🇳🇫 Norfolk Island

National Flag

Geography & Borders

This country has no land borders.

Introduction & Background

Norfolk Island (/ˈnɔːrfək/, locally /ˈnɔːrfoʊk/;8 Norfuk: Norf'k Ailen9) is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877mi) directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about 900 kilometres (560mi) from Lord Howe Island. Together with the neighbouring Phillip Island and Nepean Island, the three islands collectively form the Territory of Norfolk Island.10 At the 2021 census, it had 2188 inhabitants living on a total area of about 35km2 (14sqmi).6 Its capital is Kingston.

The first known settlers in Norfolk Island were East Polynesians but they had already departed when Great Britain settled it as part of its 1788 settlement of Australia. The island served as a convict penal settlement from 6 March 1788 until 5 May 1855, except for an 11-year hiatus between 15 February 1814 and 6 June 1825,1112 when it lay abandoned. On 8 June 1856, permanent civilian residence on the island began when descendants of the Bounty mutineers were relocated from Pitcairn Island. In 1914 the UK handed Norfolk Island over to Australia to administer as an external territory.13