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. Referenda held in 2006 and 2007 to change the status of the islands from that of a New Zealand territory to one of free association with New Zealand did not meet the needed threshold for approval.

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

Natural hazards: lies in Pacific typhoon belt

Geography
Note: consists of three atolls (Atafu Fakaofo Nukunonu) each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level

Population: 1433 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: -0.011% (2008 est.)

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53%
65 years and over: 5%

Population growth rate: -0.011% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: NA (2008 est.)

Death rate: NA (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: NA (2008 est.)

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

Sex ratio: NA

Infant mortality rate
Total: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: NA (2008 est.)

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

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 11 years (2004)

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)

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

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: Pio TUIA (since 23 February 2008); 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: 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 17-19 January 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: independents 20

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

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.)

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

Labor force: 440 (2001)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $430,800
Expenditures: $2.8 million (1987 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

Exports: $0 (2002)
Commodities: stamps copra handicrafts
Partners: New Zealand (2006)

Imports: $969,200 c.i.f. (2002)
Commodities: foodstuffs building materials fuel
Partners: New Zealand (2006)

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007) 1.5408 (2006) 1.4203 (2005) 1.5087 (2004) 1.7221 (2003)

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh

Telephones
Main lines in use: 300 (2002)

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); satellite earth stations - 3

Internet
Country code: .tk
Hosts: 273 (2008)
Users: NA

Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only

Disputes international: Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution