Niue

This article is an from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our . Please and edit it.

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 2002) with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Cities

Alofi - capital

Understand

The word "Niue" is not used in the local language to refer to this island, meaning in fact "Look! There's a coconut" (sometimes given as "Behold the coconut").

Get in

By plane

The easiest way to arrive in Niue is by plane from Auckland. Be careful not to schedule your flights around religious holidays such as Easter, as seats are often at a premium since many Niueans return home at these times.

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

Talk

English (often with a distinctive New Zealand accent) is widely spoken. The local Niuean language is increasingly falling out of favour.

External links

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
water: 0 sq km
land: 260 sq km

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

64 km

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 19.23%
permanent crops: 7.69%
other: 73.08% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Natural hazards

typhoons

Environment - current issues

increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Geography - note

one of world's largest coral islands

People

Population

2,134 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%

Population growth rate

0.5% (2002 est.)

Birth rate

NA births/1,000 population

Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio

NA

Infant mortality rate

NA deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate

NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

Nationality

noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean

Ethnic groups

Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)

Religions

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)

Languages

Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English

Literacy

definition: NA
total population: 95%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue
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

Alofi

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

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 one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross

Economy

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 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 will be about $2.6 million.

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Unemployment rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, handicrafts, food processing

Electricity - production

3 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption

2.79 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle

Exports - commodities

canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts

Imports - commodities

food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs

Currency

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code

NZD

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.3535 (January 2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5082 (1997)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use

376 (1991)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1991)

Telephone system

domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international: NA

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

NA

Transportation

Railways

0 km

Highways

total: 234 km
paved: 86 km
unpaved: 148 km (106 km of which is access and plantation road) (2001)

Waterways

none

Ports and harbors

none; offshore anchorage only

Airports

1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

External Links

• Map of Niue

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