Most people think of a capital city as a bustling, sprawling metropolis packed with things to do, but things are very different in the world’s smallest capital.
Adamstown in the Pitcairn Islands is home to just 48 people, with almost all of them descending from the crew of HMS Bounty, a British merchant vessel that settled on the islands in 1790.
The islands are located in the south of the Pacific Ocean and are a British overseas territory. The rest of the Pitcairn Islands are uninhabited but some Adamstown residents use other areas to grow food.
Despite its tiny size, the city has access to television, satellite internet and telephone, but the area’s main means of communication is via amateur radio.
The capital is connected to the jetty which allows boats to come and go by a hill known as the ‘Hill of Difficulty’.
Before its current inhabitants turned up the island was home to a group of Polynesians during the 11th century, who established a culture which continued for four more centuries before vanishing.
Among the early British descendants living on the island was the last surviving mutineer John Adams.
Those living on the island today are treated to tropical temperatures, however its very warm summers lead to wet winters.
But despite their bright temperatures and quirky appearance, the islands have a dark recent history, with Operation Unique launched when a police officer from the UK uncovered allegations of sexual abuse on the island in 1999.
Charges resulting from the investigation included 21 counts of rape, 41 of indecent assault, and two of gross indecency with a child under 14. Six men were convicted of sexual abuse crimes against children in 2004, including Steve Christian, the island’s mayor at the time.
To jail the men, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob’s Valley.
