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

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Background: Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.


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Location: Oceania group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates: 9 00 S 172 00 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 10 km²
Land: 10 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 101 km

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

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Terrain: low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: lies in Pacific typhoon belt

Geography
Note: consists of three atolls each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three meters above sea level


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Population: 1392 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: -0.01% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Tokelauan
Adjective: Tokelauan

Ethnic groups: Polynesian

Languages: Tokelauan (a Polynesian language) English

Religions
Note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53%
65 years and over: 5% (2006 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.01% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: NA

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

Net migration rate: NA

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand

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: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: NA

Capital
Time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: none (territory of New Zealand)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (territory of New Zealand)

National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand) 6 February (1840)

Constitution: administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970

Legal system: New Zealand and local statutes

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 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); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006)
Head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders)
Cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors), functions as a cabinet
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term

Legislative branch
Elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: PIF (observer) SPC UNESCO (associate) UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territory of New Zealand)
From the us: none (territory of New Zealand)

Flag description: the flag of New Zealand is used

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tokelau's small size (three villages) isolation and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra postage stamps souvenir coins and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $1.5 million (1993 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $1000 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: coconuts copra breadfruit papayas bananas; pigs poultry goats; fish

Industries: small-scale enterprises for copra production woodworking plaited craft goods; stamps coins; fishing

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: 440

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $430,800
Expenditures: $2.8 million; including capital expenditures of NA (1987 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

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: $0 f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: stamps copra handicrafts
Partners: New Zealand (2004)

Imports: $969,200 c.i.f. (2002)
Commodities: foodstuffs building materials fuel
Partners: New Zealand (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $0

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: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 300 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 0 (2001)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern satellite-based communications system;
Domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
International: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .tk
Hosts: 298 (2006)
Users: NA

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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs