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 2,100 in 2002) with substantial emigration to New Zealand 2,400 km to the southwest.

Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S 169 52 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 260 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 260 km²
Comparative: 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
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: 19.23%
Permanent crops: 7.69%
Other: 73.08% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: typhoons

Geography
Note: one of world's largest coral islands

Population: 2,145 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 0.01% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Niuean
Adjective: Niuean

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

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) 75% Latter-Day Saints 10% other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic Jehovah's Witnesses Seventh-Day Adventist)

Age structure
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.01% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

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

Sex ratio: NA (2003 est.)

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

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA years
Male: NA years
Female: NA years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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

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

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy

Capital: Alofi

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

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
Note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000)
Election results: Young VIVIAN elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 70%, Hunukitama HUNUKI (AI) 30%
Elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2005)
Head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002)
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers

Legislative branch
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11; note - all 20 seats were reelected
Elections: last held 21 March 2002 (next to be held in March 2005)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue

Political parties and leaders: Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of Independents or AI [leader NA]

International organization participation: ACP ESCAP (associate) FAO Sparteca SPC SPF UNESCO 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

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 migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry although Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down the offshore banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about $2.6 million.

Real gdp growth rate: -0.3% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: 55%

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
By occupation: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service small industry and the Niue Development Board

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $NA
Expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (1995)

Exports: $137,200 (1999)
Commodities: canned coconut cream copra honey vanilla passion fruit products pawpaws root crops limes footballs stamps handicrafts
Partners: NZ mainly Fiji Cook Islands Australia (2000)

Imports: $2.38 million (1999)
Commodities: food live animals manufactured goods machinery fuels lubricants chemicals drugs
Partners: NZ mainly Fiji Japan Samoa Australia US (2000)

Debt external: $418,000 (2002 est.)

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.162 (2002) 2.3776 (2001) 2.1863 (2000) 1.8886 (1999) 1.8629 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 3 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 2.79 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 376 (1991)
Mobile cellular: 0 (1991)

Telephone system
Domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
International: NA

Internet
Country code: .nu
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: NA

Airports: 1 (2002)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none