Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island
Dependency status:
self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E
time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)
Independence:
none (territory of Australia)
National holiday:
Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856)
Constitution:
Norfolk Island Act of 1979, as amended in 2005
Legal system:
based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Acting Administrator Owen WALSH (since October 2007)
cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator
elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 2007 (next to be held by 28 March 2010)
election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band
