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Pitcairn Islands Facts & Worksheets

The Pitcairn Islands is a group of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean making up the British Overseas Territory in the region.

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The Pitcairn Islands is a group of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean making up the British Overseas Territory in the region.

See the fact file below for more information about the Pitcairn Islands, or you can download our 32-page Pitcairn Islands worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BRIEF OVERVIEW

  • The Pitcairn Islands, officially known as the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands, is composed of four (4) volcanic islands located in the southern Pacific Ocean.
  • Among the four islands, Pitcairn is the only inhabited island. 

PITCAIRN ISLAND

  • Pitcairn Islands is composed of four (4) islands: (1) Pitcairn, (2) Henderson, (3) Ducie, and (4) Oeno. 
  • Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island among the four.
  • Pitcairn Island is of volcanic origin, and it has a rugged cliff coastline.
  • Pitcairn Island’s highest point is the Pawala Valley Ridge, which has an elevation of around 347 meters.
  • The Indigenous fauna of Pitcairn Island consists of insects and lizards.
  • Since Pitcairn Island has no coral reefs, sharks, sea bream, barracudas, and tuna have high populations.

HENDERSON ISLAND

  • Henderson Island is another island in the Pitcairn Islands.
  • Henderson Island is an uninhabited island with an area of around 14.40 square miles; it is located in the northeastern part of the island group.
  • Due to the poor soil status of the island, it is unsuitable for agriculture.
  • Other than the poor soil, Henderson Island has little water supply. In fact, there is only one potable water source on the island.
  • Henderson Island was announced as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1988.
  • The island is home to miro (commonly known as portia tree) and tou trees.
  • There are many species of flora on the island; some of them include coconut palms, thatch screwpine, velvetleaf, and sea randa.
  • The island is home to four (4) endemic land bird species: (1) the Henderson fruit dove, (2) Henderson lorikeet, also known as Stephen’s lorikeet, (3) Henderson reed warbler, and (4) Henderson crake or red-eye crake.

DUCIE ISLAND

  • Ducie Island is another uninhabited island from the Pitcairn Islands.
  • It is located on the eastern side of Pitcairn Island and Henderson Island.
  • Ducie Island is composed of four (4) islets: Acadia, Pandora, Westward, and Edwards.
  • Ducie Island was discovered by a Spanish expedition commanded by Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in 1606.
  • The island’s initial name was Luna Puesta, but it was renamed Ducie Island in 1791 by Captain Edward Edwards of HMS Pandora.
  • Among the four islets, Acadia islet is the largest. It is long and thin and is composed of ridges of coral rubbles. 
  • Located in the southern part is the Pandora islet, which is the second largest islet. This islet was named after HMS Pandora.
  • Located on the eastern side of Pandora islet is the Edwards islet. This islet was named after Captain Edward Edwards.
  • Westward islet is the smallest among the four.
  • Ducie Island is known for the seabirds that breed on the island; some of them include the red-footed booby, red-billed tropicbird, red-tailed tropicbird, great frigatebird, white tern, and masked booby.
  • Many species of fish can be found in the area. Some dangerous and poisonous species that one can find here include the moontail seabass, the blacktip grouper, and the greasy grouper. One can also find Galápagos sharks and whitetip reef sharks.

OENO ISLAND

  • Oeno Island is another uninhabited island in the group.
  • Oeno Island has a total area of around 7.7 square miles. 
  • The island is also known as Holiday Island, as Pitcairn Island residents often use the island as a holiday site.
  • Oeno Island has been identified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by BirdLife International, which means that the island has been recognized as globally important for the conservation of bird populations. 

GEOGRAPHY

  • Pitcairn Islands were formed from the upwelling magma called Pitcairn hotspot which is a volcanic hotspot that can be found in the south-central Pacific Ocean.
  • Adamstown which is the main settlement on Pitcairn Island, lies within the volcanic basin.
  • Pitcairn Islands have a maritime tropical rainforest climate, which means that residents experience a warm and humid climate year-round.
  • Pitcairn Island is a volcanic island.
  • Henderson Island, on the other hand, is an uplifted coral island.
  • Oeno Island and Ducie Island are atolls, meaning they are ring-shaped islands with a coral rim encircling a lagoon.

