The island has no airport, and the surrounding waters are too choppy to land by seaplane. Pitcairn has only one satellite telephone, and the connection is often unreliable.

The island was named after 15-year-old crew-member Midshipman Robert Pitcairn, who was the first to sight the island. It became a British colony in 1838 and peaked in population at 233 in 1937.