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 an estimated 1398 in 2009) 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
Rank: 212
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 elevation 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: 1354 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 235
Growth rate: -0.032% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 201
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: English (official) 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 (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.032% (2010 est.)
Rank: 201

Birth rate: NA

Death rate: NA

Net migration rate: NA

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 39% of total population
Rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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 Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection

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: NA

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2005)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Niue
Note: pronunciation falls between nyu-way and new-way but not like new-wee
Former: Savage Island

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Alofi
Geographic coordinates: 19 01 S 169 55 W
Time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind 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: 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 laws

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; 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 May 2000)
Head of government: Premier Toke TALAGI (since 18 June 2008)
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and 3 ministers
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held on 18 June 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: Toke TALAGI defeats incumbent Young VIVIAN in Legislative Assembly vote; Toke TALAGI - 14 Young VIVIAN - 5

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives)
Elections: last held on 7 June 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - 20 independents

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 AOSIS 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 star on a blue disk in the center and a smaller star on each arm of the bold red cross; the larger star stands for Niue the smaller stars recall the Southern Cross constellation on the New Zealand flag and symbolize links with that country; yellow represents the bright sunshine of Niue and the warmth and friendship between Niue and New Zealand

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Ko e Iki he Lagi'
Lyricsmusic: unknown/unknown prepared by Sioeli FUSIKATA
Note: adopted 1974

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 financial services although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in FY08/09 was US$5.7 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: $10.01 million (2003 est.)
Rank: 227

Real gdp growth rate: 6.2% (2003 est.)
Rank: 33

Real gdp per capita: $5,800 (2003 est.)
Rank: 139

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: handicrafts food processing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 663 (2001)
Rank: 227
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% (2001)
Rank: 128

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

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (2005)
Rank: 116

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)
Rank: 220
Commodities: canned coconut cream copra honey vanilla passion fruit products pawpaws root crops limes footballs stamps handicrafts

Imports: $9.038 million (2004)
Rank: 221
Commodities: food live animals manufactured goods machinery fuels lubricants chemicals drugs

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $418,000 (2002 est.)
Rank: 194

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.4015 (2010) 1.6002 (2009) 1.4151 (2008) 1.3811 (2007) 1.5408 (2006)


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Electricity
Production: 3 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 211
Consumption: 2.79 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 212
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 153
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 118
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 147
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 108
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 113

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1100 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 227
Mobile cellular: 600 (2004)
Mobile cellular rank: 219

Telephone system
Domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
International: country code - 683 (2001)

Broadcast media: 1 government-owned television station with many of the programs supplied by Television New Zealand; 1 government-owned radio station broadcasting in AM and FM (2009)

Internet
Country code: .nu
Hosts: 397,270 (2010)
Hosts rank: 52
Users: 1100 (2009)
Users rank: 213

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 (2010)
Rank: 229
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 120 km
Rank: 212
Paved: 120 km (2008)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Alofi


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs