|
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 an estimated 1,492 in 2007), with substantial
emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest. |
|
Location: |
Oceania, island in the South
Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
19 02 S, 169 52 W |
|
Map references: |
Oceania |
|
Area: |
total: 260 sq km
land: 260 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
1.5 times the size of
Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries: |
0 km |
|
Coastline: |
64 km |
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
|
Climate: |
tropical; modified by southeast
trade winds |
|
Terrain: |
steep limestone cliffs along
coast, central plateau |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific
Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau
settlement 68 m |
|
Natural resources: |
fish, arable land |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 11.54%
permanent crops: 15.38%
other: 73.08% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land: |
NA |
|
Natural hazards: |
typhoons |
|
Environment - current issues: |
increasing attention to
conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from
traditional slash and burn agriculture |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the
Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
|
Geography - note: |
one of world's largest coral
islands |
|
Population: |
1,444 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
|
Population growth rate: |
-0.032% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
NA |
|
Death rate: |
NA (2008 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
NA |
|
Sex ratio: |
NA |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
NA (2008 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander
10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)
|
|
Religions: |
Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church -
a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society)
61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses
2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9%
(2001 census) |
|
Languages: |
Niuean, a Polynesian language
closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English |
|
Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population: 95%
male: NA
female: NA
|
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Niue
note:
pronounciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee
former: Savage Island |
|
Dependency status: |
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 |
|
Government type: |
self-governing parliamentary
democracy |
|
Capital: |
name: Alofi
geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W
time
difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time) |
|
Administrative divisions: |
none; note - there are no
first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but
there are 14 villages at the second order |
|
Independence: |
on 19 October 1974, Niue became
a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New
Zealand |
|
National holiday: |
Waitangi Day (Treaty of
Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February
(1840) |
|
Constitution: |
19 October 1974 (Niue
Constitution Act) |
|
Legal system: |
English common law; note - Niue
is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws |
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of
New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); the UK and New Zealand
are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since May
2000)
head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May
2002)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three
ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected
by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 12
May 2005 (next to be held in May 2008)
election results: Young
VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young
VIVIAN 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN 15% |
|
Legislative branch: |
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)
elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held in April
2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - NA |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court of New Zealand;
High Court of Niue |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Alliance of Independents or AI;
Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
|
International organization participation: |
ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (self-governing territory
in free association with New Zealand) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (self-governing territory
in free association with New Zealand) |
|
Flag description: |
yellow with the flag of the UK
in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow
five-pointed stars - a large star on a blue disk in the center and a
smaller star on each arm of the bold red cross |
|
Economy - overview: |
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 emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP
include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry,
although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the
termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New
Zealand in 2002 was US$2.6 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in
January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the
process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$7.6 million (2000 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$10.01 million (2003) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
6.2% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$5,800 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 23.5%
industry: 26.9%
services: 49.5% (2003) |
|
Labor force: |
663 (2001) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
note: most work on
family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small
industry, and the Niue Development Board |
|
Unemployment rate: |
12% (2001) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
4% (2005) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $15.07 million
expenditures: $16.33 million (FY04/05) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
coconuts, passion fruit, honey,
limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef
cattle |
|
Industries: |
tourism, handicrafts, food
processing |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA% |
|
Electricity - production: |
3 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
2.79 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
20 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
0 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports: |
20.38 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$201,400 (2004) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
canned coconut cream, copra,
honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes,
footballs, stamps, handicrafts |
|
Exports - partners: |
New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook
Islands, Australia (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$9.038 million (2004) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
food, live animals,
manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs |
|
Imports - partners: |
New Zealand mainly, Fiji,
Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$2.6 million from New Zealand
(2002) |
|
Debt - external: |
$418,000 (2002 est.) |
|
Currency (code): |
New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
|
Currency code: |
NZD |
|
Exchange rates: |
New Zealand dollars per US
dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004),
1.7221 (2003) |
|
Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31 March
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
1,100 (2002 est.) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
400 (2002) |
|
Telephone system: |
domestic: single-line
telephone system connects all villages on island
international:
country code - 683 (2001) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
|
|
Radios: |
1,000 (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
|
Televisions: |
NA |
|
Internet country code: |
.nu |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
900 (2002) |
|
Airports: |
1 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 234 km
paved: 86 km
unpaved: 148 km (2001) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
none; offshore anchorage only
|
|
Military branches: |
no regular indigenous military
forces; Police Force |
|
Military - note: |
defense is the responsibility
of New Zealand |
| Transnational Issues |
Niue |
|
Disputes - international: |
none |
|
