:
Airports1 (2006)

Airports with paved runwaystotal: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

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

Ports and terminalsnone; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

Military - Norfolk Island:
Military notedefense is the responsibility of Australia


This page was last updated on 16 September, 2007
Source: CIA >>>

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