Adamstown is the capital and only settlement of the Pitcairn Islands, the only British Overseas Territory that is located in the southern Pacific Ocean. As of January 2020, Adamstown has a population of 47, which is the entire population of the Pitcairn Islands. All the other islands in the group are uninhabited. Adamstown is where most residents live, while they grow food in other areas of the island. Adamstown is the second smallest capital in the world by population. It has access to television, satellite Internet, and a telephone; however, the main means of communication remains ham radio. The "Hill of Difficulty" connects the island's jetty to the town.

History

The history of the Pitcairn Islands begins with the settlement of the islands by Polynesians in the 11th century. The Polynesians established a culture that flourished for four centuries and then vanished. Pitcairn was settled again in 1790 by a group of British mutineers on HMS Bounty and Tahitians. Adamstown is named for the last surviving mutineer, John Adams.

Geography

The settlement is located on the central-north side of the island of Pitcairn, facing the Pacific Ocean and close to the Bounty Bay, the only seaport of the island.

Climate

Adamstown has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) under the Köppen climate classification system. The hamlet features a wet, very warm climate averaging 60.74 in of rain a year. The wettest month is December and temperatures do not vary significantly throughout the year.

Government

The Present Committee on Geographic Names stated that Auckland, New Zealand is the administrative centre for these islands because the Governor of Pitcairn, the British High Commissioner to New Zealand, is based in Auckland. However the same cited document describes Adamstown as the capital of the BOT on the following page.

Personalities

Religion

Notes and references