Map of Niue | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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) with substantial emigration to New Zealand.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 64 km

Maritime claims
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Elevation

Natural resources: fish, arable land

Land use: 61% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 12% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand


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Population: 2,019 (July 1990), growth rate NA (1990)

Nationality: noun--Niuean(s; adjective--Niuean

Ethnic groups: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans

Languages: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English

Religions: 75% Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, 10% Mormon, 5% Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: NA migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to typhoons

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory between 5 and 14 years of age

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand

Capital: Alofi

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)

Constitution: no formal, written constitution

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974; Head of Government--Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October 1974)

Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly

Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate member), SPF

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand--the grants are used to pay wages to the 80% or more of the work force employed in public service. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops--taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle

Industries: tourist, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.), most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY85 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985)
Commodities: canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Partners: NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia

Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985)
Commodities: food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs
Partners: NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,420 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs