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  Niue
(self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
 
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 People
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This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


Map of Niue



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Niue Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Niue Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
19 02 S, 169 52 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 260 sq km
land: 260 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
64 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fish, arable land
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 11.54%
permanent crops: 15.38%
other: 73.08% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
typhoons
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
one of world's largest coral islands
   People    Niue Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,492
note: based on data for 2000 and 2001, which indicate a declining population trend that is assumed to continue (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.032% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: NA
total population: 95%
male: NA
female: NA
   Government    Niue Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Alofi
geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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 one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
   Economy    Niue Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 about US$2 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):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$7.6 million (2000 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$10.01 million (2003)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$5,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 23.5%
industry: 26.9%
services: 49.5% (2003)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
663 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12% (2001)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4% (2005)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $15.07 million
expenditures: $16.33 million (FY0405)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, handicrafts, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.79 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20.38 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$201,400 (2004)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$9.038 million (2004)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$2.6 million from New Zealand (2002)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$418,000 (2002 est.)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Niue Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,100 (2002 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
400 (2002)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international: country code - 683 (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.nu
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
900 (2002)
   Transportation    Niue Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 234 km
paved: 86 km
unpaved: 148 km (2001)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
none; offshore anchorage only
   Military    Niue Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
   Transnational Issues    Niue Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


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