Name
The name comes from English midshipman Robert Pitcairn, who first sighted the island in 1767.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Country
Pitcairn Islands
24.36° S, 128.32° W
No land border at all — every neighbor is across water, along 51 km of coast, the 173rd longest on Earth.
land borders 0 km · 164th/230 · coastline 51 km · 173rd/229
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
- Population
- 54
- Natural Earth population estimate.
- Area
- 47 km²
- Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 39 km².
- Population density
- ≈ 1.4 / km²
- Population divided by the computed boundary area.
- ISO codes
- PN · PCN
- GDP
- No source connected
Pitcairn Islands 47 km²Sint Maarten 34 km²
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Where Pitcairn Islands sits in the world
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
- Population54235th of 235 · median 5,454,073
- Total area47 km²221st of 228 · median 83,736 km²
- Coastline51 km173rd of 229 · median 402 km
Overview
Geography
Britain's most isolated dependency lies in Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between Peru and New Zealand. The terrain is a rugged volcanic formation, with a rocky coastline and cliffs. Only Pitcairn, the larger island, is inhabited, but it has no port or natural harbor.
Supplies reach the island by longboat from larger ships stationed offshore. Miro trees, used for handicrafts, and fish are listed as natural resources. Palwala Valley Point on Big Ridge is the highest point, while the Pacific Ocean forms the lowest point.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Climate
Southeast trade winds modify the Pitcairn Islands’ tropical climate, which is hot and humid. A rainy season occurs, while occasional tropical cyclones are generally only heavy tropical storms.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Flag and symbols
A blue field carries the UK flag in its upper-left quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on its right half. Its green field features a yellow anchor with a Bible over it, both of which were on the HMS Bounty. The crest shows a Pitcairn Island wheelbarrow and a flowering twig of miro, a local plant; the green, yellow, and blue of the shield represent the island rising from the ocean.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
People
- Population growth
- 0% a year
- Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Languages
- Englishofficial
- Pitkern
- Field “People and Society → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Religions
- Seventh Day Adventist100%
- Field “People and Society → Religions” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
- Total area
- 47 km²Land 47 km² · Water 0 km²
- Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Coastline
- 51 km
- Field “Geography → Coastline” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Land borders
- 0 km
- Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Highest point
- 347 m Palwala Valley Point on Big Ridge
- Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Connections
Within
Natural geography 1
Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID