Pitcairn Island summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Pitcairn Island.

Pitcairn Island, Island (pop., 2003 est.: 47) and British overseas territory, south-central Pacific Ocean. It is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn island group, which also includes Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno islands. It has an area of about 2 sq mi (5 sq km). Discovered in 1767 by the British, it was uninhabited until 1790, when it was settled by mutineers from HMS Bounty, led by Fletcher Christian. Pitcairn was annexed by Britain in 1838. The inhabitants were removed to Norfolk Island in 1856 because of overpopulation. Some returned to Pitcairn, and it is their descendants who make up the present population, subsisting on fishing and farming. In 1970 the British High Commissioner in New Zealand was appointed Pitcairn’s governor.

The Pacific Ocean, with depth contours and submarine features

Pacific Ocean Summary

Pacific Ocean, body of salt water extending from the 60° S parallel in the south to the Arctic in the north and lying between the continents of Asia and Australia on the west and North America and South America on the east. Of the three major oceans, the Pacific is by far the largest, occupying