Pitcairn Islands 🇵🇳

The Pitcairn Islands belongs to Polynesia, and it is a dependent territory rather than a country in the political sense. The long form of the name is Pitcairn Group of Islands. The capital is Adamstown.

Its territory runs to 47 km², which ranks it 238th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Bouvet Island and just ahead of Norfolk Island. For scale, it is around a fifth smaller than San Marino.

Its recorded population is just 47, among the smallest anywhere. Within Polynesia alone it is the 8th largest of 10 and the 10th most populous.

Location, borders and position

The coordinates the dataset gives are 25.1° S, 130.1° W, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 2,790 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.

Australia and Eswatini sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.

No land border connects it to another territory. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, a group made up mostly of islands and island groups.

People, population and language

Population divided by land area gives roughly 1.0 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.

Someone from the Pitcairn Islands is a Pitcairn Islander.

The one official language is English. English is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 90 other entries including American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and Australia.

Inside Oceania it places 27th of 27 by population, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Polynesia.

Currency and codes

The currency is the New Zealand dollar ($, NZD). It shares that currency with the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue and Tokelau.

Its internet country code is .pn. To phone it from abroad you dial +64. Standard country codes: pn and PCN.

Adamstown is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.

The Pitcairn Islands is not a UN member state. It uses New Zealand's currency and issues none of its own, which is the usual mark of a dependency. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.

Fun facts about Pitcairn Islands

• People from the Pitcairn Islands are known as Pitcairn Islanders.
• It is 247th of 250 by population, with about 47 residents.
• Australia and Eswatini sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
• Its currency, the New Zealand dollar, is shared with 4 other entries.
• Its full official name is Pitcairn Group of Islands.
• Its capital city is Adamstown.
• Websites based there use the .pn domain.

Pitcairn Islands — frequently asked questions

What is the capital of the Pitcairn Islands?

The capital of the Pitcairn Islands is Adamstown.

Does the Pitcairn Islands border any other country?

No. The Pitcairn Islands has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.

How big is the Pitcairn Islands?

The Pitcairn Islands covers 47 km², ranking 238th of 250 by land area. That makes it around a fifth smaller than San Marino.

Where is the Pitcairn Islands located?

The Pitcairn Islands is in Polynesia, part of Oceania. Its reference coordinates are 25.1° south and 130.1° west, roughly 2,790 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.

What currency does the Pitcairn Islands use?

The Pitcairn Islands uses the New Zealand dollar, written $ (currency code NZD). It is shared with 4 other entries: the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Niue and Tokelau.

Is the Pitcairn Islands a country?

Not in the political sense. The Pitcairn Islands is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. The dataset points to New Zealand as the administering state. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.

What language is spoken in the Pitcairn Islands?

The official language of the Pitcairn Islands is English. It is also official in 90 other entries on this list.

What is the population of the Pitcairn Islands?

The Pitcairn Islands has a population of about 47, which makes it the 247th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. The United States Minor Outlying Islands sits just above it and South Georgia just below.