BIODIVERSITY

  • Pitcairn is part of the Tuamotu tropical moist forests (which are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests) terrestrial ecoregion.
  • Every year, a small number of humpback whales travel to the islands to migrate.
  • Around the Pitcairn Islands, the British government created one of the world’s largest maritime protected areas in March 2015. The goal is to stop illicit fishing from affecting some of the most pristine ocean habitats on the planet.
  • The Pitcairn Islands were designated as a Dark Sky Sanctuary by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) in March 2019. The mission of the organization is “to preserve and protect the night time environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting.”

ECONOMY

  • A broad range of fruits, including bananas, papaya, pineapples, mangoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, passionfruit, breadfruit, coconuts, avocadoes, and citrus, are produced by the rich soil of the Pitcairn valleys, such as Isaac’s Valley on the mild slopes southeast of Adamstown.
  • The waters surrounding Pitcairn are teeming with fish. For food and trade, a wide variety of fish, including spiny lobster, are caught and brought aboard passing ships. Someone goes fishing almost every day, either from a longboat, from the rocks, or by spear-diving.
  • The Department for International Development, the UK’s overseas aid organization, provided funding for an apiculture program for Pitcairn in 1998.
  • This program included training for Pitcairn’s beekeepers and a thorough examination of Pitcairn’s honey and bees, specifically focusing on the presence or absence of disease.
  • Pitcairn boasts one of the world’s best populations of disease-free bees, and the honey produced there has always been of the highest caliber.
  • Pitcairn exports honey to the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
  • Pitcairn is a major destination for tourism. The main focus for expanding the economy is tourism. The main focus is on small groups that stay at “home stays” and arrive by charter vessel.
  • The primary revenue streams have been the sales of postage stamps and coins to collectors.
  • Diesel generators provide the island with electricity from 7AM to 10PM.

CUISINE

  • Pitcairn’s small population means that the cuisine is not particularly sophisticated.
  • The most typical dish is pota, which is coconut and palm leaf mash.
  • Tropical houseplants are widely utilized. These consist of beans, sugar cane, coconut, breadfruit, basil, and bananas.
  • Fish and beef are the two main types of meat courses. The majority of the population is descended from British ancestors, so British food has an influence on the cuisine; one example is the meat pie.

DEMOGRAPHICS

  • The majority of people who live on Pitcairn Island are descended from Tahitians (or other Polynesians) and the Bounty mutineers.
  • Pitkern is a Tahitian-influenced creole language that originated from English in the eighteenth century. The majority of the population speaks it as their first language, and the island’s single school teaches it alongside English.
  • The Seventh-day Adventist church is the only structure on the island. Since the local government did not pass any legislation pertaining to the establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it is not a state religion.
  • Free and required education is provided between the ages of five (5) and fifteen (15). Children 13 years of age and older attend secondary school in New Zealand or receive their education through correspondence, while children under the age of 12 are taught at Pulau School.
  • Every year on the 23rd of January, Pitcairn observes Bounty Day, a public holiday honoring the day in 1790 when the mutineers arrived on the island in HMS Bounty.

Pitcairn Islands Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Pitcairn Islands across 32 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Pitcairn Islands. The Pitcairn Islands is a group of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean making up the British Overseas Territory in the region.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Pitcairn Islands Facts
  2. Locate Me
  3. Little President
  4. Word Search
  5. Meaningful Voyage
  6. What is It?
  7. All I Know
  8. My Adventure
  9. Cuisine Exploration
  10. Cultural Exploration
  11. Ask A Friend

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the Pitcairn Islands located?

The Pitcairn Islands are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. They are situated about midway between New Zealand and Peru. The four islands in the group are Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

What is the population of Pitcairn Islands?

As of January 2022, Pitcairn Islands had a very small population, with around 50 residents. Most of the population is descended from the mutineers of the HMAV Bounty and their Tahitian companions.

What is the capital of Pitcairn Islands?

Adamstown is the capital of the Pitcairn Islands. It is also the only settlement on the island of Pitcairn and serves as the administrative and economic center for the territory.

Is tourism significant in the Pitcairn Islands?

Tourism is not a major industry in Pitcairn Islands due to their remote location and limited infrastructure. However, some tourists do visit the islands, attracted by their unique history, biodiversity, and natural beauty. The government has made efforts to promote tourism sustainably.

What is the legal status of the Pitcairn Islands?

The Pitcairn Islands are a British Overseas Territory, and as such, they are under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. The local government is responsible for internal affairs, and the British government handles defense and foreign relations. The legal system is based on English law.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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