Map of Niue | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total area total: 260 km²
Land: 260 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 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

Natural resources: fish, arable land

Land use
Arable land: 61%
Permanent crops: 4%
Meadows and pastures: 4%
Forest and woodland: 19%
Other: 12%

Irrigated land: NA km²

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: 1,837 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: -3.66% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Niuean(s)
Adjective: Niuean

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

Languages: Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English

Religions: Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church) 75% - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, Morman 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -3.66% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: NA

Death rate: NA

Net migration rate: NA

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: traditional methods of burning brush and trees to clear land for agriculture have threatened soil supplies which naturally are not very abundant
Current issues natural hazards: typhoons
Current issues international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: NA

Life expectancy at birth: NA

Total fertility rate: NA

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Niue

Government type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs

Capital: Alofi

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 19 October 1974 (became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand on 19 October 1974)

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

Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative Kurt MEYER (since NA)
Head of government: Premier Frank F. LUI (since 12 March 1993; Acting Premier since December 1992)
Cabinet: Cabinet; consists of the premier and three other ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Assembly: elections last held 6 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (20 total, 6 elected)

Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
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 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 public employees. 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: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries: tourism, handicrafts, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 1000 (1981 est.)
Note: 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 (1985 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

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: $117,500 (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Partners: NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia

Imports: $4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodoties: 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 - 1.5601 (January 1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 2.7 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,490 kWh (1992)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 383 telephones
Local: NA
Intercity: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
International: NA

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

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 paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1

Airports with paved runways
15-24 to 2437 m: 1

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs