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 to about 2,166 in 2006) with substantial emigration to New Zealand 2,400 km to the southwest.


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Location: Oceania island in the South Pacific Ocean east of Tonga

Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S 169 52 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 260 km²
Land: 260 km²
Water: 0 km²
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
Extremes 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

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons

Geography
Note: one of world's largest coral islands


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Population: 2,166 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 0.01% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Niuean
Adjective: Niuean

Ethnic groups: Niuen 78.2% Pacific islander 10.2% European 4.5% mixed 3.9% Asian 0.2% unspecified 3% (2001 census)

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

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)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.01% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio: NA

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

Total fertility rate: NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 95%
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Niue
Former: Savage Island

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy

Capital
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: none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government but there are 14 villages at the second order

Dependent areas

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

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 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 NA 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 May 2008)
Election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 15%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held 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]

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)
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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $7.6 million (2000 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.2%

Real gdp per capita: $5,800 (2003 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.5%
Industry: 26.9%
Services: 49.5% (2003)

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%

Labor force: NA 663
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% NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $15.07 million
Expenditures: $16.33 million; including capital expenditures of $123,700

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (2005)

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: $201,400 (2004)
Commodities: canned coconut cream copra honey vanilla passion fruit products pawpaws root crops limes footballs stamps handicrafts
Partners: New Zealand mainly Fiji Cook Islands Australia (2004)

Imports: $9.038 million (2004)
Commodities: food live animals manufactured goods machinery fuels lubricants chemicals drugs
Partners: New Zealand mainly Fiji Japan Samoa Australia US (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $418,000 (2002 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005) 1.5087 (2004) 1.7221 (2003) 2.1622 (2002) 2.3788 (2001)


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Electricity
Production: 3 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 2.79 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1100 est (2002)
Mobile cellular: 400 (2002)

Telephone system
Domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
International: country code - 683

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .nu
Users: 900 (2002)

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 (2006)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2006)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 234 km
Paved: 86 km
Unpaved: 148 km (2001)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs