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Deep in the Pacific Ocean, where the horizon expands forever and no other landmass can be seen, lie the Pitcairn Islands.<\/p>\n
Consisting of four separate tiny islands, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno, they are scattered over several hundred miles of ocean.<\/p>\n
Only one, Pitcairn Island, is inhabited, with a population of an estimated 50 people as of this year.<\/p>\n
It is an intriguing place, a land where the New Zealand dollar is used as currency and King Charles III is monarch.<\/p>\n
So how did the string of islands come under British control? And what exactly is life like there? Express.co.uk takes a look.<\/p>\n
READ MORE <\/strong> Job offer on UK\u2019s most remote inhabited island where just 60 people live<\/strong><\/p>\n The earliest known settlers to the islands were Polynesians who are believed to have lived there for several centuries, possibly living there as late as the 15th century.<\/p>\n It was around this time that European travellers found them, first the Portuguese and later the British.<\/p>\n However, it wasn’t until 1790, when nine of the mutineers from HMS Bounty along with the native Tahitian men and women who were with them took over the ship and found the islands, that they became settled again.<\/p>\n The mutineers lived in isolation for some 20 years before coming into contact with the outside world.<\/p>\n In 1808, American whalers discovered the island, and soon other ships began visiting bringing books and other supplies from Britain.<\/p>\n The population quickly grew and the island became a port of call for whalers and passenger ships travelling between the US and Australia, and the people who live there today are descended from the mutineers.<\/p>\n The islands are extremely detached from anywhere else, the nearest other islands being Mangareva of French Polynesia which is 688 kilometres (427 miles) to the west, and Easter Island some 1,900 kilometres (1,180 miles) to the east.<\/p>\n While it has a locally devolved governing dependency, it is still a UK sovereign state whose monarch is King Charles III.<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n In fact, islanders celebrated his accession to the throne earlier this year, with people gathering to mark the event, as well as signing a book of remembrance for Queen Elizabeth II.<\/p>\n Locals struck a bell 96 times to mark each year of her life, something that is ordinarily done to mark the funeral of a deceased islander.<\/p>\n She never visited the island, nor has Charles, but the late Prince Philip stopped off at Pitcairn in 1971 while travelling on the royal yacht Britannia.<\/p>\n Life is quiet and idyllic there, a place that many people have likely found in their dreams. However, the Pitcairn Island Immigration website warns that dreams are not always as they seem, stating: “Life on Pitcairn will not be for everyone. The island’s isolation and small size at times make life on Pitcairn physically demanding and challenging.<\/p>\n “Residents need to be able to turn their hand to a wide range of tasks, and handle difficulties with pragmatism and creativity.”<\/p>\n Pitcairn has two official languages, English and the unique Piktern, a mix of English and Tahitian.<\/p>\n Much of the island’s politics is communicated through New Zealand, of which Ioan Thomas, Britain’s High Commissioner to New Zealand is Governor of Pitcairn.<\/p>\n Charles Blackie, a New Zealand judge, is currently Chief Justice of the Pitcairn Supreme Court, while Yorkshire-born Simon Young last year became the first non-native person to hold the post of mayor.<\/p>\n While Pitcairn is one of the world’s most beautiful islands, with bags of biodiversity and home to countless endangered species, it has a dark contemporary history.<\/p>\n In 2004, the island was rocked by historical allegations of rape and sexual assault of minors, of which several men were charged and imprisoned, including Steven Raymond Christian, the island’s mayor between 1999 and 2004.<\/p>\n Courts heard a culture of acceptance had ravaged the island, with most girls having their first child between the ages of 12 and 15. The age of consent was previously 12 but increased to 16 after the trial in line with the UK.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/78\/590x\/secondary\/hms-bounty-mutiny-Fletcher-Christian-5008328.jpg?r=1697204116709\")
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