Pitcairn Islands Overview

Overview

The Pitcairn Islands are a loosely grouped handful of tiny islands in the remote South Pacific, farther from any continent than any other inhabited island. The islands are the last British colony in the South Pacific. They are one of the least-populated entities given an ISO country code (PN). Although inhabited by approximately 50 people and having a history involving the mutineers from the bounty, Pitcairn is not a tourist destination. In fact apart from the rare occasions when official permission is given, the island is not open to visitors. Britain's most isolated dependency is composed of five islands: Pitcairn, Oeno, Sandy, Henderson and Ducie. Only the larger island of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural harbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from larger ships stationed offshore. The islands are each unique, with differing origins. Pitcairn is distinctly volcanic, jutting steeply out of the ocean with a peak of 337 meters, seemingly a stone's throw from the shoreline (in any direction). As such it has very little of what would be called a "beach" – however the word "cliff" gets used a lot – and harbors are hard to come by. Bounty Bay hardly deserves the name, consisting of a small indentation in the shoreline with water deep enough only for small boats without keels and a small sea-level landing area... connected via the Hill of Difficulty to Adamstown. It is the only island of the group with fresh water sources. Henderson is the largest island, a flat coral formation, but raised 50-100 feet above sea level by volcanic activity. It has caves along its shoreline which served as either tombs or ill-fated residences to an ancient people (remember: no fresh water). It might be suitable for building an airstrip if it weren't for all the endangered seabirds that find it an ideal spot to land. Oeno is a small, flat island (accompanied by another sandy island known as "Sandy Island") surrounded by a circular reef, a typical South-Pacific paradise with palm trees, lovely beaches, and a sheltered lagoon. Ducie is distant from the others (over 100 miles from Henderson and well over 200 from Pitcairn), a circular reef and island, popular with seabirds. Regions Pitcairn Island - the only inhabited island of the group Henderson Island - the largest island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with several endangered bird species Oeno Island/Sandy Island - a close pair of islands, the locals' "holiday" spot Ducie Island - distant from the others, with lots of exotic bird life