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Background:
|
 Niue's
remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences
between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of
the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately
administered. The population of the island continues to drop
(from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to about 2,100 in 2004), with
substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the
southwest. |
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Location:
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Oceania, island
in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga |
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Geographic coordinates:
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19 02 S, 169 52 W |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total: 260
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 260 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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1.5 times the
size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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64 km |
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Climate:
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tropical;
modified by southeast trade winds |
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Terrain:
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steep limestone
cliffs along coast, central plateau |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement
68 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land:
19.23%
permanent crops: 7.69%
other: 73.08% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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typhoons |
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Environment - current issues:
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increasing
attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil
fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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one of world's
largest coral islands |
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Population:
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2,156 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.01% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
|
NA births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
|
NA deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
NA migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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NA (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2004 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean |
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Ethnic groups:
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Polynesian (with
some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans) |
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Religions:
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Ekalesia Niue
(Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the
London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other
15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day
Adventist) |
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Languages:
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Niuean, a
Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan;
English |
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Literacy:
|
definition:
NA
total population: 95%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Niue
former: Savage Island |
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Dependency status:
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self-governing in
free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully
responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains
responsibility for external affairs and defense; however,
these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are
only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue |
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Government type:
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self-governing
parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Alofi |
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Administrative divisions:
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none; note -
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined
by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second
order |
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Independence:
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on 19 October
1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in
free association with New Zealand |
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National holiday:
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Waitangi Day
(Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New
Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
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Constitution:
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19 October 1974 (Niue
Constitution Act) |
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Legal system:
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English common
law
note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make
its own laws |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK
and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High
Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000)
election results: Young VIVIAN elected premier; percent
of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 70%,
Hunukitama HUNUKI (AI) 30%
elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected
by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election
last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2005)
head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May
2002)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three
ministers |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll
and 14 are village representatives)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - NPP 9, independents 11; note - all 20 seats were
reelected
elections: last held 21 March 2002 (next to be held NA
March 2005) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of
New Zealand; High Court of Niue |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Niue People's
Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of Independents
or AI [leader NA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(self-governing territory in free association with New
Zealand) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none
(self-governing territory in free association with New
Zealand) |
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Economy - overview:
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The economy
suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic
isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government
expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is
made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are
used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government
expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half.
The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence
gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export.
Industry consists primarily of small factories to process
passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of
postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of
revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious
loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New
Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of
tourism and a financial services industry, although Premier
LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down
the offshore banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand
in 2002 was about $2.6 million. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $7.6 million (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-0.3% (2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $3,600 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: 55% |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (1995) |
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Labor force:
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NA (1998 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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most work on
family plantations; paid work exists only in government
service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% (March 1999) |
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Budget:
|
revenues:
$NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of
$NA |
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Industries:
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tourism,
handicrafts, food processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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3 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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2.79 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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20 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts, passion
fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet
potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle |
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Exports:
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$137,200 (1999) |
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Exports - commodities:
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canned coconut
cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws,
root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts |
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Exports - partners:
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NZ mainly, Fiji,
Cook Islands, Australia (2000) |
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Imports:
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$2.38 million
(1999) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food, live
animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants,
chemicals, drugs |
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Imports - partners:
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NZ mainly, Fiji,
Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$418,000 (2002
est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$2.6 million from
New Zealand (2002) |
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Currency:
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New Zealand
dollar (NZD) |
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Currency code:
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NZD |
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Exchange rates:
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New Zealand
dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.1620 (2002), 2.3776
(2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31
March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1,100 est (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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400 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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domestic:
single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international: country code - 683 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 1,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.nu |
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Internet users:
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NA |
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Railways:
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0 km |
|
Highways:
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total: 234
km
paved: 86 km
unpaved: 148 km (2001) |
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Waterways:
|
none |
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Ports and harbors:
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none; offshore
anchorage only |
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Merchant marine:
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none |
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Airports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no regular
indigenous military forces; Police Force |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of New Zealand |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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