ate of Sulu's granting
the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a sovereignty
claim
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 150,000 (fighting between government troops and MILF and Abu
Sayyaf groups) (2004)
Illicit drugs:
exports locally-produced marijuana and hashish to East Asia, the
US, and other Western markets; serves as a transit point for heroin
and crystal methamphetamine; domestic methamphetamine production is
a growing problem; remains on Financial Action Task Force
Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure
to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@Pitcairn Islands
Introduction Pitcairn Islands
Background:
Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled
in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.
Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in
1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South
Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the
population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.
Geography Pitcairn Islands
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about midway between
Peru and New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
25 04 S, 130 06 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 47 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 47 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
51 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy
season (November to March)
Terrain:
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pawala Valley Ridge 347 m
Natural resources:
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been
discovered offshore
Land use:
arable land: NA
permanent crops: NA
other: NA (2001)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
typhoons (especially November to March)
Environment - current issues:
deforestation (only a small portion of the original forest remains
because of burni
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