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Background:
|
 Originally
settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island
groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate
in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration
in 1925. |
|
Location:
|
Oceania, group of
three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the
way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
9 00 S, 172 00 W |
|
Map references:
|
Oceania |
|
Area:
|
total: 10
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 10 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
about 17 times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
101 km |
|
Climate:
|
tropical;
moderated by trade winds (April to November) |
|
Terrain:
|
low-lying coral
atolls enclosing large lagoons |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
NEGL |
|
Land use:
|
arable land:
0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km |
|
Natural hazards:
|
lies in Pacific
typhoon belt |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
very limited
natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to
emigration to New Zealand |
|
Geography - note:
|
consists of three
atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of
reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three
meters above sea level |
|
Population:
|
1,405 (July 2004
est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
42%
15-64 years: 53%
65 years and over: 5% (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.01% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
NA births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
NA deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
NA migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
NA (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2004 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: NA years
male: 68 years
female: 70 years (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
NA% |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Polynesian |
|
Religions:
|
Congregational
Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of
Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both
denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church
predominant |
|
Languages:
|
Tokelauan (a
Polynesian language), English |
|
Literacy:
|
NA |
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau |
|
Dependency status:
|
self-administering
territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelauans are drafting a
constitution and developing institutions and patterns of
self-government as Tokelau moves toward free association with
New Zealand |
|
Government type:
|
NA |
|
Capital:
|
none; each atoll
has its own administrative center |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
|
Independence:
|
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
|
National holiday:
|
Waitangi Day
(Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New
Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
|
Constitution:
|
administered
under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970 |
|
Legal system:
|
New Zealand and
local statutes |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK
and New Zealand are represented by Administrator Neil WALTER
(since NA 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from
the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term
head of government: Aliki Faipule Kuresa NASAU (since
2004) note - position rotates annually among members of the
cabinet
cabinet: the Council of Faipule, consisting of three
elected leaders - one from each atoll - functions as a cabinet |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral
General Fono (48 seats; 15 members from each of the three
islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms and
the 3 island village mayors [pulenuku]); note - the Tokelau
Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the
General Fono |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court in
New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in
Tokelau |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
none |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
none |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Tokelau's small
size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources
greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture
to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from
New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public
services, with annual aid being substantially greater than
GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of
copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money
is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $1,000 (1993 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% (2002 est.) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
NA% |
|
Labor force:
|
NA |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
NA% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$430,830
expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital
expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
small-scale
enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft
goods; stamps, coins; fishing |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
NA kWh |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
coconuts, copra,
breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats |
|
Exports:
|
$98,000 f.o.b.
(1983) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
stamps, copra,
handicrafts |
|
Exports - partners:
|
NZ (2000) |
|
Imports:
|
$323,000 c.i.f.
(1983) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
foodstuffs,
building materials, fuel |
|
Imports - partners:
|
NZ (2000) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$0 |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
from New Zealand
about $4 million annually |
|
Currency:
|
New Zealand
dollar (NZD) |
|
Currency code:
|
NZD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
New Zealand
dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.154 (2002), 2.3776
(2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 April - 31
March |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
300 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
0 (2001) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: adequate
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone
service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok),
with 3 satellite earth stations, established in 1997 |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM NA, FM NA,
shortwave NA
note: each atoll has a radio broadcast station of
unknown type that broadcasts shipping and weather reports
(1998) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.tk |
|
Internet users:
|
NA |
|
Railways:
|
0 km |
|
Highways:
|
total: NA
km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
none; offshore
anchorage only |
|
Merchant marine:
|
none |
|
Airports:
|
none; lagoon
landings are possible by amphibious aircraft (2003 est.) |
|
Military - note:
|
defense is the
responsibility of New Zealand |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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