Geography of Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Island, a volcanic island in the South Pacific Ocean just south of the Tropic of Capricorn and midway between Australia and South America. It is 24 miles (3.6 km) long and has an area of 2 square miles (5 km2). Pitcairn, discovered by the British admiral Philip Carteret in 1767, was named for the sailor who sighted it.
The island was uninhabited until 1790, when it was occupied by mutineers of HMS Bountyand a few Tahitian women. In 1856 the population of almost 200 was moved to Norfolk Island, but some returned to Pitcairn in a few years. In 1991 the island had 66 inhabitants.
The island is a British possession administered by the British High Commissioner in New Zealand.